Possible Jewish connections - Solomon, Israel
Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:57 pm
The family I am researching has no known Jewish connections in living memory but I am uncovering names that suggest I may need to find out how to search Jewish records and maybe immigration records from the late 1800's
On one side of the family I have a Robert Israel WALKER born about 1860. He has siblings called Mary, Rachel, Alice, David & Lawrence. His parent are William & Fanny and I have seen their grave in an Anglican churchyard.
On the other side of this family in Middlesbrough I have the DRANSFIELD family, John & Mary with children, Benjamin, Manaria(male), Albert, Aldrind (female), John, George, Bessie.
Benjamin married Mary Agnes DAVIS whose father is named as Solomon DAVIS on her marriage certificate. The marriage took place in the local register office in 1910. I have found Solomon on the 1891 & 1901 cencus and he claims to have been born in Dinsdale, Durham & Stockton (which I think are close enough to be the same)
In the 1891 census Solomon is age 20 and living in the household of a widow named Margaret DAVIS aged 48 who claims to have been born in WAES. I can't find a place with this name and am assuming she means Wales - as DAVIS is perhaps a welsh name? There is no relationship stated between them but I wondered if she was an aunt or similar, in which case there may be no jewish connection. I have read that DAVIS was a name that immigrant Jews may have taken to anglicize their name.
I have serached for Mary Agnes birth in the registers, and for Solomons birth & marriage in online indexes so far with no success. I can't say I have searched exhaustively yet but am wondering if I should be trying something else?
Any thoughts would be much appreciated
On one side of the family I have a Robert Israel WALKER born about 1860. He has siblings called Mary, Rachel, Alice, David & Lawrence. His parent are William & Fanny and I have seen their grave in an Anglican churchyard.
On the other side of this family in Middlesbrough I have the DRANSFIELD family, John & Mary with children, Benjamin, Manaria(male), Albert, Aldrind (female), John, George, Bessie.
Benjamin married Mary Agnes DAVIS whose father is named as Solomon DAVIS on her marriage certificate. The marriage took place in the local register office in 1910. I have found Solomon on the 1891 & 1901 cencus and he claims to have been born in Dinsdale, Durham & Stockton (which I think are close enough to be the same)
In the 1891 census Solomon is age 20 and living in the household of a widow named Margaret DAVIS aged 48 who claims to have been born in WAES. I can't find a place with this name and am assuming she means Wales - as DAVIS is perhaps a welsh name? There is no relationship stated between them but I wondered if she was an aunt or similar, in which case there may be no jewish connection. I have read that DAVIS was a name that immigrant Jews may have taken to anglicize their name.
I have serached for Mary Agnes birth in the registers, and for Solomons birth & marriage in online indexes so far with no success. I can't say I have searched exhaustively yet but am wondering if I should be trying something else?
Any thoughts would be much appreciated
So Israel is a name from Genesis. Old Testament names seem to have been particularly popular with chapel goers in the 19th century.