MORRIS BENJAMIN SIMMONDS c 1803-1876

[phillip]

This new thread provides further ongoing data on the children of Wolf aka William Simmonds and Eve Jacobs. I have posted previous threads on Wolf Simmonds and Eve Jacobs and some of their children. See Cemetery Scribes ID 16726 for data on Wolf aka William Simmonds aka Simmons aka Simons (Wolfe b Moshe Cassell) 1776-18 Dec 1844 and his wife Eve Jacobs (Chava b Zelig Elte) b 1781-1869.
The children of Wolf Simmonds and Eve Jacobs were- Rayner aka Rawner b 1806; Judah Lee 1812; Henry ( Naftali b Benjamin 1819-1869); Rebecca 1827; Hannah; Benedix; Morris 1803-1876; Coleman 1815-1889;Simeon

The focus of this new thread is Morris Benjamin Simmonds c 1803-1876. Morris and his brother Coleman settled in the West Indies in St.Thomas Virgin Islands but also moved around trading to other parts of the West Indies and South America. Coleman left the West Indies circa 1861 and went to Hamburg.
Morris Benjamin Simmonds married Grace Sarah MASSIAS in St.Thomas then part of the Danish Kingdom. Grace died in 1844. The diary of Simon Hauer Simmonds ( part of the Simmonds private collection) records.." Miss Sally passed away to a better life after 8 months of illness -34 years old." She is buried in Altona Jewish Cemetery St.Thomas adjacent to her sister Esther MASSIAS ( see photographs of their tombstones on Find a Grave site).
Jewish American History.Documentation Foundation 2015 online site shows the article in the Occident and American Jewish Advocate Vol V, No 4 Tamuz 5607 July 1847 - M B Simmonds Correspondent of St.Thomas reporting on Venuzela .."Our attentative correspondent MB Simmonds of St.Thomas". In the same article reference is made to Kingston Jamaica and Daniel JACOBS as contributor to the Hebrew National School. He maybe the same Danile Jacobs who married into the Simmonds family ( I have posted on Daniel Jacobs in an earlier thread).
The records of the Harmonic Lodge No 458 St.Thomas 1836 show MBSimmonds Secretary 32 years merchant and there is an earlier 1831 record indicating that Morris was already in St.Thomas from the early 1830s or earlier- see Ars Quatuor Coronatorium W.J Songhurst (no date).
The children of Morris and Grace Sarah Massias were Henry Simmonds; Julia Eve Simmonds 1832-1866; Benjamin Massias Simmonds 1835-1835; Esther Carolina Simmonds 1839-1881 - she married Daniel Jacobs

Following the death of Grace, Morris re-married to Julie Rosson ( the only evidence of this name appears in the marriage of Morris aka Maurice Benjamin Jnr 1859-1890) in which his mother is named as Julie Rosson ( the name Roche has also appeared as her name in some family trees).
I have seen no record of this second marriage. However, there were two children born - Rebecca Albertina Simmonds b 1855 Charlotte Amilie St.Thomas and Morris Benjamin Simmonds 1859-1890 who married Marie Catherine Elisabeth ANNOUAL.

I will post further data.
Phillip

[phillip]

In the transcribed diary of Simon Hauer Simmonds of Gehaus Hamburg ( Simon with other brothers had also settled in the West Indies including St.Thomas Virgin Islands) - Simon had arrived in St.Thomas Sunday Nov 11, 1841. In his diary extracts from 1831-1876 he recorded.." My dear friend Friedchan gave birth to my first born son, who on Shabbes was circumcised by my cousin M B Simmonds and given the name Moshe Hauer Simmonds"
The 1855 Census Charlotte Amalie St.Thomas Virgin Islands ( Copyright US National Archives) shows -
MB Simmonds 52 widower Israelite b England clerk; E C Simmonds dau Israelite 16 b US ; Eugen PETIT 41 b St Thomas Israelite Merchant married; J E Petit female Israelite 24 wife; E A Petit female Israelite infant his child; B MASSIAS female 77 b Haiti widow ( she is Bathsheba Massias 1780-1866 - see Altona Jewish Cemetery 28 Nov 1866 St.Thomas Find a Grave)
1857 Census ( Copyright US National Archives)- M B Simmonds b England 54 Hebrew widower clerk; Bathsheba Massias b Haiti 79 widow; Eugene Petit b St Thomas 43 merchant; J E Petit 26 his wife b St Thomas; G A Petit 5 b St Thomas; S/ L Petit 2 b St Thomas ; E J Simmonds 18 b US.
The Occident American Jews Advocate Vol 1V 5 August 1846 St Thomas recorded the confirmation of Julia E Simmonds.
In a letter to Rabbi Leeser in Philadelphia Morris Benjamin Simmonds ( letter dated Nov 28,5615 -1853) referred to his involvement in the Jewish Community in St Thomas and in a footnote referred to .."Last year I made a tour thro'England, France, Italy and Germany-much gratified".

More to follow.
Phillip

[phillip]

The relationship between Morris Benjamin Simmonds and the Jewish Community on St.Thomas appears to have soured because in 1865 M M Nathan had written a letter to the Rabbi Leeser 17 August 1865 stating.." The notorious Mr M B Simmonds now a disciple of Colento, declines his unbelief in the Jewish scripture, avows himself a Unitarian.. what you and I and others would call a Deist, and gave proof of his being one, by refusing lately in a court of justice to be sworn on the Hebrew Bible.. He has may followers; and now refuses to pay his Synagogue Quota, assigning before the Court that he is no longer a Jew.."
In the publication Through the Sands of Time: A History of the Jewish Community of St.Thomas US Virgin Islands Judah M Cohen, 2012 Brandleis Series in American Jewish History reference was made to " Morris B Simmonds a merchant and Jewish leader in St.Thomas and Venuezela, advocated American reforms, and then mysteriously converted to Unitarianism".

There is then a gap in the records relating to Morris on St.Thomas and currently I have not identified whether or not he remained on the island or returned circa 1861 to Hamburg with his brother Coleman.
The death of Morris appears in The Jewish Victorian. Genealogical Information from the Jewish Newspapers 1871-1880 transcribed and edited by Doreen Berger, 1999 Robert Boyd Publisher
There were 2 notices acknowledging the condolences for the death of Morris-"Mr J L Simmonds and Mrs Benjamin thanks for condolences for their late brother M B Simmonds of St Thomas, West Indies- 7 Camberwell New Road Kennington Park SE 5.1.1877
"Mrs Daniel Jacobs thanks for condolences for her late beloved father, M B Simmonds of the island of St.Thomas West Indies - 4 Oxford Gardens, Notting Hill W -28.12.1876

There is the strong possibility that Morris did go to Hamburg because in the Diary record transcribed from the German of Simon Hauer Simmonds in 1876 he stated.." The day before yesterday, March 14 1876 I have buried my beloved Morris. He died Hornheim bei Dr Fessen."
Having looked carefully at the diary entry I confirmed that Hornheim was a German pyschiatric private clinic established by Dr Peter Willers JESSEN near Kiel- Peter Jessen 1793-1875. Without having access to the original diary I have speculated that Morris may have been a patient at the clinic. There is no other known Morris Simmonds who died in 1876 who is part of the Simmonds/Hauer family and the dates and name of Fessen appears too similar to Jessen.

What happened to Julie the wife of Morris is not currently known and there is no burial record for Morris.

Phillip

[phillip]

In the publication Through the Sands of Time: A History of the Jewish Community of St.Thomas US Virgin Islands Judah M Cohen, 2012 reference was made to the Villa Fairview 8a Catherineberg Charlotte Amalie St.Thomas which was the villa Morris Benjamin Simmonds had built in 1848. The villa was bought in 2011 for development but photographs can be seen online of its current appearance. Cohen in his book also described the work that Morris did in the local and wider Caribbean Jewish communities. Cohen referred to the store Simmonds had established and said.. "The books and matzah came through the main street dry goods store of Morris B Simmonds an accomplished merchant and an illustrious lay reader in synagogue and island life. First coming to public mention in 1835 as the secretary of the islands Harmonic Lodge, Simmonds eventually held positions as secretary pro tem of the Commercial Marine Insurance Coprporation and trustee of the St.Thomas Savings Bank. Three years before Wolff's Sunday school opened, Simmonds was teaching evening Hebrew classes on St.Thomas. An extensive Caribbean traveller, he was known to perform rituals occasionally in small Jewish communitiesv without a Minister. On February 8 1847 for example he circumcised David Baiz in the port town of Barcelona, Venezuela.The next year he officiated at a Jewish wedding in Caracas.. After constructing a home in 1848 he placed a marble plaque into the retaining wall that proudly displayed a Hebrew date and Hebrew verse from the start of the 127th Psalm..Though not involved in island politics.. Simmonds repeatedly made his mark in the community. Few of his fellow co-religionists could imagine a decade and a half later, his actions would also prove the prolgue to the most turbulent and difficult years in the life of the St.Thomas Jews".

Phillip

[phillip]

In # 1 and 2 of this thread I referred to Bathsheba Massias. She was the wife of Solomon Massias. He was born circa 1773 and died date unknown and place unknown. Bathsheba appears as a widow in the census records and her tombstone can be seen on FindaGrave - Bathsheba Massias relict of S B/H? Massias -1780 -27 November 1866 aged 80.
The New York Passenger Lists show that Solomon Massias with his wife; daughters Grace and Esther and granddaughter Julia Eve sailed on the Barque "Hecla" from St.Thomas Virgin Islands and arrived New York 6 July 1839- the record shows that the country of permanent residence was the USA and that the country to which they belonged was the USA- the record shows- S Massias 66 Gentleman; B Massias 53 Lady; E Massias 30 female lady; G S Simmonds 27 female lady; J E Simmonds 6 female lady.
GS Simmonds is Grace Sarah Simmonds wife of M B Simmonds; E Massias is Esther; JE Simmonds is Julia Eve.
Phillip

[phillip]

One of my Simmonds/Jacobs distant cousins has tentatively speculated that Solomon Massias may have been the son of Moses and Esther Massias. There is no current data or evidence to confirm the accuracy of this speculation. The Todd Knowles Collection of Jewish Records which also forms part of the Latter Day Saints Familysearch data base contains a record for Moses Massias and Esther de Jacob Buzaglo. This record gives no dob or death dates for Moses or Esther but does contain birth records taken from the Spanish and Portuguese Jews Congregation ( Bevis Marks Synagogue) Birth records. In the record the names of 5 children all sons are given- Jacob b 14 Sept 1768; Isaac b 20 Oct 1769; Abraham b 29 Oct 1770; Salomon b 26 Sept 1772; Isaac b 16 July 1777. The repeat of 2 sons named Isaac maybe an error or else one son died.
Associated with this record by my Jacobs/Simmonds cousin is the Will of Mos otherwise Moses Massias who died 31 May 1778. Probate proved 22 July 1778. Moses Massias was a Merchant at 63 Prescot Street Goodman's Fields. His will records his wife as Esther and sole executrix and witnesses to the will as Joshua Mendes Da Costa of Hamlet Tower of London; Aaron De Paz Prescot Street Goodman's Fields St Mary Whitechapel; Rachel Buzaglo Houndsditch spinster.
Importantly Moses in his bequest gave £50 to each of his children but did not name them. However in the annexe to the will recording its proving 3 sons are named as Jacob, Solomon and Abraham Massias who although not appearing at the proving of the will were termed .."the natural lawful and only children of the said deceased."
This will may or may not be relevant to Solomon Massias b circa 1772 the husband of Bathsheba and father of Grace and Esther Massias and further research is required.
Phillip

[phillip]

Google books snippet has the records of Orphans in the Spanish and Portuguese Jews Congregation ( London, England 1825) Laws,Regulations of Sha'are Orah Ve-avi Vetomim..List of Orphans Admitted into the Society since the year 5524-1764.
These records include the names of Jacob de Mos.Massias 1778; Solomon Massias 1781; Mos.Massias 1787.
It is possible that they maybe the young children of Mos aka Moses and Esther Massias.
Phillip

[phillip]

Abraham Massias was admitted in 1780 as an orphan to the Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Orphan Society ( established in 1703). The orphanage was established "For maintaining, clothing, housing, education and apprenticing orphans of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews Congregation". The admission of Jacob de Mos Massias in 1778; Solomon Massias 1781 and Abraham Massias 1780 suggests that these 3 maybe the young children of Mos aka Moses and Esther Massias but this remains unconfirmed.
Phillip

[kevininlondon]

Hi Phillip

Back in the game so to speak.. I have read this thread with much interest as coincidentally I have been researching the Henriques Family of Jamaica and there close connection to Mary Seacole who has been named as Britains' greatest black person.. she is as I have found out a very interesting and amazing person. The point it made me look at the Islands in a totally different light .. shall we say things were free and easy as an ex slave said when told by his minister to be faithful to his wife, his retort' but why should I when the masters have four or five! of all colours.. Sephardi Jews had been in the Islands since Columbus and they were as mixed as anyone else, I also found a tendancy in the mid 19th century for a number of Jews in the Islands to convert. On a final note Buzaglo (my brother inlaws name)is a very Moroccan Jewish name

[phillip]

If my Simmonds/Jacob cousins read this new post I would appreciate them adding any data. I have been re-looking at the Danish West Indies Probate records for Morris Benjamin Simmonds who died in 1876. There are a large number of records relating to his probate which include the names Esther Alice 1853, Isaac Theodore 1858, Haungh Rosaline 1860, Aseinath Clara 1862, Moise Maurice 1864,David Achille Petit 1865, Rebecca Albertine,Daniel Jacobs ,London,Grace Sarah Massias, Julia Roche, Julia Eve, Eugene Petit and others.
Dr Henry Morris Simmonds is also referred to in the will and as yet I have not traced him back to his father Henry.

I have posted on Dr Henry Morris Simmonds in an earlier thread.

The records are written in Danish and provide important data on our lines.