Raphael Tuck and Sons

As one walks through the beautiful grounds of Willesden Cemetery in London, it is easy to lose yourself thinking of the lives behind the headstones. It often seems  every corner turned leads to a new story. Such is the case with the monuments of Sir Adolph Tuck and his brother Herman Tuck. The brothers were 2 of the seven children of Raphael Tuck and his wife Ernestine Lissner of Kozmin, Poland.

The story of the Tuck family is so much more than these beautiful markers. Arriving in England in the mid 1860's Raphael soon began selling pictures and frames. He was joined in business by 3 sons in 1871, and Raphael Tuck & Sons, publishers was formed. Shortly thereafter they published their first Christmas card. Business was good and in 1893, they were granted a Royal Warrant by Queen Victoria, becoming Publishers to Her Majesties the King and Queen. Soon they had offices in Paris and New York, as well as London.
Adolph Tuck, produced the picture postcard in 1894, a picture of Mt. Snowden in Wales. In addition, he was the first to sell a set of numbered postcards, they were printed in 1898 and the first was of The Tower of London. Over time the company printed and sold books, greeting cards, scrapbooks and puzzles. In fact Sir Adolph Tuck is widely credited with restarting the sending of Valentine Day cards, which he did in 1925.

We are fortunate  that many of the items published can be found in galleries and museums because like so many other businesses, the original records were destroyed in the bombing blitz of London during World War II.

The records of the Tuck family can be found in the Knowles Collection- Jews of the British Isles.

The Behr-Behrend Family of Germany and the United States

The records of Malcolm Stern have been discussed in this blog on different occasions. It is a wonderful archive of family records. One of the benefits of searching the collection is finding original family trees that were submitted by families looking for his help.

One of these incredible trees belongs to the Behr-Behrend family originally from Germany. In the tree below (FHL film #1013431 item #3) we find that between the fourth and fifth generations the family changed their surname from Behr to Behrend.

In the fifth generation, the oldest child of Itzig Behr (b. 1773) and his wife Rivka is their son Bernhard (Bough "A" on bottom left part of tree). Further in the family papers is listed the family of Bernhard. That tree (shown below) identifies the 14 children of Bernhard and his wife Eliza Heine.

Of the children shown for Bernhard and his wife Eliza in a search of the 1880 United States census shows their son Adajah and his wife Matilda with their 3 children and her mother all living in Washington D.C. In that census (FHL film #1254123, shown below) we also note that Adajah is a physician by occupation.

From the records above one would easily draw the conclusion that this man had a successful life, with few cares or worries. However, while his life may very well have been that way, at one time there were other concerns about him. At one point in his life, before marriage and family he joined the Union Army in the United States Civil War. As an immigrant to America, this could not have been easy but showed a desire to serve his new country.

When he enlisted he was not yet of the majority age, so his father was required to give his permission, which he did. However he still had concerns for his son, mostly that his service in the military would not interfere with his ability to worship in the Jewish faith. To share his concerns, he contacted the one person who he thought could help, President Abraham Lincoln. Parts of that letter are below, it reads;

To His Excellency Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States.
. . . I gave my consent to my son, who was yet a minor, that he should enlist in the United States army; I thought it was his duty, and I gave him my advice to fulfill his duty as a good citizen, and he has done so. At the same time I taught him also to observe the Sabbath on Saturday, when it would not hinder him from fulfilling his duty in the army. Now I do not want that he shall be dragged either to the stake or the church to observe the Sunday as a Sabbath. Your Excellency will observe in this my writing that I am not very well versed in the English language, and if there should be found a word which is not right, pardon it, and never such a word shall be construed so as if I would offend your Excellency or the people; for I love my country, the Constitution, and the Union, and I try to be always a loyal citizen.
I remain, respectfully, your most obedient servant and fellow citizen,

B. BEHREND
Narrowsburg, Sullivan Co. N.Y. Dec. 4, 1862
From Jewish-American History Foundation online site:
http://www.jewish-history.com/civilwar/shabbat.htm

We do not know if a reply was returned, but we do know of a man's love for his son, a family's love for their new country and their devotion to their faith. All of these are the hallmarks America was built upon and a great reminder of the examples our forebears left for us.

The records of this family are in the Knowles Collection - Jews of the Americas database.

The family of Henry Lemon

Many times I have been asked how the Knowles Collection can be helpful to researchers. There are many reasons, but I feel the combining of many records in one location is the best answer. I think the study of the Lemon family best shows this.

Many years ago when I began trying to take the Mordy Collection from a microfilmed collection to a fully searchable electronic database, the Lemon family was one of the first families I looked at. It stood out to me for many reasons, but the fact that only one record from the Mordy records dealt with them, I was curious. I must admit, at that time I had no idea who Henry Lemon was, but I wanted to find more about the family.

In the Mordy Collection there was a record of the marriage of Lillian Amy Lemon to Reginald George Davis on 7 Jul 1892 in the West End Synagogue in London. That record, shown below, shows Lilian Amy Lemon to be the daughter of Henry Lemon, an engraver.

To try and find more of the family, if there was anymore, I looked in the 1881 British Census hoping to find Lillian and her father Henry, the engraver. What I found was very surprising. In the record below you will find that Lilian was not an only child, and in fact was one of at least 13 children living at 186 The Grove, in London, with Henry and his wife Harriett (FHL film#1341012).

In an attempt to find more on the children of Henry and Lillian, I turned to the 1911 England Census located at http://www.findmypast.com/. In that record, shown below, I was able to locate Herbert Edward Lemon and his family. His wife is listed as Annie Ida, born in Brazil.

According to the census, Herman Edward and Annie Ida had been married for 13 years. This would put their marriage date in either 1897 or 1898. Wanted to try and find the marriage date for them, I turned to the indexes of birth, marriage and death records located on line at http://www.freebmd.org.uk/. The search yielded the following information;

From this we know that Annie Ida had the surname Brandon. With the information found in the census we know that Herbert Edward married Annie Ida Brandon, who was born in 1872 in Brazil. Using that information a search was done of the 1891 Census looking for her with her family.

From the record above, we now that she is the daughter of Frederick Brandon, a Brazilian merchant and his wife Maria. A check of later census records also helped uncover the marriages of 6 of the children and the nine grandchildren. As the search continues I am sure there will be even more grandchildren.

The records used to find this family have been brought together in the Knowles Collection. Thanks to these records and the pedigrees donated by individual family, people are being able to locate their families. Hopefully the collection will continue to grow.

The records of the Lemon family can be found in The Jews of the British Isles Database.

The Family Papers of Rosalie Meyer Stern

In a prior post on this blog, some of the records held at the Judah L. Magnes Museum were discussed. Many of the records are family papers preserved within the collection. One of these, the papers of Rosalie Meyer Stern gives an incredible account of life in San Francisco, during the earthquake of 1906.

Rosalie was born on 21 Apr 1869 in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Eugene Meyer and his wife Harriet Newmark. The Meyer's were an old established Jewish family. Eugene's sister Ernastine was married to Zadok- Kahn, Grand Rabbi of France. In 1892, Rosalie married Sigmund Stern. They had a daughter, Elise Fanny who married Walter Haas, who became Chairman of his families business, Levi Strauss.

In her papers she begins by relating her experiences of the leading up to the earthquake, she writes; "On the evening of April 17, 1906, Mr. Stern and I had been attending the opera. It was the second night of a season of two or three weeks of opera to be given by the Metropolitan Opera Company, and they were presenting Carmen. Since we had been to the opera on the night before and were rather tired, we left before the end of the performance.I have a vivid recollection of Caruso on the stage. At 5:14 in the morning when we were so suddenly awakened by the earthquake, my opera clothes were still strewn on the chairs in my room."

In further pages, she talks about the fears of her home being on fire and of not being able to contact family and friends, she also describes moments which bring humor to an otherwise scary time. She talks about she and her waitress Katherine, finding her maid Delia in her room. She writes; "Delia was a good catholic, as also was Katherine. Katherine opened the door and found Delia on her knees in the hall, industriously sprinkling herself with holy water, she was crying I'm gone, I'm gone."

She tells the stories of the people of San Fransico, how they managed to survive. She tells of the ladies wearing their finest furs and jewels even in the heat of the day. One story though shows the greatness of people. She recounts how people kept stopping by the home, to give updates on damages and fires. Some were updated them on the condition of their businesses when word was received that one building they owned was burning down. At this time the family chauffeur, Swain, asked for permission to borrow the limousine so he could go to his apartment and retrieve his clothes, gain she writes; " We allowed him to do so, and consequently he saved his belongings and the $150 he had in his room. This last sum he handed to Mr. Stern to use as was needed." It just shows that in time of need there are always those who are willing to help.

The most telling item about the family papers to me is the fact that after telling her account of everything going on, of the losses to property, and the concerns about life itself, she then tells the stories of her and her husbands own families. She documents to anyone who may read it in the future, who she was and where she came from. Families are what is most important.

The family papers of Rosalie Meyer Stern are available on microfilm at the Family History Library (FHL film #1031330 item 1).

The records of the Stern family are now being added to the Knowles Collection- Jews of the Americas.

Follick family of Cardiff, Wales

Between 1890 and 1908, four children of Coleman Follick were married in Cardiff, Wales. This information comes from the records of marriages in Cardiff Synagogue, which are on CD #3210 at the Family History Library. These marriages, of four daughters of Coleman, do not yield a lot of knowledge of the family. Yes, we find, the names and fathers of the new spouses, but not a great deal more. The four daughters are Hinda, Esther, Lena, and Sybil.

It is when we start combining that information with additional records such as census and civil registration, that the full story begins to come out. The census records, such as the 1881 below begin to put the family together.

In addition to the five children in the 1881 census, Coleman and his bride, Sarah Lazarus welcomed 6 others into the family. All but one, a child Joseph, who was born in late 1881 and died a year later, survived to adulthood. The other children were Henry Graham, Jessel, Sybil, Montefiore and Gladys Priscilla.

In addition from Civil Registration we find that Coleman and Sarah were married in Bristol in 1864. Coleman lived to be 77 years of age, dying in Cardiff in 1914, which would have been the year of his and Sarah's 50th Wedding Anniversary. Sarah lived to the age of 78, dying on 9 Nov 1924. Her will dated 8 Jan 1926, can be found in the Principal Probate Registry.

The records of the family of Colman Follick, show just how much can be gleamed by checking all records that are available.

The records of this family are in the Jews of the British Isles database.

Stix Family of Demmelsdorf, Bavaria

I am very fortunate in my work to have such great access to some incredible genealogical records. Of the many records I have at my fingertips, I am constantly amazed by the information found in the collections of Malcolm Stern.

In the collection of donated records (FHL film #1013431) is included the history of the Stix family. Solomon Stix was born 2 Apr 1788, in Demmelsdorf, Bavaria a town about an hour from Bamberg.. He was the son of Cashman Solomon and his wife Relia, both also of Demmelsdorf. In 1813, as with many Jews he took a surname. He took the name of Stix.

On the second of November, 1815, Solomon married Deborah Cohen in Schneidach, Bavaria, her hometown. To this marriage were born 10 children. One of these, Aaron, became the Rabbi of Demmelsdorf. As times were tough in Germany and with so many mouths to feed, it couldn't have been an easy time to have such a large family, so many of the children started making their way to America in the 1830's. Eventually the parents and remaining children joined them in 1844, most eventually settling in Ohio.

As the history is read, something stands out. Solomon's work ethic must have been an incredible example to his family. The story is told how late in his life the children encouraged him to "desist from his labors and let us help provide for you and mother". His reply was simple and to the point. He said " As long as I have the strength, I shall support my wife and myself".

Truly, a remarkable family, one of many, who established in us, great habits and determination for generations to follow.

The records of this family are now being added to The Jews of Europe and will be available there soon.

William Klingenstein 1833-1916

Sometimes as we do research for our families, it is the simplest comments that tell us so much. In Willesden Cemetery in London, the headstone of William Klingenstein, has one of those simple tributes.

It states, "His life was happy...it was filled with useful service".

Can there be any finer tribute to anyone, that to have been known for serving others. What makes this even more impressive is what we learn as we study the man. William Klingenstein was born in Miltenberg, Bavaria in 1833, the son of a local master tailor. He eventually moved to London and founded William Klingenstein and Co. Ltd., Havana Cigar Importers. He was successful in this work, becoming president of the Tobacco traders Benevolent Association.

The 1911 Census, from www.findmypast.com shows William living with his sister and nephew.

In 1903 the third synagogue in Miltenberg, cost 44,000 gold marks to build. 12,000 of this was donated by William Klingenstein. Miltenberg made him an honorary citizen in 1911. He died on 17 Feb 1916. On the 21st of April 1916 there appeared in the Jewish Chronicle an account of his charitable bequests. It is of no surprise that a man who found happiness in life through serving others, would continue to serve others after his death. What an incredible legacy that he leaves behind.

I thank Jeanette Rosenberg for bringing this man, and this monument to my attention. It doesn't surprise me either that she is part of this family, as she spends so much time serving others as well.

The records of William Klingenstein can be found in the Jews of the British Isles.

The Peixotto Family

Some of the recent additions to the Knowles Collection shows just how much influence one family can have. The Peixotto family becomes a prominent American Jewish family. However, their journey to America is an interesting one.



The Maduro and the Peixotto families, both left Spain to avoid persecution. As with so many others, they made their way first to Amsterdam and then on to Curacao, in the Caribbean. On Aug 18, 1765, Samuel Levy Maduro, son of Moses Levy Maduro married Leah Cohen Peixotto in Curacao. She was the daughter of Daniel Cohen Peixotto. Samuel Levy Maduro then assumed the name of Peixotto. Members of this family then made their home in New York City, arriving in about 1807. Once in America this family married into many other early Jewish families.

Remnants of this family can be found throughout the world Some of the most notable are:

1. Daniel Levy Maduro Peixotto (18 Jul 1800-1843) Born in Amsterdam, the son of Moses Levy Maduro Peixotto. educated in Curacao, he came to new York with his father, and graduated from Columbia at age 16. He then received his medical degree three years later at the age of 19. Frequent contributor and editor to various newspapers. Very active in politics. Also President of the New York Medical Society.
2. Benjamin Franklin Peixotto (13 Nov 1834-1890). Son of Daniel Levy Maduro Peixotto, he was an attorney, American Consul and journalist. Went to Cleveland and became editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. At time of the persecutions of Rumanian Jews, he was appointed by Pres. Grant to be Consu-General to Rumania. His influence led to Rumania being granted Sovereign Kingdom status in1878.
3. Daniel Levy Maduro Peixotto (17 Mar 1854-24 Oct 1898). Captain of the Third Regiment United States Volunteer Infantry. Born in New York, he died in Guantanamo Bay Cuba, from a fever contracted during the Spanish American War. He was military governor and provost marshall of Guantanamo Bay.

The list of distinguished members of this family is almost endless. Their lives impacted not only America but many countries. They are truly an example of the good that can be done in a new homeland. The records of this family can be found in The Jews of The British Isles, The Jews of Europe, The Jews of The Americas and The Jews of the Caribbean. More records are being added now and will be availble in upcoming updates.

Dancyger Family of Russia and London

In the records of Sandy's Row Synagogue in London, we find at least three marriages of people with the surname of Dancyger. In all three, the only information given about their families is that their father is listed as Harris Dancyger, beyond that not much is known.


A check of the 1901 British Census finds the family of Harris Dancyger living at 35 Scarborough Street in Whitechapel.

From this census we find that Harris age 48, is a Jewish Minister from Russia. His wife, Jane is also 48 and is herself from Russia. From the census we find that there are 7 children still living at home at the time of the census. In addition to the family of Harris we find three other families of the same surname. While the name is not a common one and they are most likely all related, the census just doesn't give us enough information to know for sure.

There is however a great source for this time frame. In 2004, Miriam Pollak released her great work on the Jewish Chronicle of London. That work, The Jewish Chronicle Project; Personal Announcements 1900-1909 (FHL CD#2697) is a must for those researching England families at the turn of the twentieth century. In searching the database for the surname Dancyger, we get 6 hits. Of those hits, one adds a great deal of information to what we already know. It says:

Death 28 Oct 1904

Jerrochaim (Jerochoam) Dancyger

of 16 Brantridge Street, Bow

In his 81st year

Wife; Mrs. B. Dancyger

Relatives: Rev. H.Dancyger (son) 35 Scarboro Street

Mr. S. Dancyger (son) 27 East India Dock Road

Mr. J. Dancyger (son) 435 Commercial Road

Mr. J. Dancyger (son) 18 Brantridge Street

Mrs. London (daur) 65 Ellen Street, Commercial Road

Mrs. Saunders (daur) 331 Commercial Road

Mrs. Fisher (daur) 16 Brantridge Street

Jewish Chronicle 4 Nov 1904

Additional Notes: Tombstone set at Edmonton Cemetery 19 Nov 1905.

With the additional information provided by this great source, we now know that the other three Dancyger families are indeed the parents of Harris, and the families of his two brothers Jacob and Joseph. What began as three sinple marriage records is now a combined family numbering close to fifty people. What a wonderful source.

The records of the Dancyger family can be found in the Jews of the British Isles.

Mordecai Sheftall of Savannah, Georgia

In the collection of the Family History Library, there is a most interesting document. On film #1013426 item #6, you will find the records from the Mordecai Sheftall family bible. In the pages of this book (such as the page at right), the vital records of the Sheftall family of Savannah, Georgia are recorded. While it is not many pages, it begins to tell the story of a wonderful family.


The story of Mordecai Sheftall is an important one in the history of the United States,and in the history of the early Jews in the United States. Some important information of his life, includes;

• 
  Born 2 Dec 1735 to Benjamin and Perla Sheftall, immigrants from England.


• At age 17 began his profession as a merchant, trading in deer skins.


• Age 18, bought 50 acres in Vernonburg, which was near Savannah.


• Married Frances Hart of Charleston in 1761, and by 1767 they owned about 2000 acres, where they began raising cattle.


• In 1772 he donated 11/2 acres for the establishment of Georgia's first large Jewish Cemetery.


• Took a very active part on the American side of the Revolutionary War. He was commissioned as a Colonel, making him the highest ranking Jew in the American Army.


• 1782, elected by Congregation Mickve Israel to its board of directors.


• In 1790 he was appointed President of the Congregation


• He died on 6 Jul 1797.

The story of the life of Mordecai Sheftall is one of service and charity. He gave all he had to others, included using his own funds to pay for the needs of the men who served under him in the war. He provided their food, clothing, uniforms and even their guns. He truly gave everything for what he believed in.

The Sephardic Family Piza

As one researches more and more Jewish records, it becomes very obvious that we all descend from some incredible families. One of those families is the Piza family.
Although the location of where this family comes from is still open for debate, we do know the family was in Amsterdam as early as the late 1600's. There earlier references to the surname in such places as the city of Piza, Italy; Bologna, Spain and various locations in Portugal. In many of these places, the Piza or De Piza, family are very prominent members of the community.
The tree at right (FHL film #1,013,431), shows the family of Joshua Piza and his wife's, Hannah and Beneveaida Sacuto, sisters from Amsterdam. Joshua and his family left Amsterdam in the 1820's and settled throughout the Caribbean, including places such as Jamaica, Barbados, St. Thomas and Curacao. This families works, have laid a wonderful foundation for many Jewish Communities.



Some of the records of the Piza family are in The Jews of the British Isles, while many others are soon to be located in the Jews of the Caribbean.

Sir Otto Jaffe, Lord Mayor of Belfast

Over the course of history, many Jews have served their communities in government positions. Some of the more well known include Sir Otto Jaffe, who was born in 1846 in Hamburg, Germany but came to Belfast, Ireland with his family in 1852, where his father Daniel established a business exporting Irish Linen. For about ten years, from 1867-1877, Otto lived and worked in New York. At that time his brothers retired from the family business so Otto returned to Belfast to lead the company. Eventually the family business, " Jaffe Brothers" became the largest linen exporter in Ireland.

Jaffe, was never one to shy away from service. At various times he served as a Justice of the Peace, a member of the Belfast Harbour Commission and a governor of the Royal Hospital. In 1899, Jaffe, who had given up his German citizenship and become a British Citizen, was elected Lord Mayor of Belfast

The 1901 Census, above, shows the family of Otto and Paula Jaffe, with their household. He was reelected as mayor in 1904 after having served as High Sherriff of Belfast. He was also very active in the Jewish community. In 1871, his father established the Belfast Hebrew Congregation. Between then and 1903, the congregation increased from about 50 members to well over 1000. In 1904, he opened the new synagogue at Annesley Street, of which he paid most of the construction costs.
The life that he enjoyed in Belfast, would change drastically on 7 May 1915, when the Lusitania was torpedoed by the Germans off the coast of Cork. This led to a lot of anti-German attitudes, and even though he was loyal to the Crown, and had a son serving in the British Army, he was accused of being a spy. In June of 1916, he resigned as Alderman and moved with his wife to London, where he died in 1929. His wife, was to ill to attend the funeral, and died in August of that same year.



The records of the Jaffe family can be found in The Jews of The British Isles

The French Connection

The city of New Orleans has always been known for its great French heritage, from its founding on 7 May 1718, by the French Mississippi Company till today with the strong influence of its French Quarter and French architecture. During the 1840's -1860's, New Orleans was one of the largest cities in the United States, and probably the largest in the south.

The large french influence was also felt among the Jews of New Orleans. In the marriage records of Congregation Gates of Prayer (FHL film #1012748 item #3), a large number of those being married list their nativity as being France. On the record below, Fanny Bacharach of New Orleans and Michel Schmulen of France were married on 18 Sep 1873. As we turn to the 1880 United States census (http://www.familysearch.org/) we find a little more about the family. Michel and Fanny Schmulen are living with their 2 daughters in St. Mary's parish. Their ages at the time of the census are 44 and 25. Therefore if those are correct they would have been 37 and 18 on the day of the wedding.

The records of the Jews of New Orleans can be found in The Jews of the Americas.

Baiz of Venezuela

In his book First American Jewish Families, Malcolm Stern includes a family which shows just how wide an impact one family can have. He shows Jacob Baiz (b. 19 Jan 1843) the son of Abraham Baiz and Sarah Miriam Naar, was married in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on 11 Mar 1868 to Emily Mendes Seixas (b. 5 Sep 1848), the daughter of Abraham Mendes Seixas and Hannah Pardo.

While we do gather a lot of vital family information from his book, it is not until we start searching the census records to see just how much impact one family can have. In the 1880 United States census shown below (http://www.familysearch.org/) we find Jacob and Emily living in Manhattan, New York where he is serving as Consul General of South America.

As you look closer at the census, it quickly becomes clear. Jacob, was born in Venezuela to a father from St. Thomas and a mother from New York. Emily was also born in Venezuela to a father from South Carolina and a mother from Holland. In addition their servants were 2 from Ireland and 1 from St. Croix. What an incredible upbringing these children must have had with such an international heritage.

The records of this family can be found in The Jews of the Americas.

Henry Raphael of London and Melbourne

The story of Henry Raphael is a very interesting one. It actually is two very different stories that when combined tell an incredible story. The first takes place in London, where in 1825, Henry is born to Phillip and Grace Raphael. Not a lot is known of his life in London, except that on 4 Jun 1851, in the Great Synagogue, he married Caroline Simmons.

Caroline was the daughter of Simon and Catherine Simmons of Edgeware Road, London. Apparently the two families got along well as her sister, Esther married Henry's brother Ralph. The census below, taken in 1851, shows Caroline living with her parents (http://www.findmypast.co.uk/).

The second part of the story of Henry Raphael takes place in the far away land of Australia. In his incredible book These Are The Names: Jewish Lives in Australia 1788-1850 (FHL book #994 K3l), John S. Levi, documents his life in Australia. The original source should be looked at as it is a wonderful history, however a few of the highlights are:

• Arrived in 1842
• Founding member of the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation in 1843.
• Reputation as a heckler and trouble maker.
• Left Melbourne to"find a wife", but returned before 1854, when he was accused of calling the officers of the synagogue "a set of thieves", because of this he was fined and his membership cancelled from 1 Jan 1854.
• A son, Joseph George Raphael was born on 21 Jun 1861.
• Became involved in the creation of the East Melbourne Synagogue in the 1870's.

This most colorful story ended when Henry Raphael died on 3 May 1894. His wife Caroline died on 3 March 1896, at the age of 62.

The records of this family can be found in The Jews of the British Isles.

Hanau family pedigree

For many years people from throughout the world wrote to Malcom Stern at the Hebrew Union College Library, seeking his help with their family histories. In their letters to him, they included some wonderful family histories, family records and even some beautifully drawn family trees, such as the one above. These records have been microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, and are available on 6 rolls of microfilm (FHL film #'s 1013427-1013432). These records are from all countries and are a source all researchers should investigate.

Sir Edward Albert Sassoon

The Sassoon family is one of the truly remarkable families in Jewish history. This family, known worldwide, finds its origins in Baghdad, Iraq. The head of the family, Sassoon ben Salih, was a banker to the provincial Governor of Baghdad. Later, his son, David, took his own family and fled to Bombay, India, where he established the international business firm of David Sassoon & Company. In Bombay they became a very prosperous family, even becoming known as the "Rothschilds of the East".

Some members of the family eventually settled in England. Sir Edward Albert Sassoon was born in Bombay India on 20 June 1856. He was the fifth and youngest child of Sir Albert Abdallah David Sassoon, the son of David Sassoon. Upon his father's death in 1896, he became baronet. Sir Edward Albert married Aline, the daughter of Baron Gustave de Rothschild of Paris, in 1887.

Throughout his life he established himself in many fields. He was a military man, serving as a Major in the Duke of Cambridge's Hussars Yeomanry. He was a member of Parliament, a director of and leader in several business, as well as President of the London Spanish and Portuguese Congregation.
Sir Edward Albert Sassoon died on 24 may 1912 at Park Lane, London. The marker at right is located at the Willesden Liberal Cemetery, Pound Lane.







The records of this family are located in The Jews of the British Isles

Norden family of London and Cape Town

In the previous post, I discussed briefly some of the history of the Jews of South Africa. In that post I mentioned that in 1841 the first meeting of the Congregation took place in the Norden home. That home belonged to Benjamin Norden, of Cape Town, who arrived with Willson's party of settlers in 1820. While all of this is true, it doesn't tell the whole story of the Norden Family and their impact on the country of South Africa.

Benjamin, was born in London in about 1798, the son of Abraham and Abigail Nordon. he had 4 brothers and 1 sister, all born in London. Joshua Davis (b.1800), Marcus (b.1803), Samuel (b.1805), Harry (b.1806) and Sarah. After arrival, he became very involved in the Jewish community. First the congregation gathered in his home, until 1849, when the synagogue was completed. He was the one responsible for the building of this new synagogue, the first in Cape Town. In 1858, he and his wife Abigail returned to England. The family can be found in the 1861 census (www.findmypast.com).

Benjamin died on the 14th of May 1874 in Ramsgate, Kent, England. He and his wife Abigail are buried in the Jewish Cemetery in Ramsgate. That cemetery, is located on land that Benjamin and his wife presented to the congregation in 1872.

Benjamin's brothers also left there mark on their new homeland. On 25 Apr 1846, Captain Joshua Davis Nordon, died at the head of his troops during the Gaika War. he was buried in Grahamstown, with full military honors.

Marcus, bought land in Grahamstown, and settled there.

Samuel, was killed in 1858, leading a charge of men during the Basuto War.

Harry, bought land and settled in Graaff-Reinet.

Sarah, married John Norton.

This is truly a remarkable family, which has left a rich legacy for their descendants.

The records of this family can be found in both The Jews of the British Isles and The Jews of Africa and the Orient.

The poem of a Shopkeeper

In his book The Jews of Ireland: from Earliest Times to the year 1910, Louis Hyman shares a poem written by Myer Joel Wigoder (1856-1933), who was a settler of Dublin about 1890. I think it tells a story common to so many of our ancestors.

When first in Dublin I arrived,

I shed hot bitter tears,

Penniless in a foreign land,

I faced the coming years.

Upon a frugel scale I lived,

So as to pay my way,

How hard I toiled that I might earn,

A few shillings each day.

I did not scorn to carry a bag.

And deal in humble wares,

My back bent low, I carried on,

Heedless of stones and stares.

In such a way I struggled on,

Scarce knowing what to do,

I changed my trade a score of times,

Ever trying something new.

Still, my spirit was unconquered,

And my confidence survived,

I forgot my previous failures,

And as a shopkeeper thrived.

Pictures, frames or writing paper,

I have all one may require,

Come to me and get your custom,

If things you do desire.

His work in the picture framing business must have finally paid off for him, as we see in the 1911 census, he had eight children living with him. He was at this time a Russian born widower.

The records of this family are in The Jews of the British Isles.

The Kino/Knowles family of Russia and London

The story of the family of Charles Julius Kino is one of great mystery. Family tradition states that he was born in Russia and eventually made his way to England during the 1870's. A search of the 1881 census seems to verify parts of this story (FHL film# 1341005).In this we find Charles and wife Louisa living at #3 Edinburgh Terrace in London. Included in the household are the three children, Hugh C., Margaret M., and Guy J. F.

From the marriage record we find that on 15 Apr 1874, under the direction of the West London Synagogue of British Jews, Charles Julius Kino age 33, the son of the late Israel Henry Kino and Louisa Essinger, age 24, the daughter of the late Max Essinger, were married at the home of the bride's mother, 24 Belize Road.

To this point things are pretty straight forward, but then the fun begins. At some point shortly after the 1881 census, the family of Charles Julius Kino changes their surname. The new name is Knowles, which is obviously of great importance to the author. By the 1901 census, Louisa is listed as a widow. because of this I searched for a will for Charles Julius Knowles. Upon finding the will, that is when the mystery began. In the indexes to the Principal Probate Registry, I find not one, but two wills for Charles Julius Knowles.

The index lists a first probate granted 20 Mar 1900 to Hugh Charles Knowles, worth 1.2 million pounds and a second probate granted 6 Jul 1900 to Guy John Fenton Knowles for almost 400,000 pounds. A further search of the original wills, shows the first will to be a beautifully written document, listing many relatives and organizations that he supported, while the second will is basically just a few short paragraphs.

With this information, many questions are left unanswered, but two are of particular interest. First, why did this obviously successful man change his name? Secondly, why the difference in the way the sons were treated. While both amounts would be very nice inheritances, one is still 3 times as large as the other. Hopefully further research will answer some of these questions.

The records of this family are in The Jews of the British Isles.