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  1. #1
    Janie Wooder
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    Default Jewish Ancestry?

    I'm wondering if Samuel Hart of Bradford-on-Avon (Wiltshire, England) in 1841 and born about 1800 might have been Jewish.

    Having dredged the Bradford-on-Avon Christian church records for the birth of Samuel Hart and his marriage to wife Elizabeth without success, now I'm wondering if he might have been Jewish.

    His name and those of his children don't disagree. I'm told Hart is among Jewish names.

    To my knowledge his grandson, great-grandson, and great-great-grandson had black hair (not just very dark brown but black) and olive skin if that is any sort of clue.

    (The Romans settled Bradford-on-Avon long before William the conquerer, so maybe a Roman gene is another explanation for the hair colour.)

    My question is where do I enquire beyond the Christian church records if Samuel is indeed Jewish?

    Could the hair colouring be any sort of clue? Anyone?

    Thank You, Janie

  2. #2
    Janie Wooder
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    Yes. It's the correct family & thank you.
    It's the stuff before 1836 I've been unable to break through.
    I've completed extensive research on the Harts of Bradford & I'm interested in contemporary cousins also.

  3. #3
    Janie Wooder
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    Quote Originally Posted by notanotherminer View Post
    In 1861 Samuel was still at the same address with his son Charles, 27 who was still unmarried. It seems that Samuel remained a widower for a considerable time
    Do you have a reference number for this 1861 Census record, please?

  4. #4
    Janie Wooder
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    Quote Originally Posted by notanotherminer View Post
    Janie, before I go any further with this can you please tell me if I've got the right family?
    Yes it's the correct family and thank you

  5. #5
    Name well known on Brit-Gen
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    Jul 2008
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    North London
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    Quote Originally Posted by Janie Wooder View Post
    I'm wondering if Samuel Hart of Bradford-on-Avon (Wiltshire, England) in 1841 and born about 1800 might have been Jewish.
    While not wishing to rule anything in or out, Wiltshire was a county with far more nonconformists than Jews.

    You might try BMDregisters.co.uk (www. in front) to look for nonconformist records in that county. There is a free index, but you pay to view the records (or access via a subscription to The Genealogist).

    More specifically, Bradford-on-Avon has a baptist chapel with a long history. They have retained their registers of births 1776-1836 as well as other records, and can be contacted for information.

    oldbaptistchapel.org/hist1.html (www. in front)

    Just one of several possibilities.

  6. #6
    Knowledgeable and helpful
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    Oct 2007
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    Wiltshire
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    I echo what Kerrywood says about the Non-conformists. Baptists were strong in the town,but there were/are also methodists, congregationalists, Countess of Huntingdon and probably one or two more. Also Quakers. It is a nightmare to get much beyond 1775 when doing family lines in Bradford. Although some of the chapels kept baptismal records, not all have survived. Do remember that Baptists did not have infant baptism but believer baptism, for adults. The book Bradford on Avon, Past and Present by Harold Fassnidge gives a good coverage of the situation. it was first published in 1988 with a revision in 1993. pw

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