JOSEPH LEVY- HANNAH ISAACS

[phillip]

Adrian
On a separate point but related to the Levy/Lewis/Hart/Jacobs lines I am planning to meet up in London late Oct ( subject to confirmation) with my Jacobs cousin Carol Freeman - descends from Daniel Levy/Amelia Jacobs and hopefully other distant cousins. If I can I will visit SOG and see if there are any records on the relevant Levy/Lewis particularly if any data exists on Edward Rayner.
Re- visiting data in Robert's book plus what we know about the Lewis/Levy/Hart/Jacobs/Crawcour many of them were settled in Australia pre and post Edward Rayner's own settlement including Melbourne and descendants are still living in Melbourne. SOG may have letters about the lines.
Phillip

[ABrooks]

Phillip,
many thanks appreciate you looking into this. If possible could you also look out for any records in relation to Noah Edward Lewis, I'm still trying to determine if the 2 levy/lewis lines are linked.

Adrian

[ABrooks]

Phillip,
more articles on the Levy line from Australian Newspapers.

The Hebrew Standard of Australasia Friday 12th April 1907

"Mrs Lewis Levy of 402 Albert-street, East Melbourne was taken ill last week and as it was feared that her condition might prove serious, her son Dr Levy of Sydney, N. S. Wales was sent for and arrived without delay. The latest report is that Mrs Levy is somewhat better."

The Hebrew Standard of Australasia Friday 15 May 1908

"Another death was that of Mrs Levy of Albert street, East Melbourne, widow of the late Mr Lewis Levy, which took place early on Monday morning last. The deseased had been in failing health for many months past and was at the time of her death in her 87th year."

The Hebrew Standard of Australasia Friday 4 January 1907

"News reached here on Monday (by cable) of the sudden death in England of apoplexy, on the previous day of Dr E. B. Levy. of Albert-st., East Melbourne. The deceased gentlemen was on a visit to Europe and was forty years of age. He is a son of Elizabeth and the late Lewis Levy of Albert-street, East Melbourne."


The Hebrew Standard of Australasia 29th May 1908

" The death is announced of Mrs Elizabeth Levy, of 402 Albert -street, East Melbourne, widow of the late Lewis Levy, of Melbourne, and mother of Dr A. Lewis Levy, Elizabeth Bay, Sydney"

Camperdown Chronicle Tuesday 12 December 1893

A notice of motion to admit a proof of debt on tha estate of B. J. Fink, who mase a compostion of a half-pound in the £L with creditors with claims amounted to £1.520,173, has been set down far hear ing before Judge Moleswortb in the Insolvency Court on Friday next. The notice of motion is given on behalf of Louis Sanders, and Elizabeth and Lewis Levy, of Albert-street, East Melbourne, who claim to be creditors on the estate for a debt of £13,500, against which they hold certain security;"


Not sure if the following articles are Abraham Levy brother of Lewis.
The Argus Monday 11 January 1869

"LEVY.—On the 9th inst., Burlington-terrace, Albert-street, East Melbourne, the wife of Mr. Abraham Levy of a daughter"

The Argus Wednesday 22 February 1871

"LEVY - On the 20th inst, at 9 Burlington-terrace, Albert-street, East Melbourne, the wife of Mr Abraham Levy of a son, which only survived a few hours"

The Argus Saturday 4 March 1871

"LEVY- On the 3rd inst, at 9 Burlington terrace, Albert-street, East Melbourne, Sarah, the beloved daughter of Abraham and Esther Levy, aged two years.

The Argus Monday 7 February 1870

"LEVY. -On the 6th inst., at No. 8 Burlington-terrace, Albert street, East Melbourne, the wife of Abraham Levy of a son."

The Argus Monday 17 June 1872

"LEVY.—On the 16th inst., at No. 9 Burlington-terrace, Albert-street, East Melbourne, Mrs. Abraham Levy of a daughter"

Adrian

[phillip]

Adrian
Do any of the Levy names mean anything to you? Also, do the Sanders line of Melbourne and Leviathan and Co mean anything? The Levy and Sanders were in partnership and related via marriage. I am trying also to work out what Edward Rayner was doing in Melbourne when he first arrived and who exactly knew about him. General gossip among the Hart/Levy/Lewis would suggest that someone in the family knew about Edward- how did he start up his first business and did anyone lend him the money or was he on his own. You have some important distant relatives in Melbourne when Edward was in the city was he so out on a limb that no one would help him. Was his birth origin too much of a stigma?
Phillip

[ABrooks]

Phillip,
I wish I had more information on Edward but not much was ever passed down. The family was not even aware of the Jewish heritage until late 2012. I think its clear that Edward Lewis and Charlotte Mitchell (Edward Rayner's supposed grand parents) discontinued Jewish practices as their marriage, child's christenings, marriages etc were at Christian churches. Based on this and the fact that Edward was hidden away at a boarding school in Plymouth he may not have had any connection with these other relatives.

As you know I am still unsure if Edward arrived in Sydney or Melbourne, the earliest information I have for Edward is his marriage in 1899 to Elizabeth Emery. We think he arrived in Australia on the Lusitania in Jan 1891. So I am unclear what happened between 1891 and 1899. In 1905 he applied for voluntary sequestration giving his name as Edward James Rayner of 301 Victoria St West Melbourne, Furniture Dealer, wife Elizabeth Rayner. This is also the address he gave on his wedding certificate in 1899. They were married at 422 Queen St according to the rites of the Free Christian Church. Witnesses were James Hall and Annie Noel. Interestingly he didn't use the middle name James on his marraige certificate but did when applying for sequestration. The Sands and Dougall directory list and Edarward Rayner at varying addresses, I have not been able to confirm if they are for our Edward or not, other than the 1899 address

1899 301 Victoria Stree West Melbourne
1900,1903 490 Spencer St Melbourne
1904 78 Dudley Street West Melbourne
1905 160 Chapel Street Prahran
1907 70 Young Street Fitzroy
1909 184 Mobray Street South Melbourne
1915 559 Elizabeth Street North Melbourne

Around 1924 Edward lived and had his business in Inkerman St Caulfield/St Kilda which is a large Jewish area in Melbourne. This may be conincidental or perhaps this was done based on contact with Jewish relatives.

None of the Levy names mentinoned mean anything to me, I will check with relatives. Edward's children were named Constance Marie (my maternal Grandmother), Albert Edward, and Dorothy Estelle (she only lived a few years). I do not know of any relatives or family friends that are from Hart/Levy/Lewis/Sanders lines. Albert had 2 sons, John Albert and Allen Edward both are deceased.

Adrian

[densmary11]

Hi Phillip.
I am filling in for Adrian whilst he is away. Leviathan rang a bell with me. Leviathan and Co were a huge clothing store in the CBD of Melbourne. The proprietors were Sanders and Co of London (Silver Manufacturers). If you type in Leviathan and Co Melbourne you will get quite a lot of hits and pictures of the building. The architecture of the building was renowned for its beauty. Searching further I found an interesting article on the Jewish history of Melbourne at https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00776b.htm This article refers to Asher Hart, Sir Isaac Isaacs and Nathaniel Levi amongst others. At the end of the article is a reference to a book by Joseph Aron and Judy Arnt. I will try and get hold of the book. There are also references to where some of the history is stored and I will refer this article to Adrian when he comes home. As for Edward Rayner, to my knowledge he never referred to any Jewish connection but he may not have known he had one. What remains a mystery is where he was from 1891-1899 and that is what I am working on. If he was truly a remittance man he may have had sufficient funds to start up his furniture shop in 1898. We only have my mother's word that he was a remittance man and that he was paid an allowance if he stayed in Australia. He certainly had independent means when we all lived with him in Punt Road South Yarra until his death in 1940 however this was after his mother's death in 1929 and his subsequent journey back to England. At the moment I am trying to find out if we can trace his bank records.
Mary

[phillip]

Than you Mary for your message. As you can see from my numerous postings on my Jacobs/Hart/Crawcour lines I have direct links to Melbourne not least because my 5th cousin removed lives there and we researched for many years on the Crawcour and related lines. My Crawcour in Melbourne related to the Cashmore - see Michael Cashmore and Isaac Crawcour on the Jewish Historical records and Australian Newspaper Archives. The Cashmore and Crawcour are closely associated including through marriage. Isaac Crawcour who settled in Melbourne was the son of David Crawcour my 4x great grandfather- I have posted on my Crawcour lines. Now, it also appears I have Levy relatives who also settled in Melbourne related to me through the marriage of Julia Levy to Lewis Hart - the Levy/Sanders. My Hart lines also settled in various parts of Australia mainly Sydney.
As Adrian and others are aware my Jacobs line is related via marriage to the Levy/Lewis hence my trying to discover what further relationships there maybe.
Happy to support Adrian in his searches.
Phillip

[phillip]

Adrian and Mary
Just in case you spot any correlation between the following addresses ( I have not listed all of them) for my Crawcour and Hart relatives in Victoria including Melbourne covering the dates from the late 1800s-1930s- 7 King St;110 Bourke St;49 Bourke St Geelong; 34 Coleridge St Kew;Armadale; Punt Rd South Yarra; Heidelberg; Fitzroy; Collingwood. Are any of these addresses close to where Edward Rayner lived? Haven't included the Levy/Sanders in Melbourne.
Phillip

[densmary11]

Phillip,
Edward Rayner lived at 294 Punt Road South Yarra from 1931 until his death in 1942. I was born and grew up in that house. Edward also lived in Spencer Street Melbourne (in the CBD). Spencer street runs parallel to King Street one block apart and he also lived in Dudley Street Melbourne which runs across King Street. Victoria Street where Edward had his furniture shop is close to King, Spencer and Dudley Streets. Albert Street is in East Melbourne (due East from Spencer and King Streets) and is quite close to where Edward lived in Young Street Fitzroy. Edward was also in business in Moray Street South Melbourne in 1909 to about 1915. He ran a scrap metal business there and this area is close to Spencer, King and Dudley Streets just a little further west.
Mary

[phillip]

Mary
I don't have all the full addresses for the Crawcour/Hart and associated families who were living in Victoria including Melbourne at the same time as Edward but here are various addresses- Sydney Abraham and Rebecca Crawcour ( married) plus family living in Punt Rd up to 1901- Rebecca died in that year and I don't know how long the family remained in the road; Leon Crawcour and Rosetta Hamburger 49 Bourke St - he died 1932; Aaron Crawcour/Sarah Bushell ( he used an alias Lawrence/Laurance and died 1901) 34 Coleridge St Kew; Isaac Crawcour 306 Bridge Rd Richmond; Grace Hanson nee Hart 106 Park St Collingwood died 1926. The Crawcour/Hanson etc were all living Fitzroy/Collingwood/Melbourne/Caulfield/Geelong and other parts of Victoria the same time as Edward.
Of course, this doesn't confirm or deny that they had any contact or even knew each other. My Crawcour lines and Hart connect via marriage.
Phillip