Russian immigrants

[lisat]

Would anyone know if it us likely that I could have ancestors, two brothers, both Jewish,one  born about 1840, one born 1859, one from Grodno in today's Belarus, one born in Odessa, in the Ukraine. It seems such a long distance from These  two places, but my research seems to prove they ended up in 1891 in Whitechapel living a few doors from each other. Other evidence suggests that they were brothers, and I know the Jews in the 1880's moved around Europe fleeing from the pogroms, but it seems unlikely. Any thoughts?

[Elwyn Soutter]

I don't think the journey is at all improbable. Many people (Jewish and other denominations) migrated to the UK and much further afield at that time. They probably sailed from somewhere like Danzig (Gdansk) or Hamburg to Harwich or Hull.

[lisat]

Thanks Elwyn, I agree that the journey to England is not a problem , but  because I can't definitively proof they are brothers, I struggle to believe that one could be born in Ukraine and one in Grodno, when I thought that Jews might not have been able to move around in the Pale of Settlement at that time.

[Bookbox]

As with all families, Jewish or not, it would depend on how strong the evidence is for their being brothers, and how common the surname is.

If by any chance it's WEINBERG, in the East End of London in the 1890s, I'd be extremely cautious, unless you have some strong documentary evidence. Even if they were related, with about 19 years between them they could be a generation apart.

[lisat]

It is Weinberg, and you're right, I must do some more checking. I will go over all the evidence again.Thanks.

[brigidmac]

What evidence do you have of where they are from ?
Some census answers to "Where are you from ?" could have different interpretations of answers especially if there waS LANGUAGE BARRIER  for the recorder

 . The town given could be administrative district
 or town of departure before arriving in GB
not necessarily birth place.   

My ggfather was 23 years older than his youngest half sibling .so don't rule it out . Their marriage certificates should give parents names .

have you tried school records ? they usually give an address + father /guardian's name

[lisat]

Thanks Brigidmac. Neither were married in the UK, unfortunately. Marcus states he was from Grodno on his Naturalisation papers. On the 1891 census he just states Russia. Abraham and his wife and one son state Odessa on the 1891 Census. They live a few doors from each other in Whitechapel and both are cigarrette manufacturers. There are other connections , but I may have interpreted these wrongly. Got a lot of checking to do, and somehow I don't think I'll be able to prove anything conclusively. But thanks for the help.

[brigidmac]

I was helped to find Russia Jewish bMD  which helped me confirm sibling status

I'll have to go back + look at sources Jewish gen was hard to use at 1st but did get some info from there . + a lot from a latvian site
but mostly by people on here giving me initial examples  ;

[lisat]

Thanks Brigidmac for your help. I'll let you know if I get anywhere.