Author Topic: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia  (Read 2021 times)

Offline francoso

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #9 on: Wednesday 10 January 18 01:33 GMT (UK) »
Hi, Justin. Perhaps you can help me with likely synagogues where Emmanuel and Pauline may have been married, if they did marry (I have found no civil records of a marriage). Pauline's passport issued in May 1857 was valid for travel for one year. In the 1861 census they are living at 2 Millers Court, Spitalfields. If they married it would have been between middle of 1857 and March 1861 presumably in the Spitalfields area. Do you know of the synagogues in that area; I may be able to find a record of their marriage.
Regards
francoso

Offline JustinL

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #10 on: Wednesday 10 January 18 15:50 GMT (UK) »
Hello Francoso,

As it happens, I do have a list of London synagogues. At the time of Emanuel's and Pauline's probable marriage the only synagogues were:

The Great Synagogue - St James's Place, Aldgate. E. London (1620, rebuilt 1790)
Hambro' Synagogue - Church Row, Fenchurch Street, E.C. London (1725 ‘til 1893)
New Synagogue - Great St Helen's, E.C. London (1838) [originally in Leadenhall St. from 1760]
Central Synagogue - Great Portland Street, W. London (1855)

All these and later ones were administratively incorporated under the umbrella organisation the United Synagogue in 1870. I would urge you to make enquiries at the US.

This link https://www.theus.org.uk/category/find-marriage-record takes you to a marriage records for the period 1880 - 1901. Obviously, you won't find Emanuel's and Pauline's marriage there, but maybe those of their children. The marriage of Louis Grouse and Sarah Abrahams on 9 Aug 1887 in the Central Synagogue is recorded. This record demonstrates that Sarah was able to prove that she was Jewish, so I'm hoping that the US holds records of her parents' marriage.

Scroll to the bottom of the page for advice on searching AND a contact email address. Use that address to ask about Emanuel and Pauline.

Did Fanny and Isaac marry?

Rgds, Justin

Offline francoso

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #11 on: Wednesday 10 January 18 16:31 GMT (UK) »
Again, thanks Justin for your knowledge. I will check with US, though I think I did check many years ago and came up empty but worth another go.

Yes, Fanny married Woolf (Ze'ev) Shotlander (Shortlander) at the Great Synagogue, Dukes Place, Parish of St James on 07 Nov 1883. They later emigrated to Australia. Unfortunately they didn't have any children. I don't know if Isaac/Ezaak married or not.
 
Regards
francoso

Offline JustinL

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #12 on: Tuesday 16 January 18 16:26 GMT (UK) »
Hello again.

I've been giving your conundrum a lot of thought.

Online records and databases indicate that the only surname similar to Krzasny adopted by a Jewish family in Poland was Krzesny. In 1845, Joseph Chrzesni of Lautenburg in West Prussia (now Lidzbark) adopted the surname Krzesny for himself, his wife and children. As it happens, his eldest child was Pauline.

The slight hitch here is that Lidzbark is about 100 miles NE of Witokowo and was in West Prussia, not Posen.

There was also a Krzesny family in Silesia in the later years of the 19th century.

The origins of the surname are far from clear. As you have already been told, krzesny is the dialect form of chrzestny, which means godfather. There is a school a thought that suggests that the surname arose as a rough approximation of the Hebrew word (and surname in a few instances) sandak/sandek which is the person who holds a baby boy during circumcision. This was not a permanent occupation, merely an honour.

We need to bear in mind that Pauline was illiterate (unkundig - as reported on her passport), so her surname may have been misspelt.

Given that two of Emanuel and Pauline's children married in synagogue at a time when it was essential for both bride and groom to demonstrate their Jewishness, we must conclude that Pauline was herself Jewish and that she was married to Emanuel. Interestingly, the rabbi at the Hambro Synagogue from 1855 to 1900 was Samuel Gollancz, who was born in Witkowo (!!!) in 1823 or so. He would have been Pauline's contemporary.

I think it would be useful to at least establish Pauline's full Hebrew patronymic name. From what you wrote in your first post, it does not appear on her tombstone. It should, however, have been recorded in the burial register for Plashet cemetery. I would urge you to make enquiries.



Offline JustinL

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #13 on: Tuesday 16 January 18 16:41 GMT (UK) »
Not wishing to confuse you, but I should add that in 1833 the Jews of Posen were offered the opportunity to become 'naturalised', that is to gain certain limited civil rights. This was a long way from full emancipation and equality. The criteria were quite onerous, particularly when it came to wealth and occupation. The outcome was that fewer than 50% of the household heads became naturalised. Those that did were recorded with their newly adopted permanent surnames. I have a copy of the list for Witkowo and it does not include Krzesny. In fact, Krzesny does not appear anywhere in the full list covering all the Jewish communities of Posen.

Offline francoso

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #14 on: Tuesday 16 January 18 19:25 GMT (UK) »
As suggested, Justin, I have emailed the US to request them to help find the marriage of Emmanuel and Pauline and am awaiting a reply. I will also email them to check the burial register for Pauline's full Hebrew patronymic name.

I think, from the writing on the back of her passport that Pauline was staying with her father in Gniezno/ Kreis Gnesen (District) of Posen before departing for England or was Gnesen only where her passport was validated for travel ?

Do you agree that Pauline's name on the passport appears to be Krasnij ?

I was told some time ago that Kresny in Russian meant "red", and that there are variations of the spelling of it in various east European languages.
Regards
francoso

Offline francoso

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #15 on: Tuesday 22 September 20 05:45 BST (UK) »
I am searching for the Russian family of the above. Apparently, Em(m)anuel always said he came from Russia, by himself, to England at the age of 14 in 1849/50.

1851 Census, not found
1861 C shows him as Emanuel Abrahams, Head, Mar, 25, Glazier, b. Poland;
1871 C as Edmund Abrams, Head, Mar, 40, Tailor, b. Russia
1881 C as Emmanuel Abrahams, Head, Mar, 46, Clothier & Outfitters, b. Russia
1891 C as Emanuel Abrahams, Head, Mar, 55, Outfitter, b. Russia

He died 24 Jan 1900 and is buried in Plashet Cemetery together with his "wife" Paulina nee Krzasny, who died 27 Feb 1900 and was buried in adjoining plot on 01 Mar 1900.

A person from United Synagogue visited the double grave and emailed the following: "The English inscription reads "In Loving Memory of EMANUEL and PAULINA ABRAHAMS who Departed this Life Jan 24 1900 aged 67, and Feb 27 1900 aged 76" "Deeply mourned by their sorrowing son, daughters and relatives" "In Death They Were Not Divided"  "May their dear souls rest in peace." The Hebrew inscription reads: at the top is the Hebrew word "lezecorone" (as a remembrance). The next line reads, on the right, the words in Hebrew "Morus (mrs) Pesha ayshes (wife of) Menachem Mendel" while on the left "Menachem ben Avraham." Under both of these there is their respective Hebrew dates of burial (26 Jan 1900 for Emanuel and 01 Mar 1900 for Paulina). The next line contains the five letters: Tof, Nun, Tsadik, Bet and Hey (this is on all Jewish tomb stones). [Mendel, the Yiddish nickname for Menachem.]"

I have searched for Em(m)anuel's passage to England in the Hamburg passenger lists and can only find one possibility, that of Mendel Abrahams, Tailor, arr. 13 Aug 1850 on "Hamania" from Hamburg to Hull, but cannot be sure this is him

In about 1858 to 1860 he "married" (no record found) Pauline Krzasny from Witkowo in Poznan (Posen), Poland (her passport is dated 1857 and valid for one year). She was born about 1825.

Can anyone please help me find where Em(m)anuel came from in Russia (presumably somewhere in the Pale of Settlement) and how to find his Russian ancestors. Again, presumption is that his family sent him to England to escape conscription in to the Russian Army.

All help much appreciated, and I acknowledge JustinL's earlier help with Em(m)anuel, and in trying to track down Paulina's ancestors (which I have failed to achieve).
Regards
francoso

Offline CaroleW

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #16 on: Tuesday 22 September 20 12:51 BST (UK) »
To prevent duplication of efforts/information - previous thread here

Threads merged.
Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Carlin (Ireland & Liverpool) Doughty & Wright (Liverpool) Dick & Park (Scotland & Liverpool)

Offline francoso

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Re: Search for Family of EM(M)ANUEL ABRAHAMS, Russia
« Reply #17 on: Wednesday 23 September 20 00:19 BST (UK) »
Looking again at my latest posting, it does seem somewhat disrespectful of the time and effort put in earlier by posters. For that I apologise; I was just thinking that perhaps something further may have come to light to help efforts to trace what may well be untraceable.

Again, thank you to those who contributed earlier.
Kind regards
francoso