DAVID JACOBS AKA LETSON c1726-1809

[phillip]

This new thread links to a much earlier main thread started some years ago on the Jacobs glass and china dealers. The thread should also be looked with reference to the major data base of records on the Jacobs Tree website which has been developed over several years by one of my Jacobs cousins.
The focus of this new thread derives from very recent contact with another Jacobs cousin who has begun to research possible new data which might reveal further information on the origins of our Jacobs aka Letson aka Litzen aka Litsin ( there are other derivations of the last name).
As an initial summary, the ancestry of the current known Jacobs/Litzen/Letson begins with Jacob Litzin father of David Jacobs b Coppel Letson.
The Jacobs Tree website provides a range of data on David Jacobs c1726-1809 including his burial record in 1809 and that of his wife Jane -these records can be seen on the Cemetery Scribes and Synagogue Scribes websites.
The known children of David Jacobs are: Henry 1768-1865; Philip 1777-1845; Elizabeth; Jacob aka John.
Cemetery Scribes has data on the above. The burial record for Jane Jacobs in 1807 records her as the wife of David Jacobs (David b Coppel Letson).
Currently, myself and some of my Jacobs cousins are reviewing records on the major genealogy webite Center for Jewish History. Digital Collections Leo Baek Institute New York with specific reference to the Ele Toldot ( Burial Records of the Jewish Community of Frankfurt am Main 1241-1824 transcribed by Shlomo Ettinger.
This data base is "A collection of transcriptions of genealogical records of the Jewish Community of Frankfurt am Main, made by the lawyer and genealogist Shlomo Ettinger from originals in the Stadarchiv Frankfurt am Main. The material is divided into three parts, containing lists of the Jews of Franfurt by date of death, along with biographical information, men by surname, women by first name and supplementary list of baptised Jews and miscellaneous data" (32 Volumes).
This data is written in German and Hebrew so requires careful translation.
Researchers who have German Jewish ancestry would be advised to look at Ele Toldot but also at the range of other data bases on the Center for Jewish History because there are hundreds of family names including some where researchers have provided major genealogical information on lines.
I will post data from Ele Toldot which has the Litsen/Lutzen/Leutzin surnames.
There is no specific evidence which identifies that David Jacobs aka Letson and his father Jacob lived or originated from Frankfurt am Main so our research is a work in progress. However, what is important is that the Ele Toldot data does include several individuals who had a last name of Litzen and other derivations. We also know from the UK Criminal Records for David Jacobs that he was described as coming from Germany ( the use of the term Germany however can include the Polish Empire and more generic areas at the time of his birth c1726). We also know that Litzen is a place name which might indicate an origin for the Jacobs roots.
I will post further data taken from Ele Toldot on the Litsen et al name.
Phillip

[phillip]

This post provides data on the Litzen/Litsin et al surname from the Ele Toldot records. The data has not been translated from the German/Hebrew but references to Meresburg, Tiefenbach, Bingen are place names.
The records refer to Deaths but can be cross referenced to other individuals.
LITSEN-HO4157
nennt einen 'Zissel Litsin' zu Bingen, HO5048 einen 'Smul Lajtsen' aus Tiefenbach,den aber die zugehrige sk.Stelle 581=6 gleichfalls Litsen screibt 'Litsen' ist also ein Ortname,aber welcher Vielleicht ist Lutzen sudostlich von Mereburg gemeint.
Das Totu 9s20.5.1823) ?Leitzin..Mort das Ro..nicht
Zissel Litsen Litsen Bingen ?/29/1804
Samuel Mo? Leitzin Lentzin 12/ 1808

Nb The records have been typed using a manual typewriter and it is difficult to read some of the data.
Bejle Libman 29.X11.1804 HO4157 die alte Bejle bat hmnw Zissel Litsen mi-Bing starb.27 Tewet 565 Hebrew .. sk.565=4:die alt Bejle eKussel Libman mi Bing
Starb.27 Tewet 565 Hause:- Vater:Zissel Litsen zu Bingen Mutter:- Sie Heir. Kussel Libman zu Bingen
Bmkg:'Litsen', Kommt alse Nachname vor bei Brajnl=4.1.1821
Breimle(Brajnle)LEUTZIN Starb 4.1.1821:HO5048:die alte Brajnle e Smul Lajtsir Z l aus Tif nbah
Starb r"h" Sewat 581
sk:581=6...e Smul Litsen z"l aus Tifenbah Int:bl:Breinle Leutzin geb Beer Wive;aus Tiefenbcah, 60 J alst starb 4.1.1821
Geboren: 1760/61
Sie heir Smul, gennant Litsen 9 so ak.568=4)b Moses Tiefenbach der am 12.11.1808 Bmkg: Litsen kommt als Zusatzname auch vor bei Bejle=29.X11.1804

There are earlier records which include the last name Litsen.
Phillip

[phillip]

Several years ago I read and posted some data on the important papers written by Samuel Kurinsky on the history of Jewish Glassmaking. These papers can be seen online as part of the Hebrew History Federation Fact Papers- see among the papers Glassmaking: A Jewish tradition Part V:England attains an industry Fact Paper 6-V Samuel Kurinsky.
In this paper Kurinsky states.." The names of the 'noble'glass making families, have nebulous Germanic roots, but are remarkably epoymous to sites along the route of the Jews from Khazaria to Transylvania. The Judaic practice of assuming the name of atown or region from which they stemmed allows us to trace migratory route with near perfect precision".
Kurinsky in his papers records numbers of Sephardic and Ashkenazi families of glass makers who settled in various parts of Europe including England.
In the case of the Jacobs aka Letson/ Litsen/Litzen family it is likely that their roots are around the Litzen region in Germany but this remains unproven.
The Old Bailey online tria records show that in 1801 David Jacobs aka Letson/Litzen was described by his son Henry Jacobs ( my 4x great grandfather) as "He is in my own trade and will come in sometimes and break a quantity of glass". Henry owned a glass shop in Petticoat Lane and said he was a glass cutter and engraver. The indication from the trial and Criminal records is that David Jacobs my 5x great grandfather was involved in the glass trade and came from Germany to the UK as part of the development of the glass industry in the UK. Currently, we need more data if it exists to confirm the precise origin of the family but Germany and the town/region of Lietzen is likely to be our best bet.
Phillip

[gerrynuk]

Thanks for posting this, Phillip. Further progress on this research, is, I believe, dependent on obtaining a reliable translation of the relevant pages from the Ele Toldot. As you say, the pages are a mixture of German and Hebrew but also use many abbreviations that are not obvious to non-German/Hebrew speakers. If anyone feels able to assist with a translation I attach the two pages of greatest interest.

[phillip]

As a follow up to the posts made by myself and Gerry here is relevant data to the Zissel Litzin and Samuel Leitzin records contained in Ele Toldot. Very many thanks to Rabbi Sholmo Katanka a Jacobs cousin who kindly provided new data on the Litzin.
Shlomo consulted the Hebrew book Avnei Zikaron of Rabbi Marcus Horowitz (Frankfurt am Main 1901). This source contained the text of all the then legible tomstone inscriptions in the old Jewish Cemetery in Frankfurt which was destroyed in part by the Nazis.
Inscription 4157- The elderly woman Mrs Beyla daughter of the deceased teacher Zissel LITZIN from Bing deceased the day of holy Sabbath 27th Teveth and buried the next day Sunday 28th Teveth 5555 MHDSRIP

She actually died Saturday 17 January 1795 according to Shlomo.
No 5048
Here lies the elderly woman Mrs Bryndla wife of Mr Shmuel LEITZEN of blessed memory from Tiefenbach died Thursday New Moon of Shevat and buried Friday and ditto 5581
MHDSRIP

Shlomo suggests from the data that Litzen means hailing from Lutzen in Saxony-Anhalt. The Encyclopaedia Judaica states that all people with the last name Bing or Bingen are originally from the town of Bingen in Hessen Germany who's Jews were banished in 1507. The Bing/Bingen ten families who were not related moved to Frankfurt over a period of time by 1530 among other Jewish families.

This data provided further scope for research.
Phillip

[phillip]

JewishGen Germany Data base has LIETZEN individual names recorded among Citizenship and cemetery records:
West Prussia 1812 Citizenship record- Wittwe Anna Lewin LIETZEN -Preuss Stargadt and in Polish Stargard Gdanski
Worldwide Burial Register
Grave no 665 Grindelfriedhof Hamburg Simon LEITZEN 19 Feb 1803-Mother Chajim
NN LEITZEN 10 August 1774 -5534 03 Elul
father/mother Katriel Plot 288 rechts von Samson Syn.Sanger 21,286
Cemetery Junggeselle Grindelfriedhof Hamburg
Nb There is additional data on the 2 Cemetery records written in German which I have not posted on.
Phillip
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[lPeinado]

Hello Phillip, I have found on Ancestry, references to the fagther od David Jacobs/Lietzen (1726) being:
Peter Lützen 1675–1756
Birth 1675 • Ellhöft, Süderlügum, Nordfriesland, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Any information from your side to whether this may be correct?

[phillip]

Good to hear from you Lucrecia.

The Jacobstree website has the Synagogue Scribes Death Record for David Jacobs- GSBUR 177/1257 -31 Jan 1809 family name Jacobs? Hebrew name David father's Hebrew name JACOB LITZIN.
See also Cemetery Scribes ID 11030 David Jacobs b Coppel Letson

First names such as Peter do not feature among our lines to my knowledge.

Our Jacobs/Letson/Litzin are all Jewish so any records relating to Baptisms unless proved by other records which show conversion to Christian faith are highly suspect.

The first name Jacob runs through some of our main Jacobs/Letson/Litzin lines which based on Ashkenazi naming tradition .."In Ashkenazi tradition,providing the grandparents are dead, the first son is given the name of the paternal grandfather and the second that of the maternal grandfather".-My Ancestors were Jewish. Dr Anthony Joseph Society of Genealogists Enterprises Ltd 3rd Ed 2002

Phillip

[lPeinado]

Many many thanks Phillip, it is good to be in touch again. I had concentrated a while investigating another branch (not Jacobs) of my ancestors that is why I have been out of the loop.

Your explanation use of names (Peter) in our lines and the Ashkenazi tradition clarified my doubt. As well as the fact that the person I was asking for was Christian not Jewish... I appreciate your support very much