MOSES COHEN

[phillip]

I would welcome comments on the following:
The GSM 011/7 Marriage of Kitty Moses to Henry Jacobs ( Henry Jacobs of the Glass Manufacturers and Litzen line) in 1793 has her father's Hebrew name as Moshe Cohen.
I have seen on National Archives Records the Sun Fire Record references to Moses Cohen glass cutter at 6 Ebenezer Square Stoney Lane Houndsditch and also 112 Gravel Lane ( dates from 1819-1825) and speculated if he was the father of Kitty but if so, why did she call herself Moses and not Cohen?

Reference to the marriage of Kitty and Henry can be seen on the excellent Synagogue Scribes site and Henry's tombstone is on Cemetery Scribes. Moses is my 5x great grandfather.
There are references on Synagogue scribes to 3 Moshe Cohen including the name Betsy ( Peska bat Meir) for one Moshe's wife but I doubt if Moshe is the same person. Any ideas on trying to establish the identity of Moshe Cohen welcome. Should I be looking for Moses Moses if Kitty used the last name Moses.
Phillip

[sandiep]

Hi Phillip
knowing the general lack of surnames in Jewish families around this time, it may just be that she is called Moses because she is Kitty daughter of Moses.
just an idea sandie

[Richard1955]

I have a comment Phillip.
I'm glad I have gardening to do because I can't make head nor tail of this one.

[LisaMary]

Hi Phillip,

She took the name in common with normal Jewish practice. e.g. your name is Phillip if your father was called John then your hebrew name would be Phillip Ben John not what ever John's surname was. Like wise a girl say you have a sister Sarah she would be Sarah Bar John. Originally Jews did not have surnames as such edicts came out during the 1800's to say they must addopt them. The most famous of which was issued by Napoleon Bonepart during his tromp through Europe, he issued a list of suitable surnames and said if you cn't come up with one yourself choose from these.. Hence why she is Kitty Moses and not Kitty Cohen. As you go through the century this dies out as culture becomes more firmly entrenched as British. Once they found a surname that was publicly acceptable the next generation tended to keep it. But if you look at the average family from the time one child will be Cohen, one Samuel, one Abrahams and so on. 1st boy named after paternal grandfather so if he was Abraham ben Moses the child will be Abraham Moses. Ist girl Paternal grandmothr Esther bar Isaac she will be Esther Issacs etc..

Hope that helps
Regards

Lisa

[HART,D]

It has sure helped me!

Doug

[LisaMary]

Sorry, i know what you mean my gggg grandfather was Abraham Cohen,I too the most solid thing I've found other than his name and occupation on his daughters 2nd marriage cert is his Sun Fire insurance records. His daughter my ggg grandmother was Abigail who on her 2nd marriage cert says widow Asher and 8 years later when her son is born, who she names Moses Asher, his birth cert says she is late of Asher originally Cohen. No 1st marrige record no birth record for her). Past that I can find no record of her till 1851 and no other record (past insurance) of her father Abraham. I just keep reckoning that keep looking and maybe one day you'll find. I have recently found a 1841 cencus from another parental branch that I have looked for for many years and I think has only just made the web (so chuffed) found it from a bad spelling of a childs name. I guess what I meant the jewish records at that time are terrible and the names they used on cencus's are seldom the names they used in synagogue so in some ways if you can't find a synagogue record then (guttingly) they may never be found. Likewise immigration & official immigration where 2 different things. Just keep going and may be one day :-)

Regards

Lisa

[LisaMary]

PS you know that Cohen is the name from the Kohanim - the Preist class, of the Levites aka Levy, Levi, HaLevi etc are Levites who wash the kohanim before blessing. Also collect all tithes and are also excluded from Pidyon Haben (paying of 5 silver pieces on th birth of the 1st born son - also known as the redemption of the 1st born for obvious reasons).