Beginner's help please.....

[MattVernon]

Hi, I'm beginning to look into the Jewish side of my family history but my information is incredibly sketchy.

Basically, the family name now is Vernon, but it has long been the belief that this was changed a few generations back from Solomon. I have since found the information to tie into that. My great-grandfather was born to Joseph SOLOMON and Mary VERNON. The family then seemingly took the VERNON name. A few questions arise here:

1) Why did they change the name? My great aunt, his daughter, says it was because Solomon was Jewish but I wasn't aware of the persecution of Jews in the 1800s and early 1900s.

2) My great-great grandfather, also called Joseph Solomon is registered on the 1871-1901 censuses as being born in Whitechapel in 1835. However, neither the 1841 or 1851 census returns can find him. Is it possible he lied and was in fact an immigrant?

Any information that could help would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Matt

[Davran]

Hi Matt

Have you tried looking under a different spelling? There are quite a lot of mistranscriptions due to difficult in reading the enumerator's writing. How about SOLOMAN, SALOMON, SALOMAN, SOLAMON, etc. Sometimes the initial S looks like an L. I usually try as many likely and unlikely variations as I can think of - sometimes works, sometimes doesn't!

;)

[DebbieAnn]

Here is what I found:

1901:

Daisy Solomon abt 1886 Stepney, London, England Daughter St Botolph without Aldgate London
Edward Solomon abt 1882 Stepney, London, England Son St Botolph without Aldgate London
Ethel Solomon abt 1894 Stepney, London, England Daughter St Botolph without Aldgate London
Henry Solomon abt 1881 Stepney, London, England Son St Botolph without Aldgate London
Joseph Solomon abt 1835 Whitechapel, London, England Head St Botolph without Aldgate London
Mary Solomon abt 1851 Stepney, London, England Wife St Botolph without Aldgate London
Walter Solomon abt 1889 Stepney, London, England Son St Botolph without Aldgate London

RG13/307
Registration district: Whitechapel
Sub-registration district: Goodmans Fields
ED, institution, or vessel: 14
Folio: 41
Page: 2

1891:

Daisy Solomon abt 1886 Aldgate, London, England Daughter St Botolph Aldgate London
Edward Solomon abt 1884 Aldgate, London, England Son St Botolph Aldgate London
Florence Solomon abt 1877 Aldgate, London, England Daughter St Botolph Aldgate London
Joseph Solomon abt 1834 Aldgate, London, England Head St Botolph Aldgate London
Joseph Solomon abt 1872 Aldgate, London, England Son St Botolph Aldgate London
Mary A Solomon abt 1851 Cambridge Heath, London, England Wife St Botolph Aldgate London
Walter Solomon abt 1889 Aldgate, London, England Son St Botolph Aldgate London
William Solomon abt 1879 Aldgate, London, England Son St Botolph Aldgate London
Florence Vernon abt 1869 Limehouse, London, England Visitor St Botolph Aldgate London

RG12/283
Registration district: Whitechapel
Sub registration district: Aldgate
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Folio: 50
Page: 31

(Cont...)

Debbie

[DebbieAnn]

1881:

Jane Gilbert abt 1855 Whitechapel, Middlesex, England Servant 10 Royal Mint St, St Botolph without Aldgate, London, England
Florence Soloman abt 1877 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Daughter 10 Royal Mint St, St Botolph without Aldgate, London, England
Henry Soloman abt 1881 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Son 10 Royal Mint St, St Botolph without Aldgate, London, England
Joseph Soloman abt 1834 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Head 10 Royal Mint St, St Botolph without Aldgate, London, England
Joseph Soloman abt 1872 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Son 10 Royal Mint St, St Botolph without Aldgate, London, England
Mary Ann Soloman abt 1851 Limehouse, Middlesex, England Wife 10 Royal Mint St, St Botolph without Aldgate, London, England
Willm. Soloman abt 1878 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Son 10 Royal Mint St, St Botolph without Aldgate, London, England
Florie Vernon abt 1867 Limehouse, Middlesex, England Niece 10 Royal Mint St, St Botolph without Aldgate, London, England
Mary Vernon abt 1831 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Mother in Law 10 Royal Mint St, St Botolph without Aldgate, London, England

RG11/0448
Sub-registration district: Aldgate
ED, institution, or vessel: 5
Folio: 71
Page: 3

(cont...)

Debbie

[DebbieAnn]

1871:

Now, this is where I start having problems. Joseph, married to Mary Ann Vernon, is shown in 1901 as b: Whitechapel, in 1891 as b: Aldgate, and in 1881 as b: Aldgate. Their first child appears to have been b: abt 1872, leading me to believe they were married about 1870-71, so in the 1871 census they may not yet have been married. However, Judaism places SUCH emphasis on children and family life that at that time men, as well as women, tended to marry in their early twenties, not wait till their mid-thirties - so is it possible Mary Ann Vernon was Joseph's second wife?

In 1871 I found:

Daniel Jacobs abt 1857 Whitechapel, Middlesex, England Stepson St Botolph without Aldgate London
Louisa Jacobs abt 1854 Whitechapel, Middlesex, England Stepdaughter St Botolph without Aldgate London
Joseph Solomon abt 1834 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Head St Botolph without Aldgate London

RG10/525
Registration district: Whitechapel
Sub-registration district: Aldgate
ED, institution, or vessel: 5
Folio: 4
Page: 2

(cont...)

Debbie

[DebbieAnn]

in 1861:

Mary Mitchell abt 1835 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Servant St Botolph without Aldgate Middlesex
Edward Solomons abt 1857 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Son St Botolph without Aldgate Middlesex
Joseph Solomons abt 1833 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Head St Botolph without Aldgate Middlesex
Louisa Solomons abt 1854 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Daughter St Botolph without Aldgate Middlesex
Mary A Solomons abt 1831 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Wife St Botolph without Aldgate Middlesex

RG9/274
Registration district: Whitechapel
Sub-registration district: Aldgate
ED, institution, or vessel: 3
Folio: 43
Page: 17

(cont...)

Debbie

[DebbieAnn]

And:

A marriage record for Joseph Solomon in Dec qtr 1857 to possibly Mary Ann Jacobs, in Bethnal Green (vol 1c pg 566).

It crossed my mind that Joseph may have married 1st Mary Ann Jacobs in 1857, a widow(?) with 2 children, who were listed under their stepfather's name in the 1861 census while they were living as a family and under their actual name of Jacob in the 1861 census after the death of their mother. Joseph then married 2nd Mary Ann Vernon in 1871 with whom he had children of his own. By the time of the 1881 census, the Jacobs children would have been adults and on their own - Louisa being 26 and Daniel/Edward being 23, and so would not appear with the family on the census. In both the 1861 and 1871 census, Joseph is a 'Victualler'/'Licensed Victualler', as he also is in the 1881, 1891, and 1901 census. In 1861, '71, '81, '91, and 1901 address was the same: 10 Royal Mint St., Aldgate.

Keep in mind that Mary Ann Vernon's last child was born in 1894, when Joseph her husband was almost 60 years old - so she must have been significantly younger than he - and may certainly have been a second wife.

What do you think?

Debbie

[DebbieAnn]

It appears that in 1851, Joseph was still living at home:

Elizabeth Soloman abt 1797 Devon, England Wife St Botolph Aldgate Middlesex
Joseph Soloman abt 1834 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Son St Botolph Aldgate Middlesex
Nathaniel Soloman abt 1828 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Son St Botolph Aldgate Middlesex
Soloman Soloman abt 1799 Aldgate, Middlesex, England Head St Botolph Aldgate Middlesex
Elizabeth Sutton abt 1841 Whitechapel, Middlesex, England Granddaughter St Botolph Aldgate Middlesex

HO107/1546
Registration district: Whitechapel
Sub-registration district: Goodmans Fields
ED, institution, or vessel: 2b
Folio: 583
Page: 25

Debbie

[Ladkyis]

"1) Why did they change the name? My great aunt, his daughter, says it was because Solomon was Jewish but I wasn't aware of the persecution of Jews in the 1800s and early 1900s."

Persecution is a big word and conjures up images of stone throwing and breaking windows but I do think there was Anti-Semitic feeling that manifested itself in a lot of small ways. I also think that changes of surname happened so that people would assimilate into their surroundings more easily and their children would not be picked on.

I know that the men who were indicted for "feloniously killing and slaying" my 3xgreat grandfather were sentenced to six months hard labour at a time when stealing a handkerchief could mean transportation for seven years and he was Jewish

Ann Macey

[DebbieAnn]

"Durward St. was also the place Jack the Ripper's second victim was found on 22 August 1888. Because the prostitutes murdered were always mutilated with such surgical precision, it was suspected that it was somebody using surgical instruments. Suspicion fell on a poor Jewish Ritual Slaughterer (Shochet) and he was duly arrested. It needed the intervention of the Chief Rabbi to prove his innocence and gain his release. This caused an anti-Semitic outburst. In the East London Observer 15.8.1888 the following appeared:

"On Saturday in several quarters of East London the crowd who assembled in the streets began a very threatening attitude towards the Hebrew population. It was repeatedly asserted that no Englishman could have perpetrated such a horrible crime and must have been done by a Jew." "

Durward Street was in Whitechapel. This might explain why they would have changed their name from Solomon to Vernon.

From the same source:

"The period between 1880-1914 was also a period when the Board of Guardians had to send Jews back. Lipman in his History of the Jews of Britain since 1858 claims that in this period 54,000 Jews who were not regarded as refugees were sent back. It was at this stage that Mocatto after whom this building is named and to his everlasting credit said and I quote:

"It is not for us as Englishmen to try to close the entrance into our country to any of our fellow creatures especially such as are oppressed. It is not for us as Jews to try and bar our gates against other Jews who are prosecuted solely for professing the same religion as ourselves" "

Debbie

[DebbieAnn]

The 4th 'Jack the Ripper' victim, Catherine Eddowes, was killed in Aldgate, Whitechapel.

"During the murder of Catherine Eddowes, the attacker saw fit to write a message in chalk on the wall. It was discovered to say:

"The Juwes are not the men to be blamed for nothing." "

I expect life suddenly became very difficult in Whitechapel in those days, the more so if one was Jewish...

Debbie

[DeborahW26]

Hi, I'm beginning to look into the Jewish side of my family history but my information is incredibly sketchy.

Basically, the family name now is Vernon, but it has long been the belief that this was changed a few generations back from Solomon. I have since found the information to tie into that. My great-grandfather was born to Joseph SOLOMON and Mary VERNON. The family then seemingly took the VERNON name. A few questions arise here:

1) Why did they change the name? My great aunt, his daughter, says it was because Solomon was Jewish but I wasn't aware of the persecution of Jews in the 1800s and early 1900s.

2) My great-great grandfather, also called Joseph Solomon is registered on the 1871-1901 censuses as being born in Whitechapel in 1835. However, neither the 1841 or 1851 census returns can find him. Is it possible he lied and was in fact an immigrant?

Any information that could help would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Matt
This is probably a very long shot as this thread is nearly three years old, but if Matt Vernon is still out there I'd love to contact him because I am linked to the family of the Joseph Vernon he mentions.

Deborah