JEWISH MYSTERY

[nanny jan]

Is the photograph a portrait or group one? If he was visiting a synagogue then he would have had to cover his head and perhaps borrowed a yarmulke.

Nanny Jan

[daisynook]

No I'm afraid its a single person photo taken what looks like the garden.

[nanny jan]

Bang goes that theory then! 

[Barbara.H]

There is a marriage registered 1884 Salford Ellen McHale and William Phillips?

Jennifer

On Lancashire BMDs, Ellen McHale married John Cunningham, and William Phillips married Margaret Doyle.
Both Salford, register office or registrar attended
http://www.lancashirebmd.org.uk/

  Barbara

[Barbara.H]

Means to say, also on Lancashire BMDs, William Phillips marriage to an Ellen Liddy, Manchester 1889

[lancsann]

have you seen the probate record for Jemima died 1924?

Administration to John Edward McMullen, master tailor

[lancsann]

also on lancs bmd

note mmn = Liddy

ancashire Birth indexes for the years: 1893
Surname   Forename(s)   Sub-District   Registers At   Mother's Maiden Name   
PHILLIPS   Henry   Ancoats   Archives+, Manchester Central Library   LIDDY

[Barbara.H]

1881 census has an Ellen Liddy age 16 at Allum St (Ancoats)

Thos Liddy b 1818, Limerisk, occupation Tailor
Mary Liddy b 1817 Limerick, wife
Ellen Liddy b. 1865 Manchester, occ Paper sorter
Ralph Liddy b, 1867 Manchester occ Labr's Asst Iron Foundry

So another family of tailors of Irish descent. I wonder if Henry was just modelling the yarmulke? Perhaps he made it as part of an apprenticeship?

[ThrelfallYorky]

Is it CERTAIN that the person in the photo is the person you think it is?
I say this because in a box of old photos it was a "Fact" in my mob that one pic was a certain male and his sister ... and many years later some more photos came into my possession, in albums and the loose ones labelled as wel, including another copy of the same photographl (such well-organised people) which gave these same people as another male, and his wife ... and the wife was the actual blood relative to my mob.
Always worth trying to compare with other photos of the same person, if you can.