Hiding their roots (DANIEL and MORSE)

[cotswold mike]

Is it likely that the surnames DANIEL and/or MORSE may be anglicised versions of traditional Jewish surnames? There is a strong family tradition that there are Jewish roots in my wife's family. Rural Wiltshire and Swindon (Great Western Railway works) are the geographic areas in question. Searching the 19th century records have revealed some faint hints but nothing concrete.

[Kerrywood]

Is it likely that the surnames DANIEL and/or MORSE may be anglicised versions of traditional Jewish surnames? There is a strong family tradition that there are Jewish roots in my wife's family. Rural Wiltshire and Swindon (Great Western Railway works) are the geographic areas in question.
It's always a possibility, though the geographic area is not the most likely.


Searching the 19th century records have revealed some faint hints but nothing concrete.
Which part of the 19th century?

Going back towards 1837, your best approach will be to research the families in the usual way through BMD certificates and census returns, and any Jewish connections will probably emerge in the course of that research.

If you're looking before 1837, and one of your reasons for suspecting Jewish roots is because you can't find any Anglican baptisms, bear in mind that not all Wiltshire registers have been indexed online, and the area is rather better known for Protestant nonconformism than for Judaism.

This TNA research guide (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/nonconformists.htm) provides information on early nonconformist records, as well as a link for accessing them online (pay/subscription site).