ANN LION(S), BARNET LEVY and SAMUEL ISAACS

[stevei]

I came across another name to add to the "FAN" club of Samuel Isaacs (1768 - 1843)- that of Susannah Raphael. He was the sole executor of her will. The will is on Ancestry, citation "London Metropolitan Archives and Guildhall Library Manuscripts Section, Clerkenwell, London, England; Reference Number: DL/C/468; Will Number: 126". I have transcribed the will, as follows:

No. 1. For Executors or Administrators, with Will annexed,
when there is no leasehold property.
IN the Goods of Susannah Raphael Spinster deceased. In the Consistory Court of London.
May 29th 1818
Appeared personally Samuel Isaacs of No 11
New Street Covent Garden in the County
of Middlesex the sole Executor named in the last Will
and Testament of the
said Susannah Raphael
late of New Street aforesaid Spinster deceased,
and made Oath, that the Estate and Effects of the said Deceased, for
or in respect of which a Probate of the Said Will
is to be granted, exclusive of what the said Deceased may have been
possessed of or entitled to as a Trustee, for any other Person or Persons,
and not beneficially, and without deducting any Thing on Account of the
Debts due and owing from the said Deceased, are under the Value of
Six hundred Pounds, to the best of this
Deponents Knowledge, Information, and Belief. And he lastly
made Oath, that the said Deceased was not possessed of or entitled to any
Leasehold Estate or Estates for Years, either Absolute or determinable
on Lives, to the best of this Deponents Knowledge, Information, and Belief
S Isaacs
Sworn the Day aforesaid,
before me
Saml. R Meyrick Surrte.

I, Susanna [sic] Raphael being of sound
mind but of weak body do hereby first
Commend my soul to God being in Charity
with all the World
Secondly I do hear by Will and bequeath
to Mr Samuel Isaacs of No. 11 New Street
Covent Garden all my Worldly goods
Chattels Ready money Trinkets Jewels
wearing apparel of what so ever nature
or kind for his own and [personal?] use
to dispose of them as he may think
propper [sic] and I further give to the said
Samuel Isaacs in trust for my dearly
beloved mother /Francis/ Raphael all that
Interest of money or moneys that I
now have or may hereafter have in
the Funds for and during her life
and at the death of my dear Mother /Francis/ Raphael I further Will and
bequeath what ever Funded property
I may have at my Death to be disposed
of between my dear sister Jane Levys
Five Children and my dear Brother
Barnett Raphaels Three Children and my
dear Niece Jane Samuels Four Children to
be disposed of between the aforesaid Children
as he the said Samuel Isaacs may think
propper [sic] and I do hear by further appoint
the aforesaid Samuel Isaacs my sole
Executor dated this Eleventh Day of May
One Thousand Eight hundred and Eighteen
Susanah Raphael her Mark
Witness H.C. [****?]
Sarah Moses
Ann Simmons
Fanny Will
Samuel Solomon

May 29, 1818
Samuel Isaacs of no. 11 New Street
Covent Garden in the county of Middlesex
the Sole Executor named in the within Will
was duly Sworn as such and that the whole
of the deceased’s Goods Chattels and Credits
do not amount in Value to the sum of
Six Hundred Pounds
Before me
Saml. R Meyrick
The Testatrix Susannah in the Will written
Susanah Raphael was late of New Street Covent
Garden in the county of Middlesex and died a
Spinster this year

On the Thirtieth day of May One thousand eight hundred and
eighteen This Will of Susannah (in the Will written Susanah)
Raphael late of New Street Covent Garden in the county of Middlesex
Spinster deceased was proved at London before the Worshipful Samuel
Rush Meyrick Doctor of Laws and Surrogate by the Oath of Samuel
Isaacs the sole Executor to whom administration was granted
having been first sworn duly to administer

Steve

[stevei]

Hi Steve,

Thank you very much for posting this. It's very interesting. I wonder whether the Barnet Levy (Hebrew name: Parla/Farla/Farleh) I originally identified, i.e. died 1813, has anything to do with the father of Hannah Levy who married Joseph Brown at the Great Synagogue on 8 Aug, 1839 (father: Issachar Parla, or Farla, HaLevi) per Synagogue Scribes; or Abraham Levy, who married Rosetta Leman on 16 Jan, 1839, same synagogue and father. I don't know whether Issachar Parla is likely to be the same as Parla, or perhaps a son of Parla(?) If these are children of the Barnet/Parla Levy, who died in 1813 and married Ann Lyon(s), it might weaken the (already weak and wholly circumstantial) case for this Barnet and Ann being the parents of the Levy/Isaacs children as I haven't seen references to siblings of these names in any documents.

Another thing that did strike me is that "our" Ann (d. 1853) leaves £10 for mourning to a Brinnia Harris, who Synagogue Scribes identifies as possibly being Elizabeth/Brynah Levy - daughter of Isaac HaLevi - who married David Harris at the Great Synagogue on 12 Aug, 1801. Obviously Levy is/was a very common name in the Jewish community, but I wonder if there's a chance that Elizabeth/Brynah was a sister or other relation of Ann's first husband. If she was his sister, the unidentified Mr Levy's father was called Isaac and Isaac Levy Isaacs may have been named after him. Ann doesn't refer to Brynah as her "sister-in-law" or "sister" - I don't know whether that rules this out.

Best wishes,

Mark

Hi Mark

I have been trying to find some trace of David Harris and/or his wife Brynah/Briniah/Elizabeth, but without success. No trace in census records (even at Charles Court - there are a few Harris's there, possible relatives?). I have looked at the British Jewry forum and Jewishgen. I have checked pre 1858 wills for both of them, but have not found anything. There is a possble burial for David Harris on SynagogueScribes:
Reference: BSGSBUR 409/3094
Family Name: HARRIS
Forenames: David
Hebrew Name: David
Event: Burial
Date: 1820 [24 Jan]
Address: Gravel Lane; Houndsditch
Father's Hebrew Name: Zvi
Notes: ALS: Poss GSM 063/4 1801 [12 Aug] but : b Hirsh?

I think I will probably revisit the Mendes connection via Hannah Nathan, to see if anything new has emerged.

Steve

[mark_bridge]

Hi Steve,

Your posts on Susannah Raphael, Barnet Levy and David/Brynah Harris are very interesting, thank you. I agree that, based on what you've found, the balance of probabilities suggests Barnet isn't "our" Mr Levy. Likewise I think the Mendes link is one of the best clues we have to go on as to Ann's origin/connections. I'm not clear whether we know who Hannah Nathan's mother was, i.e. whether it's possible she (Mrs Mendes) was a sibling of Ann or of one her husbands(?)

Mark

[stevei]

Hi Mark

It has occurred to me that Hannah Nathan (nee Mendes) could actually be a niece of Samuel Isaacs the elder, especially if he is related to Samuel Isaacs the younger. Hannah Nathan stated in her deposition that she grew up with Samuel the younger.

Steve

[mark_bridge]

Hi Steve,

That's a good point. In that scenario, presumably Hannah's mother would've been a sister of Samuel's - unless there's already evidence to contradict that/you're thinking of a different uncle-niece link(?)

Mark

[stevei]

Hi Mark

I'm keeping all options open at the moment. I recall that there were a few options for Hannah Mendes' father, David, and the problem was building family networks for David, as is ever the case ��
Steve

[stevei]

Hi Phillip

I refer to your posts #83, 21-01-2021, and #85, 23-01-2021 concerning Myer Solomon and his sister Phoeby Levy.
The "Biography Myer Solomon ....taken from A. Barnett, The Western Synagogue Through Two Centuries" under "Family information" records Myer's two brothers-in-law as Hayim HaLevi and Simha Isaac HaLevi. Referring to circumcision records, the Susser Archive doesn't seem as detailed as SynagogueScribes, but the latter gives the following records:
Sons of Hayim HaLevi:

Reference: BSMS 0184
Family Name: COLLINS
Forenames: NR
Hebrew Name: Zvi Hirsh
Event: Circumcision
Date: 1806 [24 Jul]
Address: St Martins Lane
Father's Hebrew Name: Hayim HaLevi
Notes: son of my brother-in-law'

Reference: BSMS 0288
Family Name: NR
Forenames: NR
Hebrew Name: Israel Simon
Event: Circumcision
Date: 1809 [10 Sep]
Address: St Martins Lane
Father's Hebrew Name: Hayim HaLevi
Notes: Brother-in-law of Circumciser'

Reference: BSMS 0384
Family Name: COLLINS
Forenames: NR
Hebrew Name: [?]Isaac [?]Zvi Jacob
Event: Circumcision
Date: 1811 [18 Jun]
Address: Sackville St
Father: John
Father's Hebrew Name: Hayim HaLevi
Notes: the child of my brother-in-law'

Reference: BSMS 0613
Family Name: COLLINS
Forenames: NR
Hebrew Name: Judah
Event: Circumcision
Date: 1816 [22 Jun]
Address: Cockspur Street
Father's Hebrew Name: Hayim HaLevi
Notes: father my brother-in-law'

Reference: BSMS 0978
Family Name: COLLINS
Forenames: NR
Hebrew Name: Meir
Event: Circumcision
Date: 1822 [26 Sep]
Address: Cockspur Street
Father's Hebrew Name: Hayim HaLevi
Notes: the son of my brother-in-law'

Reference: BSMS 1066
Family Name: COLLINS
Forenames: NR
Hebrew Name: Uri Feiss
Event: Circumcision
Date: 1824 [2 Jul]
Address: Cockspur Street
Father's Hebrew Name: Hayim HaLevi
Notes: the son of my brother-in-law'

Sons of Simha Isaac HaLevi:

Reference: BSMS 0025
Family Name: HARRIS
Forenames: NR
Hebrew Name: Shaul
Event: Circumcision
Date: 1798
Father's Hebrew Name: Simha Isaac HaLevi
Notes: ALS: See WSM 234 & 236 this child's marriages

Reference: BSMS 0073
Family Name: HARRIS
Forenames: NR
Hebrew Name: Zvi Hirsh
Event: Circumcision
Date: 1801 [31 ??]
Address: Lambeth
Father's Hebrew Name: Simha Isaac HaLevi
Notes: son of Mohel's brother-in-law'

Depending on whether Myer only had two sisters, or not, then an 1841 census record may be under the name Phoeby/Phoebe Collins/Harris, not Levy?

Steve

[mark_bridge]

This doesn't shed new light on the origins of Ann Levy/Isaacs, but is a fascinating read on the life/career of her grandson George Isaacs, a collector/antiquarian in London and later an author in Australia:

https://digital.library.adelaide.edu...ck2016_PhD.pdf.

Posting in case of interest to descendants etc. of the family.

[phillip]

Hi Steve and Mark
I have submitted a large number of Will Extracts to Synagogue Scribes and you might want to re-visit the site to see if new Harris and other relevant names have been added. Use the one word facility to locate relevant names. Further wills are being added over time.
In addition, I have access to the Lewin records.
I have been very busy with the will extracts and don't always remember to note all the relevant associations
with the Harris/Isaacs/Mendes which might appear in the wills hence the suggestion you might want to check for updates.

[mark_bridge]

Many thanks, Phillip. I will do some searches in the will extracts - they're a wonderful resource.

Mark