Author Topic: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia  (Read 2018 times)

Offline francoso

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Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« on: Friday 05 January 18 22:07 GMT (UK) »
Emmanuel Abrahams is said to have arrived in England from Russia in 1850, by himself at the age of 14, so born about 1834-6. His partner (I do not know if married or not as haven't found a marriage registration in England) was Pauline Krzasny (as far as can be deciphered), born about 1826 +/- in Witkowo, Posen, Poland. She appears to have arrived in England from Poland (West Prussia at that time ?) in 1857-8. I have not been able to find passages to England for either of them.

The first mention of them I have found is in the 1861 census. They both died in early 1900 and are buried together in Plaschet Cemetery. There original granite tombstone reads (as translated for me):

QUOTE At the top is the Hebrew word "lezecorone" (as a remembrance).
The next line you have on the right the words in Hebrew "Morus (Mrs) Pesha ayshes (wife of) Menachem Mendel." On the left of tombstone you have in Hebrew "Menachem ben Avraham."
Under both of these you have their respective Hebrew dates of burial. Then under all of this the five letters, Tof, Nun, Tsadik, Bet and Hey (this is on all Jewish tomb stones).
Next comes the English "In loving memory of Emanuel and Pauline Abrahams", then their respective dates of burial……then "Deeply mourned by their sorrowing son, daughters and relatives"
Then a quotation and at the foot of the stone… "May their dear souls rest in peace."

So it seems I have three names for the same person: Em(m)anuel Abrahams, Menachem Mendel, and Menachem ben Avraham. Presumably Pesha is Pauline (pronounced Paulina) ?

Can someone kindly please explain the Menachem Mendel and Menachem ben Avraham. Presumably Em(m)anuel Abrahams is the anglicized version he adopted on his arrival in England ?
Also can someone please advise which of the names he is likely to have travelled under from Russia (Ukraine ?) to England.

This has been a frustrating search for many, many years so any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Kind regards
francoso

Offline PaulineJ

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #1 on: Friday 05 January 18 22:32 GMT (UK) »
There will be no passenger lists from europe to England.

Lauras birth seems to have mmn SCHASNE
?Maybe? 
ABRAHAM, FANNY       CHESNEE      1861  S Q1/4 in WHITECHAPEL  Volume 01C  Page 320
ABRAHAM, EZAAC       SCHASNER  1865  S Quarter in SAINT GEORGE IN THE EAST  Volume 01C  Page 402

1891  https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q4KZ-YMM

1881 census https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27S-JZD5

1861?  https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2ML-XWWN

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Offline francoso

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #2 on: Friday 05 January 18 22:48 GMT (UK) »
Hello, PaulineJ. Thanks for your response. Pauline Krzasny travelled through Bromberg, to Hamburg and then to London but I couldn't find her passage in the Hamburg Shipping Lists but I have a copy of her passport.
What do you mean by mmn ? On the birth certs of her children her maiden name is give variously as Schasne, Schasner, and Chasney.
francoso

Offline PaulineJ

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #3 on: Friday 05 January 18 22:52 GMT (UK) »
mmn == Mother's maiden name
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Offline francoso

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #4 on: Friday 05 January 18 22:57 GMT (UK) »
Thanks PaulineJ.
Paulina also is recorded as Selina and Helena. I have all the census records from 1861 to 1911 (they died 1900) and have their death certs. But I am trying to find Emmanuel before he came to England hence my original query concerning the three names by which he was known.
Regards
francoso

Offline JustinL

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 06 January 18 07:36 GMT (UK) »
Hello Francoso,

Jewish naming customs are reasonably straight-forward, if you know the system.

Jewish men/boys in the 19th century would have had three given names.

1. The sacred/religious given name (shem kodesh). This is the Hebrew name that is given to the child at the time of circumcisiopn (bris mila). It is the name used in the synagogue and on in any religious context. Your chap's Hebrew name was Menachem.

2. Yiddish name - the name that he was generally known by in the community. There were many standardised pairs of Hebrew and Yiddish names. Mendel was invariably the Yiddish name used by boys/men with the Hebrew name Menachem. Official Hebrew documents would read "Menachem known as (hamekhune) Mendel".

3. Secular name - the name used when interacting with the wider non-Jewish community, particularly, the civil authorities. Your chap may have used his Yiddish name with the Russian civil authorities.

Menachem ben Avraham/Abraham is the Hebrew patronymic form and means Menachem son of Avraham/Abraham.

Pauline's full Hebrew name would have been Pesha bas/bat (daughter of) ??.

Unfortunately, you have no way of knowing that Abrahams was Emanuel's original surname. It may well have been something like Abramovitch (son of Abraham), but it could have been something completely different.

What makes you think that Emanuel came from Ukraine, when the censuses indicate Russian Poland?

Can you upload an image of the document showing Pauline's maiden name? There's no need to, I found the image with your post back in 2014.

If neither Emanuel/Mendel nor Pauline were able to prove that they were Jewish - the usual means would have been to present their parents Jewish marriage cert (ketubah) - they would not have been granted permission to wed in a synagogue. I'm not sure whether they had the option to wed in a registry office around 1860.

Pauline's passport stated that the purpose of the journey was Familien-Angelegenheiten, i.e. family matters. Did she perhaps have a sibling in London?

Justin



Offline francoso

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 06 January 18 22:17 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for the interest and help, JustinL, especially with sorting the names: I knew nothing of the system of naming. As for "Ukraine" that was/is pure speculation as I assume he came from the Pale of Settlements and Ukraine was a guess only (hence the query mark).

Emanuel's son was clear that his father came from Russia: census records show: 1861 -- Poland; 1871 -- Russia; 1881 -- Russia; 1891 -- Russia. Census records for Pauline show: 1861 Selina from Germany; 1871 Helena from Germany; 1881 Selina from Germany; 1891 Pauline from Germany.

I have looked at Alien arrivals on Ancestry.co.uk but can find no sign of arrivals of Pauline or Emmanuel, except I did find:
MENDEL Abraham, a Taylor from Prussia, who arrived at Hull on 13 August 1850 on the ship "Harmonia" from Hamburg. But that is not at all conclusive.

And, again, thanks for the information regarding the qualifications to marry in a synagogue. All news to me.

In regard to Pauline's passport, it appears to have been issued initially in 1850 and then re-validated in May 1857 (1850 und sieben). Again, speculation makes me wonder if she was supposed to accompany Emmanuel in 1850 but her passage was put on hold for another seven years ?

Again, in the far distant grey cells of my mind, there is a "feeling" that I was told many, many years ago that Pauline came to England as part of a family of six. That doesn't seem to have been the case, or at least I have found no trace of them, and could be my mind playing tricks.

Perhaps this is an unbreakable brick wall, though I will keep scratching away, and any help will be much appreciated.
Regards
francoso

Offline JustinL

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 07 January 18 03:05 GMT (UK) »
Hello Francoso,

This is certainly a high, thick brick wall.

The chances that Mendel did not come from the Pale of Settlement are very slim. And you are right that the Pale included Ukraine.

I too found that Mendel Abraham in the Aliens' register. However, I think that he and his fellow travellers came from Prussia, not Russia.

I can't imagine that Pauline was meant to have travelled with Mendel. They lived in different countries and it is most unlikely that they knew each in 1850.

Maybe it's time to revisit the sibling story.

Justin

Offline francoso

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 07 January 18 03:40 GMT (UK) »
Thanks, Justin. I suppose there is a chance that the clerk writing the Aliens List for that ship could have misheard Prussia for Russia but a slim chance and would need another more credible confirmation.
As for Krzasny, Krzasniy, Schasne, Schasner, Chasney, Chesney, Kresny, Krasny I have had no joy in checking all of these variations for family members in UK. The odd Kresny in USA only.
francoso