Trouble with Cohen parentage

[Hank Hill]

Hello,

Not sure if I should put this here or on the Jewish thread but here goes.

I have been tracing the Cohen side of my family tree with some success. However, i have a question regarding what I have found and hope I can get some advice. My ggg gfather Nathan Cohen b 1811 married Deborah Cohen b 1818 in 1842. I have their marriage certificate and Nathan Cohen has his father listed as Benjamin Cohen and Deborah has her father listed as Wolf Cohen. Unfortunately Wolf seems to have died before the census records began.

I was looking at the Jewish Genealogical Society of Britain to try to increase my information on the Cohen side but it has got me more confused than anything! In their information it seems that Wolf Cohen was actually a Benjamin Wolf Cohen just like Nathan's father. In the notes it states that the two Benjamin's could have been cousins. Does this sound probable? and would that make Deborah and Nathan second cousins?

Also, if I was to try and track down Wolf Cohen's death is there anything equivalent to the parish records for Jewish deaths? I have used the mormon site but was hoping for some primary records.

Thanks for any help on this

[Copper]

I tried a search on Google to see if I could find anything helpful and found this which might not help but is interesting

Taunton Journal 1725-6
1726 16Dec Cohen Benjamin Wolfe - St James Dukes Place
London butcher bankrupt

[Kerrywood]

Also, if I was to try and track down Wolf Cohen's death is there anything equivalent to the parish records for Jewish deaths? I have used the mormon site but was hoping for some primary records.

I'm afraid you could have quite a challenge ahead of you with COHENs on both sides of the family. ;)

For burials you could try Cemetery Scribes (http://www.cemeteryscribes.com/index.php) as a starting-point.

For other databases, and lots of useful advice about Jewish research in the UK, have a look at British Jewry (http://www.british-jewry.org.uk/).

Kerrywood

[Kerrywood]

I should have referred you to Synagogue Scribes (http://www.synagoguescribes.com) as well, in case you've not already come across it. :)

You might find that this (http://www.synagoguescribes.com/persondetails.php?value=2093) is the father of Nathan COHEN, married at the Great Synagogue in 1810.

I think if this thread was moved to the Jewish Roots forum you might get more specialist input.

Kerrywood

[Mutley]

That is a very good idea, so thread duly moved.

I hope you get help from those with experience in researching Jewish Ancestors.

[JustinL]

Hello,

Wolf is a Yiddish calque of the Hebrew given name Ze'ev (זאב), which has been associated with the given name Benjamin since bibical times. It draws on Jacob's blessings of his sons when he likened Benjamin to a wolf (somewhere in Genesis).

Benjamin Ze'ev became a very common name combination for use in the synagogue. Men with both names or either would commonly be known as Wolf for secular purposes.

The marriage record from the Great Synagoue confirms that the fathers of both bride and groom were called Benjamin Ze'ev.

It is very plausible that the fathers were cousins, all named after a common recently deceased grandfather. To make things worse they may even have been born in the same year.

At one stage in my family there were four male cousins with the same name.

Justin