Russian emigre records

[lisingreece]

Have just found out that my aunt was the daughter of Russian emigres into London. They were Jewish tailors.

I have them in the 91 but not 81. Are there records that we can access to find out more?

Thanks

Lis

[JustinL]

Hello Lis,

Can you tell us about the records you have aleady found?

What were the names and ages of these immigrants?

Do you have them in 1901 and 1911?

Justin

[lisingreece]

Yes Justin, thank you for replying. I have them in the 91 ,01 and 1911.

It appears that they arrived just before 1886. one Marks Morris b 1867 and his 2 brothers one is Lewis the father of my Aunt and Alex b 1875. I think Marks Morris got his Naturalisation cert in 1886, there is a Marks Morris in National Archives

They are from Russia, that is all it says on the census

Lewis Morris married Sarah Lewis in Dover and when she died in 1904 Lewis married Lottie Fineberg. Lottie I cannot find in the 91 so maybe she wasn't here then .She married Lewis Morris in 1906

In the 91 they the Morris brothers are living in Mile End. And in 1888 Marks Morris has married Blueme Steiner from Austria.
in the 01 and 1911 Lewis has moved to Dover Kent wher he is a tailor and a tobacconist.

Can you tell or can you get an idea of the real name of someone calling themselves Lewis  Morris?

What I find sad is that none of this incredible story was made known or discussed when we were children. We saw a lot of my aunt but we knew nothing of this. I have so many questions and now its too late.
Oh well what can you do

All the best
Lis

[devonblue]

I am following this as my uncle was a Lewis whose father was a tailor Louis Lewis in the East End around 1905.  I believe his name was changed but from what I do not know.  He was also Jewish.  My uncle always said he was a born and bred East Ender (1903) so imagine our surprise when his death cert said he was born in Aberdeen!

I have spent months looking for his birth and his family and never come up with anything so will be watching this one!

[jorose]

If you think you have found the naturalisation indexed at the NA, you should order a copy. However, I'm don't think that the 1886 record would be your Marks Morris. The requirement was 5 years of residence before you could apply, and it seems unlikely that he was here by 1881.

I just searched myself; the naturalization records are indexed last name, first name, so the 1886 entry is for a Morris Marks, not Marks Morris. This would be the Maurice Marks shown in 1881, a Polish man living in Worksop with his family.

Many people did not naturalise, your family may well be among them. For most people there wasn't any pressing need to do so.

Regarding other sources of information, for those of them who married in England, you could look for the Ketubah, read here:
http://www.jgsgb.org.uk/engmarr.shtml

There will not be any record of them entering England, as records of ships from Europe were not routinely kept. Depending where they left from there might be departure records in Europe (e.g. the Hamburg lists have survived. The Bremen ones for the most part have not).

[lisingreece]

Thankyou for the information Jorose,

I presumed that as they called themselves British Subjects on the 1911 they would have naturalized.

Thank you too for the link

Lis

[jorose]

If they called themselves British on 1911 but not on previous ones you should look first for a record between 1901 and 1911.

That said there have been several occasions on this board where people's relatives have said they were British in the census and no naturalisation was found. 

[JustinL]

Hello Lis,

By real name, do you mean what were their Yiddish names?

Morris was a common anglicization of the Yiddish forename (or given name) Moysheh (cf. biblical Moses, Hebrew Moshe).

Lewis is most likely an anglicization of the Yiddish forename Leyb which means 'lion'. It was a very common alias for men with the Hebrew forename Yehuda and draws on Jacob's description of his son as a young lion in Genesis.

Have to dash now. I'll ne back later.

Justin

[lisingreece]

Yes Justin I meant their Yiddish names.

And thanks for telling what they may have been. I feel closer to them knowing their names.

Did any Jews keep their Yiddish names? I have sent for the marr cert of Lewis Morris and Lottie Fineberg so am hoping for fathers and more info.

Lewis died in 1915. But I don't think there will be more info on that death cert.

Lis