MATTHEW FREEMAN (LUSITANIA)-LAURA KIRBY

[phillip]

In #4 of this thread I posted census records on Woolf Davis and his wife Mina and suggested they maybe the parents of Leah Davis who was the mother of Matthew Friedman aka Freeman. I have yet to order the GRO Marriage Record for his parents but have noted on Cemetery Scribes records Wolf Davis (Davies) 1828-1920 ID 15558 his marriages to Mina 1825-1870 buried Deane Road Jewish Cemetery Liverpool. The children from this marriage were noted as Isaac b Poland 1851;Ann b Poland 1854; David b Leeds 1857; Leah b 1859 Liverpool.
The 2nd marriage of Woolf Davis was to Rachel Meyer 27 March 1870 Seel Street Synagogue Liverpool. Their children Abraham 1873 Liverpool;Esther 1874 Whitechapel; Nancy 1880 b Whitechapel; Lazarus 1883 b Whitechapel- Rachel Meyer is buried Plashet Cemetery 1852-1904. There is a Family Chart for the 2nd family.

Cemetery Scribes have added the Naturalisation Certificate for a Woolf DAVIES from Poland 21 May 1862 H01/105/3816 National Archives UK. However, there is Woolf DAVIS from Poland 11 Jan 1859 H01/88/2831.
Currently, there is no proof that the records relate to the right person.

In addition,the 1881 Census records a Wolf Davis 46 stationers assistant with wife Rachel 42 and children Jacob,Joseph,Elias,Abraham, Esther, Fanny and in 1891 a Woolf Davis age 60 stationery traveller coster b Germany with wife Rachel 40 and several childen and in 1901 he is 61 with wife Rachel 49 and in 1911 he is 74 widower. Further research is needed to confirm that these are all the same family because there are other Woolf Davis in London and his trade differs from earlier census records including age differences.

[phillip]

This is the GRO Marriage Certificate for David FRIEDMAN and Leah DAVIS 1880:
Princes Street Synagogue Whitechapel Middlesex
18 August 1880
DAVID FRIEDMAN 22 Bachelor Tailor 9 Gre?Dragons Yard father ISAAC FRIEDMAN -Dead

LEAH DAVIS 21 Spinster same address as groom father WOOLF DAVIS -Traveller

Witnesses
M Hyams, A.Heiser
Married according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jewish Religion

[phillip]

The Marriage address for David and Leah should read 9 Green Dragons Yard. David signed his name with a mark 'o'.

1881 Census (Copyright TNA) RG11 445 10 14 7
11 Mountford Street Whitechapel

David FREEMAN H M 21 Coat Machiner-Tailor b Poland
Leah Freeman wife 20 b Liverpool
Minnie dau 5 months b Middlesex London

GRO Birth Index
Minnie FREEDMAN S qtr 1881 Whitechapel 1c 381- Mother's Maiden name DAVIS

[phillip]

This post includes further data on Matthew Freeman aka Friedman and Laura Kirby including references to the publication The Last Voyage of the Lusitania.AA Hoehling and Mary Hoehling,Longmans,Green and Co,1957.

In the publication reference is made in the Acknowledgements to the survivors of the Lusitania 'for their devoted assistance'. These include Matthew Freeman. The book contains 4 citations to Matthew Freeman Pp 93,110,113,130.The first reference includes the account of Mme de Page a Belgian woman who had 'just finished bandaging the hand of a man who had hurt himself while helping the crew lower the boats: Matt Freeman , amateur lightweight boxing champion of England".
Page 110 .."Matt Freeman, the British boxing champion, was in a hurry to get off,once his hand had been treated by Marie de Page. He ran to the stern, now the highest part of the ship. When he looked down, he wondered if it weren't a bit too high. Being an athlete in peak trim, he had full confidence. He climbed onto the railing and dived.He struck the side of a floating lifeboat. The blow opened a deep gash in his head and he could feel blood ooze, even under water. But it had not knocked him out and he began to swim".
"One of them, Matt Freeman, still dazed from striking his head on the lifeboat, was engaged in a macabre life or death struggle against five other men for finger room on a small keg. Just before he had found the keg he had been submerged, a second time by a man who had grabbed him "eyes bulging with fear". The athlete had become faint with the effort to stay afloat. No match for the clawing mass of terrified men, he slipped away from the keg. He seized a passing deck chair and finally reached an upturned life boat to which a dozen people already clung. In the hours that followed many dropped off. Half conscious himself, he was aware that " ten of them died beside me there in the water".

The Miami News Thursday May 8,1952 gives an account of Matthew Freemnan settling in Miami with his photograph and a description of his survival from the Lusitania sinking. As previously posted the 1947 Passenger records show Matthew Freeman 52 clothier and Laura Kirby 42 caterer on the Queen Mary Departing England 4 Dec 1947 for New York.
The 1950 New York Census shows Matthew Freeman 54 b England Married and Laura Freeman 42 b England No occupations recorded.
The records suggest a possible marriage between 1947-1950 in New York but currently no record has been identified.

[phillip]

I have written an article on Matthew Freeman for Cemetery Scribes Blog. This article includes a range of data including newspaper accounts which have his photograph taken in the 1930s and 1950s.
Currently, there has been no mention in any publications I have read regarding his Jewish roots and I have sought to redress this with my article and posts on BG Forum Jewish roots.