Jacob Solomon (brickwall)

[leka]

Hi
I wonder if anyone could help me breakdown a brickwall that has had me beat for some time.

My 3xgreat grandfather Jacob Solomon was born 13th November 1818 according to a book ‘Life of Christ’ which seems to have been in the Solomon family over 100 years, this book also gives his wife Elisabeth and his six children’s birth dates. I have him and his family in the 1851,1861,1871 census which give his birth place as Ouston or Urpeth (it varies) which were two small villages within ½ mile of each other. I have a copy of his marriage certificate which gives his Father’s name as Thomas Solomon now here is where my brick wall begins because I can’t find a Jacob Solomon born in County Durham in 1818 but in the 'Bishop Transcripts' for Chester Le Street County Durham on page 959 it gives Jacob's baptism date as 15th March 1818,his Father as Thomas and his Mother as Jane. The spelling of Solomon is I believe incorrect and is spelt SALMON but this is the only Jacob to be baptised in 1818 in the whole of England ( as far as I can see). The name Solomon is pronounced Sahlemon so could it be that the curate who wrote his name when he baptised Jacob misunderstood Solomon? And could it also be that Jacob was born 13th November 1817 and not as the book states?

Many thanks in advance
Leka

[Neil Todd]

I think your birthday book or family book is pure Gold. It is far more likely to be accurate than any other record as it is first hand. The chronology seems correct 13Th November 1817 birth and 15Th March 1818 Christening as it would be a normal time to set a christening Prior to 21st March.

As to the spelling of Solomon/Salomon/Sahlomen/Salamon/Salmon could be any? As well as the variations in Jewish there are Latin variations and old English variations in spelling so take it as written from the Bishops records. They wrote whatever, when they transcribed them from the slips of paper from the day into the actual records which were only written up when time permitted prior to them being forwarded to the Bishop.

Have a happy prosperous 2014
Neil

[leka]

hi
Thank you Neil for your reply, i think i will research Thomas & Jane's family (cautiously as i've been down the wrong road before) a bit more as your reply has given me the feeling that i'am on the right track.Can you tell me please what the 21st March has to do with a christening.

Once again Thank You and have a Happy and Prosperous New Year
Leka

[Neil Todd]

As to the reasons why a birth is not on the registrations. There are probably a few, but the main one could be weather or another ill health. Not done at the time and forgotton about later.

21st March....The vernal equinox. Much has been made about that date over time but it seems to stem from very old times. Jewish had it I believe as the first day of the new year, Romans had the it as The Ides of March, Gregorian Calender which we use has it as a marker to set the Easter Period. Easter is the first Friday after the first full moon after the 21st March. ALLWAYS.

It carried much superstition throughout the years. I used it to get married on. Seems OK 45 years on The weather in Australian east coast is GENERALLY pretty good. The real first day of spring in Northern hemisphere. Can't think of much else.

You have to remember in the ancient times, most of the people were at best FLAT earth believers. So everything was set by the Sun, Moon and Stars and it took roughly 365 days for the sun to get back to the same position, still does as a matter of fact People planted their crops to a waxing moon (rising to full). This was the start of a whole new thing.

Neil

[WolfieSmith]

Leka,

I think this is your Jacob Solomon family, clincher being his widowed sister Elizabeth Lister and family living next door to him in Heworth in 1871 census. Plus his mothers name spelling changes to Solomon later in life, same as his.

In chronological order :

A marriage at Chester le Street St. Mary and St. Cuthbert :

23 May 1807. Thomas Salmon and Jane Gray.

Some baptisms at Chester le Street St. Mary and St. Cuthbert :

17 July 1808 John Salmon, of Ouston, born 17 June 1808, 1st son of Thomas Salmon (Pitman, Native of Chester le St.) by his wife Jane Gray (Native of Tanfield)

22 Apr 1810 Isabella Salmon, of Urpeth, born 23 Feb 1810, 1st daughter of Thomas Salmon (Pitman, Native of Great Lumley) by his wife Jane Gray (Native of Tanfield)

28 Feb 1813 Elizabeth Salmon, of Urpeth, daughter of Thomas (Pitman) & Jane Salmon

23 July 1815 Thomas Salmon, of Urpeth, son of Thomas (Pitman) & Jane Salmon

15 Mar 1818 Jacob Salmon, of Urpeth, son of Thomas (Pitman) & Jane Salmon

8 Oct 1820 Peter Donnison Salmon, of Ouston, son of Thomas (Pitman) & Jane Salmon

Then a baptism and burial, same day, at Houghton le Spring St. Michael :

Baptized 3 Oct 1822 Jane Salmon, of Collier Row, daughter of Thomas (Pitman) & Jane Salmon
Buried 3 Oct 1822.  Peter Donnison Salmon, aged 2y3m, son of Thomas and Jane Salmon of Collier Row.

Then another baptism same place :

9 Oct 1825 Mary Ann Salmon, of Collier Row, daughter of Thomas (Pitman) & Jane Salmon

Then a burial at Houghton le Spring St. Michael :

16 Aug 1827. Thomas Salmon, aged 49, of Collier Row.

Then 1841 census, Jacob with his mother :

1841 census, Colliery Row, Houghton le Spring
Jane Salmon, 50, Ind, Y,
Jacob Salmon, 20, Coal Miner, Y
Jane Salmon 15, Y

1851 census, Colliery Row, Houghton le Spring
Jane Salmon, 64, Wid, Laundress, b. Hill Top, Durham,
Elizabeth Lister, 39, Dau, Mar, Coal Miners Wife, b. Urpeth
Eliza Lister, GDau, 2 months, b. West Rainton

(Elizabeth Salmon married George Lister, 26 Sep 1835 Houghton le Spring. Widowed Elizabeth Lister and family, including a son Solomon Lister, are living next door to your Jacob Solomon in Heworth in 1871 census)

1861 census, Colliery Row, Houghton le Spring
Jane Solomon, 73, Wid, b. Colliery Dykes, Durham,
Ann Olomon, 23, Visitor, Unm, b. West Rainton

And lastly, another burial at Houghton le Spring St. Michael :

19 Aug 1865. Jane Solomon, aged 80, of Collier Row

Alan.

[leka]

Hi
Thank you Neil for your explanation of 21st March, with a name like Solomon maybe they wanted him baptised before the Jewish new year.

Thank you Alan for all that information, i had found what i believed to be Jacob's brother' & sister' upto Peter Donnison Solomon and the marriage of his parents from the Bishops Transcripts but all the information there after is new to me and of a great help and gives me a lot to research. I have one query, i could not find Jacob in the 1841 census as i was trying to find him with both of his parents but as you point out his Father had died in 1827. I have a copy of what i believe is his marriage certificate to Elizabeth Robinson 1843 (based on the info in the Solomon book) which gives his Father's name as Thomas but it doesn't say that he is deceased, i suppose its possible that the vicar was not told of his death?
I thank you both again for all your help and I'm now sure I'm looking at the correct Jacob Solomon.
Happy New Year to you both.

[2zpool]

Neither date has anything to do with the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) which ALWAYS falls on 1 Tishrei.  This is usually in late summer/early fall.  Jacob was born 4 Kislev 5578 and baptized 7 Adar 5578-which seems a bit unusual to equate a baptism in terms of the Hebrew Calendar.

Janis

[Neil Todd]

Or maybe they just couldn't get organised till then??

As I am no expert in either the Jewish or Christian religions I had to consult MR GOOGLE for an answer and don't even know if this is correct, but it sort of substantially covers what I meant.


A Morass of Movable Feasts
A quick guide to the dates of Passover and Easter

The Jewish liturgical year is not simply the basis for Jewish holidays, but for the Christian movable feasts as well—those annual holidays that do not fall on a fixed date but vary according to astronomical occurrences.

The celebration of Passover took place just before the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ, and the two holidays have been entwined from the beginning—the word Pasch, originally meaning Passover, came to mean Easter as well.


March 25, 2013 - April 2, 2013:
Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, the holiday commemorating the Hebrews' exodus from slavery in Egypt, lasts seven days in Israel and among Reform Jews, and eight days elsewhere around the world. It begins on the 15th day of Nisan, which is the seventh month in the Jewish calendar. It ends on the 21st of Nisan in Israel (and for Reform Jews) and on the 22nd of Nisan elsewhere. Since Hebrew days begin and end at sundown, Passover begins at sundown on the preceding day.

See also dates of other Jewish feasts.

March 31, 2013:
Easter is calculated as the first Sunday after the paschal full moon that occurs on or after the vernal equinox. If the full moon falls on a Sunday, then Easter is the following Sunday. The holiday can occur anywhere between March 22 and April 25.

The Western church does not use the actual, or astronomically correct date for the vernal equinox, but a fixed date (March 21). And by full moon it does not mean the astronomical full moon but the "ecclesiastical moon," which is based on tables created by the church. These constructs allow the date of Easter to be calculated in advance rather than determined by actual astronomical observances, which are naturally less predictable. See also A Tale of Two Easters.

The Council of Nicaea in 325 established that Easter would be celebrated on Sundays; before that Easter was celebrated on different days in different places in the same year. See also dates of other Christian movable feasts.

May 5, 2013
Easter - (Orthodox Church)
The Orthodox church uses the same formula to calculate Easter, but bases the date on a slightly different calendar—the Julian calendar instead of the more contemporary Gregorian one, the calendar that is most widely used today. Consequently, both churches only occasionally celebrate Easter on the same day.

Unlike the Western Church, the Eastern Church sets the date of Easter according to the actual, astronomical full moon and the actual equinox as observed along the meridian of Jerusalem, site of the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

Neil

[2zpool]

True that is talking about Passover and Easter.  What was mentioned was The New Year.  Maybe a New Year's party was on the mind.

There might be a plethora of marriages before Passover.  Traditionally no marriages between Passover and Shavuot except on one day at halfway called Lag B'Omer.  That is the day I married.  The period of time for counting on the Omer is a period of semi-mourning except for the one day in the middle of the counting.

The 15 Mar 1818 was a Sunday.  Maybe the weather was getting nicer by then--mud instead of snow and ice.

I have a transcript of Chester le Street based on the parish record rather than Bishop's Transcripts.  Children Elizabeth (1813), Jacob (1818), Peter Donnison (1820), Thomas (1815), and Ann (1829) were spelled Salman.

A burial in Chester le Street of a Jacob Solomon, age 80, of Craig Head, buried 29 Dec 1825.  Perhaps he was part of the family also.

Janis