BENJAMIN COHEN-RACHEL SHANNON

[phillip]

Leah Moses nee Shannon is buried in the West Ham Jewish Cemetery which was founded as part of the Great and New Synagogue. She is not buried in the Novo Cemetery (Sephardic). The record can be seen on JewishGen burial records and the United Synagogue Burial records- Leah Moses burial 10.12.1867 P.M H7.
A photograph of her tombstone can be seen on the JewishGen burial records where her husband is named as Abraham Moses.
Her death was recorded in the Jewish Chronicle LEAH MOSES death 6.12.1867 at her residence 68 Russell Square beloved wife of Abraham Moses aged 72.
Nb Abraham Moses burial does not appear on the Bevis Marks burials.

If Leah Shannon was a Sephardi why was she not buried in the Novo cemetery and similarly Abraham? More research on their roots is needed.

[phillip]

This appears to be the burial record for Abraham Moses- West Ham Jewish Cemetery 2 March 1873 Misc.1 63.
See #11 regarding burial of Leah in the same cemetery.
Key question- if both of them were Sephardim why were they not buried in the Novo Cemeter.

[RaphaelOz]

Hi Phillip,
Thank you for your thorough research into Leah - I really appreciate it and you've arrived very quickly at the core issue - Leah's parents and the primary sources.
Leah's maiden name was Shannon, as you have noted - her maiden name is referenced on her daughter Julia's death certificate which listed her mother as Leah (nee Shannon). Leah married an Ashkenazi Jew - Abraham Moses. Both were eventually "Privileged" members of the Great Synagogue on their return to London. Leah was definitely from the Sephardic Shannon family (Abraham was an extremely religious man and would not have married outside of the faith). We cannot find a record of their marriage in any London Ashkenazi synagogue. We believe a number of critical records were destroyed in the fire of the Great Synagogue during WWII. Newspaper records indicate that there was an employment relationship between Abraham Moses and Samuel Shannon (newspaper records show this). Samuel's father "Jacob" is referenced on his death certificate Israel Shannon was also in the same small town in regional NSW, Australia. The fact that Samuel was a former convict with a history of bank note forgery, employed by Leah Shannon's husband when he knew full well Samuel's background, indicates their was likely a family connection here.
What is interesting is that on the passenger ship records for the Palambam, the ship that took Abraham and Leah Moses to Sydney, Abraham's wife is listed is listed as Sarah Moses (not Leah Moses). They also had a daughter named Sarah which may have thrown whoever was taking those names - any eearly typo!
We also know there was a Sarah Shannon born to Abraham and Judith Shannon in the BM records which corresponds with the time many have speculated was Leah's birth year (1795). Can you see this reference in your BM births list to any "Leah" in this Sarah Shannon's name? Perhaps this is an explanation - she was not Jacob's daughter after all, but Abraham and Judith's. Changing one's given name though seems unusual.
Thank you very much for isolating their graves too - we have recently found these as well. The inscriptions on them may also be telling - particularly if her father/family are referenced on the inscription. We'll have a closer look.
Thanks again for your all your help, Raph

[phillip]

Hi Ralph
As you say the Great Synagogue London was destroyed WW2 and the marriage records published date from 1791.
The record for the birth of a Sarah Moses reads parents Abraham/Judith 29 Ad 5555 19 March 1795. I can't see any reference to Leah.

[RaphaelOz]

Thanks again Phillip.
Will let you know if we find anything on Leah's grave inscription to indicate her parentage.

[phillip]

Hi Ralph
From my transcription of Will extracts see Synagogue Scribes NA 2362 Azuly 1818 and NA 1338 Jacob Israel you will see reference to Abraham and Judith Shannon. Abraham was an apothecary.
More wills are being added.
I forgot to say that there maybe family trees held by the Society of Genealogists London and at the JGSGB library on the lines. Did you also look on the Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal index up to 2010 for Shannon references.

[RaphaelOz]

Hi Phillip - thanks again these are an invaluable resource. I saw the Azuly will extract but for some reason I could not locate the NA 1338 Jacob Israel extract. Has this been added online yet do you know?
We have checked the Australian Jewish Historical Society - all references too.
Have not yet tried the Society of Genealogists London yet. Thanks for that suggestion.

[RaphaelOz]

One thing I also forgot - I saw a reference you provided on another thread to Minkey Moses' will which also references the Shannons (Abraham and Judith as well as others). Is this Minkey Moses related to Abraham Moses do you know?
We are of the opinion there was a strong connection between the Shannon/Moses (as well as the Hyams family) families in Australia which also may go some way to providing background for the marriage between Abraham Moses (Ashkenazi) and Leah Shannon (a Sephardi).

[phillip]

Hi Ralph
First of all NA 1338 should be Jacob Israel Brandon. I don't know enough about Minkey and Frances Moses further relations. However, I also have Moses relatives through the marriage of Rosa Hart to Henry Moses- see thread Henry Moses-Rosa Hart started 2012 and associated threads. Rosa is a daughter of Benjamin Hart my 4x great grandfather. Again, I know nothing about Henry Moses in terms of parents/siblings but do have a lot of data on their son Alfred plus other children and Rosa's siblings.

You can see that Minkey and Frances Moses had various relationships to my Simmons/Simmonds relatives as per my threads.
I am researching constantly and discovering family relationships via the will extracts I am writing so it would be useful to check updates on Synagogue Scribes- use the key word search for checking names/addresses they often throw up further relationships.

[RaphaelOz]

Thanks again for your help with this Phillip. Will keep checking.