Isaacs Family - where are all the descendants?

[mjcarpenter]

I have been tracing, along with others around the world, our Jewish ancestors who were from Posen in Poland/Germany in 1858, came into the UK via the East End of London, where a few members worked as master tailors and the remainder travelled up to Birmingham and across to Wolverhampton.

We know so much about the family, which was very large, but we need to find more information and living descendants of Elias Isaacs (born in Posen in 1856, son of Isaac Isaacs) who married Rose Pinner in 1878. Elias died in Kings Norton in 1923 and together with Rose had 8 children. Marks, Elizabth, Celia (Cissie), Davis, Newman, Morris, Moss and Harry. Marks married Millie Bloomberg in 1898 in London, Elizabeth married Abraham Barnett in Birmingham in 1904, Celia married Soloman Cohen in 1901 in Birmingham, David married Fanny Brunn in 1909 in Birmingham, Newman remains a mystery - no info found yet, Maurice married Elizabeth Lingwood in Hackney in 1922, Moss we know died in 1960 and is buried at Witton and Harry we know nothing about.

Our ultimate aim is to find out who the mother of Elias and his siblings was. We have employed researchers in Posen, who found very little paperwork had survived the atrocities of the time, so some one out there please contact me if you are a descendant of an Isaacs tailor or jeweller. I would welcome anyone to contact me with even a tiny chance of there being a connection. Many thanks in anticipation.

[Colin Moretti]

The book Immigrants and Aliens by Roger Kershaw and Mark Pearsall (PRO) ISBN 1 873162 94 4 is very helpful for identifying possible sources of information about immigrants and they have a section specifically concerned with Jewish records.

I have no Jewish links myself so cannot comment on their suggestions. In case you've not tried it, one possible source mentioned is the Chief Rabbi's Office which holds certificates of evidence required to authorise marriages, they include details of the applicants place of birth and often other helpful information. Let me know if you need contact details.

Colin

[Peter Goodey]

The book "My Ancestors were Jewish" by Dr. Anthony Joseph may also be useful. It appears to be currently out of print but it's probably still available somewhere.

[June]

This will likely not be of value to you as ISAACS seems to be a very common name. An ancestor of my husband was Jacob Myer Isaacs who migrated to London in 1814 with his parents escaping the chaos of the Napoleonic wars in Holland. 1840 he emigrated to Sydney Australia and became the second minister of the Sydney Synagogue. 2 April 1844 officiated at the consecration of the Sydney synagoge (The Jewish Community in Australia).
1856 retired and returned to the UK with his family due to ill health.

June

[DebbieAnn]

You mention that Elias died in 1923. Wouldn't his death certificate list his mother's name?

I notice also that Isaac Isaacs was living with his son Elias and family in the 1901 census, and that he died in Birmingham in June, 1903. His death certificate might give his late wife's name as well as his parents' names.

Debbie

[Mythology]

"Wouldn't his death certificate list his mother's name?"
No.

"His death certificate might give his late wife's name as well as his parents' names."
It will not show the late wife's name, nor will it show the parents' names, unless a parent was still alive and was the informant, in which case you would get that one.

In the case of an adult male, the name of the deceased, the name of the informant, and the name of the registrar, are the only names you get on a death certificate.

[DebbieAnn]

Well, DARN!! That's disappointing, for my own ancestry as well.

Birmingham (W. Midlands) has a very old Jewish community, from what I understand, and there is a Jewish cemetery there called Brandwood End Cemetery. Their phone is: 0121 643 0884 according to a site on Jewish cemeteries in the UK. If Isaac Issacs was buried there, they may be able to tell you which synagogue he was a member of (often Jewish cemeteries had sections reserved for members of particular shuls), and that synagogue may have records on his family history. It's a long shot, but...

[joette]

Doesnt depend where he died? If he had the good sense to die in Australia he would have the names /birth dates of all children,name of parents,wife.
If he died in Scotland he would have parents names(if informant knew it.)wifes name etc. I know he died in England but if somebody was having a quick trawl they might be misled into thinking that all Places certify the same.
I do plead ignorance of the English system as I thus far have not had to use it.