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  1. #21

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    I came across an interesting court case while perusing newsapers.com today. I think (by which I mean it is possible not certain) this could be a link that will lead to clues on the ancestry of the "other David Mendes" - the one that married Abigail de Joseph Fernandez da Silva at Bevis Marks in 1774 (when my David Mendes was 5 so really could not have been him if Miriam's information is correct). It was a court case that took place at the Guildhall in 1796 regarding a number of defendants charged with fabricating the will of Aaron Fernandes da Sylva ( the spelling given in the court case - but the names are so similar that spelling really could have been altered). In short, Aaron, an old and frail, and as witnesses suggested blind old man, was murdered along with his servant at his home in Chelsea in January 1793. He died intestate and his closest living kin Issac Fernandes de Sylva was determined his heir. A man named Benjamin Mendes Henriques and others conspired to create a false will that said Benjamin had been left 1000 pounds of Aron's estate.The court proved to the satisfaction of the jury that Aaron was virtually blind and could not have produced the will created by Benjamin. Other witnesses confessed they were paid by Benjamin to lie about facts, including as to who murdered Aaron and the servant. A witness had claimed that it was his nephew David Mendes who had killed him and and then confessed and killed himself. Now I know this says "nephew" but as it was very common to marry your cousin I think this could be the David Mendes who married Abigail de Joseph Fernandez da Silva. I have not been able to tie all these people together with any information on ancestry. If this is the other David then that would put his death somewhere between 1793 and the court date of 1796. Very interesting case! If we can tie these people together more conclusively it would help eliminate confusion with David Mendes b 1769.

  2. #22

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    See History of Suicide: Voluntary Death in Western Culture.. George Minois John Hopkins University Press 1999...."On the 26 January 1793 David Mendes killed himself while under suspicion of having committed two crimes; his cadaver was sentenced."
    In a separate snippet... "one of his children died the same week it was rumoured he was to be re-arrested."
    This gives specific date of death for this David Mendes plus the death of his child.
    Phillip

  3. #23

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    Further to # 22 and the date of suicide of David Mendes aka Mendez 26 Jan 1793 further accounts of his suicide at the time state "Mr Mendes his nephew who lived near Moorfields"; "half a pint of arsenic found in his belly": " buried in Bishopsgate near the new opening". Another account states "he was buried on the highway near Chelsea"

    This burial was a common procedure for many suicides and from earlier research it is my understanding that Jews who committed suicide had to be buried at night and I am not sure it was under Jewish rites.
    Phillips

  4. #24

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    Wow, great stuff Phillip. The 18th century really is a hard sell for time travelers! I did some digging and put together some of the Fernandes de Silva family from the jewishgen insurance records but not in any conclusive way. Still have not linked Abigail de Fernandez de Silva conclusively to this really tragic David ( as opposed to "financial woes David") other than by name. I suspect the records are out there to do it but must give this a rest for the day.

  5. #25

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    See London Lives 1690-1800 online City of London Coroner's Inquests into suspicious deaths 2 Jan 1793-28 Dec 1793
    David Mendes. Inquisition Parish of St Botolph Bishopsgate. This is the original record of the inquest into the suicide of David Mendes. The inquest referred to David Mendes having "No goods or chattels, lands or tenements within the City of London".
    This inquisition is in the Southwark area.
    Phillip

  6. #26

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    The JewishGen Jewish Traders/Businesses in London 1769-1839 records plus Insurance Policy Records show that the David Mendes confectioner and army accourtment maker was at various addresses in Borough Road from at least 1819 so could not be the David Mendes who committed suicide in 1793. This at least rules out one David Mendes.
    In addition, a Gentleman's Magazine article on the murder of Aaron da Silva in 1793 refers to David Mendes his nephew having a wife and 2 or 3 children living in Moorfields. This also helps to narrow down this David Mendes.
    Phillip

  7. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by phillip View Post
    See London Lives 1690-1800 online City of London Coroner's Inquests into suspicious deaths 2 Jan 1793-28 Dec 1793
    David Mendes. Inquisition Parish of St Botolph Bishopsgate. This is the original record of the inquest into the suicide of David Mendes. The inquest referred to David Mendes having "No goods or chattels, lands or tenements within the City of London".
    This inquisition is in the Southwark area.
    Phillip
    Well that's three hours well spent! I have never seen that site before and I literally had to tear myself away and go and cook dinner. I spent the time I was stirring the chilli thinking about what names to put in next.
    Sadly, our dear friend Ann (alias Ladkyis) passed away on Thursday, 26th. December, 2019.
    Footprints on the sands of time

  8. #28
    Loves to help with queries
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    whilst there are exceptions under Jewish Law,what he did was beyond the pale and no way would he have been given a religeous funeral

  9. #29
    Starting to feel at home
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    Default David Mendes

    Quote Originally Posted by jparrettsmith View Post
    Wow, great stuff Phillip. The 18th century really is a hard sell for time travelers! I did some digging and put together some of the Fernandes de Silva family from the jewishgen insurance records but not in any conclusive way. Still have not linked Abigail de Fernandez de Silva conclusively to this really tragic David ( as opposed to "financial woes David") other than by name. I suspect the records are out there to do it but must give this a rest for the day.


    I have recently been reading your posts regarding David Mendes and you are obviously as baffled as to which David Mendes is which as I am.

    In one of your posts you referred to what I think is my tree on Ancestry, just named “MENDES”. My interest is in the potential link between the same David Mendes that you appear to be researching, and my gggg-grandmother, Ann Isaacs, probably previously Ann levy, whose maiden surname is proving elusive. In a Chancery court case referred to elsewhere on this site, Hannah Nathan made a statement that included confirmation that she was the niece of Ann Isaacs. All indications are that this is the Hannah Nathan whose father was David Mendes. She was resident in the same areas as David Mendes, the army accoutrement maker.

    I started the “Mendes” tree as a seperate record from my main tree, to try and collect collateral evidence that might get around my brick wall. I agree that there doesn't seem to be any evidence for David being married to a Rebecca – my original starting point was the Heiser family tree on geni.com, and on revisiting that site, I see there are no sources for this information.

    However I am now starting to wonder if Abraham and Jacob/John Mendes and Hannah Mendes are part of the same family. Are you aware of any sources that confirm this? Circumstantial evidence seems to be thin on the ground. I haven't seen anything that suggests Abraham and Jacob/John had any association with Southwark. They seem to have been centered around the Spitalfields area of London, whereas Hannah and her father David were based around Houndsditch in the City, before moving south of the river. Also, both Abraham and Jacob/John seem to have links with Bevis Marks Synagogue, whereas Hannah was married in the Great Synagogue.

    I note that you have been in touch with the archivist at Bevis Marks, but the information received also seems to raise questions about the familial relationships. In your post of 16 April, you say that
    “I was looking for David Mendes the father of Abraham who married Rebecca de Joseph Nunes Miranda. Miriam told me that my David was born 17 July 1769 and was the son of Hannah de Saqui and Abraham Mendez.”. You also went on to say that “One thing I can rule out is that David Mendez...did not marry Abigail de Silva as that David and Abigail married in 1774 when Hannah and Abraham's son was just 5 years old”. This is entirely logical, however the 1851 Anglo-jewry Database shows Abraham's supposed brother, Jacob/John as being born to David Mendes and Abigail Fernandez Da Silva in 1789, and credits Bevis Marks records as the source. Is there a reasonable doubt that Jacob/John and Abraham have the same parents?

    Phillip posted 18 April on marriages in the Great Synagogue and listed Ann Mendes 7 Sept 1826 father David Mendes spouse Elias Levi. In the 1851 Anglo-jewry Database, Ann's parents are given as David de Abraham Mendes and Sarah Simhon (again Bevis Marks records accredited as the source). Ann was apparently born 1805 and could well be a contender for a sister of Hannah Mendes.

    Regarding the court case around the murder of Aaron Fernandes da Sylva, this does seem to involve the David Mendes that apparently committed suicide and died 23 January 1793. According to “London Lives 1690 to 1800”, his daughter Rebecca made a statement. She apparently resided at Bell Square, Moorfields. Her father was said to also live near Moorfields according to “The new and complete Newgate calendar; or, Villany displayed in all its branches” By William Jackson. There is an ancestry record in “the England, United Grand Lodge of England Freemason Membership Registers, 1751-1921" for David Mendes, Male, initiation age: 32, Birth Year: abt 1753, initiation date: 9 Feb 1785 , Year range 1768-1813, Profession: Grocer, Residence: Moorfields, Lodge: Antiquity D Lodge number 1D, E lodge number 1E, F lodge number 1F.

    This is all great stuff, unfortunately, I am so far no nearer identifying the family that my Ann Isaacs/Levy came from!

  10. #30

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    Steve
    Looking at the various Ancestry.Com Public family trees and also at the current data researched and posted on this forum to date it looks as if there are too many variables to clearly identify the carious relationships. There are the Sephardic Synagogue records transcriptions which show a Jacob Mendes b Sept 8 1786 parents David and Rebecca Mendes on an Ancestry Com family tree but this is a note; the marriage of David Mendes and Abigail de Jacob Fernadez da Silva 3 Elul 5534 10 Aug 1774. The later death of Jacob Mendes in 1866. There is another Jacob Mendes born much later who died 18.9.1875 at the residence of his son in law Maurice De Leon 24 Rathbone Place Oxford Street age 66- see The Jewish Victorian: Genealogical Information from the Jewish Newspapers 1871-1880 transcribed and edited by Doreen Berger, 1999 Pub Robert Boyd
    The Ann Levy/Isaacs is another unconfirmed area for research as you rightly say.
    It maybe that there are family trees at the Society of Genealogists and JGSGB in London that contain clues to these unresolved issues but further research is required. Similarly, a close check on the Bevis Marks records might shed further light on the relationships.
    Phillip

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