Harris Rosenberg (1830 - 1897)

Harris Rosenberg is my maternal 3x great grandfather. Rosenberg family tree Here

Parents: Samuel Rosenberg (? - bef 1882) and Leah (? - bef 1885)

Born: 1830 in Valkevish, Suwalki Province, Russia (now Vilkaviškis in south-western Lithuania)

Hebrew name: Tzvi (Hirsh), son of Shmuel

Migration: Harris came to England with his family some time between 1872 and 1877 (age 42 to 47)

Married: Toby in Russia some time before 1856

Children

Their first child was born in 1856 when Harris was 26 and Toby 25. Their last child was born in 1872 when Harris was 42 and Toby 45

• Minnie Rosenberg 1856 - 1929
• Rose Rosenberg 1866 - ?
• Rachael Rosenberg 1872 - ?

On his 1892 naturalization certificate it is stated that he has four children

Occupation: Grocer and baker, in partnership with his son-in-law, Asher Baum

Census details
1881
The family is at 5 Fernie St., Manchester, England. Harris is a grocer, age 51 and Toby is listed as 50 but was actually 54. The children, all born in Poland Russia, are given as Minnie age 23, Rose age 15 and Rachael age 9. The family shared the house with Harris's married daughter Minnie Baum (Nee Rosenberg) and her husband Asher Baum and their two children Annie age 3 and Jane age 1

1891
The family is still at 5 Fernie St., Manchester, England. Harris is still a grocer, age 61 and Toby is now 64. Living with them is their son-in-law Sam Levy age 20, a grocer and his wife Rachael Levy (Nee Rosenberg) age 19. The two eldest children, Minnie and Rose, are no longer living at home

Naturalization

Harris Rosenberg became a naturalized British subject on 14 March 1892

Harris Rosenberg naturalization certificate 14 March 1892, p. 1

Harris Rosenberg naturalization certificate 14 March 1892, p. 2

Harris Rosenberg naturalization notice 14 March 1892. The London Gazette, 1 April 1892, p. 1934

Death
21 July 1897 at 20 Whitfield Street, Cheetham, Manchester, England at 67 years of age. Buried in the Urmston Jewish Cemetery, Urmston, Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England

Death certificate for Harris Rosenberg. Cause of death was cancer of the stomach. Present at the death was his grandson Abraham Rosenberg (Abraham Rosenberg [1874 - 1944] was actually his great nephew!)

Tombstone for Harris Rosenberg. His age is given as 67 years. Tzvi, son of Shmuel. "Departed from his wife and children. R.I.P."

Will

Last will and testament of Harris Rosenberg dated 20 July 1897. His executors are his son-in-law Asher Baum and his nephew Moses Rosenberg. His share of the grocery business jointly owned by him and Asher is given to his son-in-law and everything else to his wife Tolbe.

Probate

Harris Rosenberg Probate 28 August 1914. He left a will and the value of his estate was £91 gross. It is not known why it took 17 years to be proved. The administration of the estate was granted to his son-in-law Asher Baum and his nephew Moses Rosenberg

Place of Birth

Harris Rosenberg was born Vilkaviškis in south-western Lithuania

It is a city in southwestern Lithuania. It is located 25 km (16 mi) northwest from Marijampolė, on a bank of Šeimena River. The city got its name from the Vilkauja River, a tributary to Šeimena. Until 1941 the city had a large Jewish Community which was annihilated by the Nazis and their local collaborators. The whole Jewish population was killed in a single day after the entry of the Germans into the city.

The town was granted city rights in 1670 by the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, Jan Kazimierz, which was one of the first times such privileges were granted to a place in Lithuania. The coat of arms of the town was most likely borrowed from the Pac family, as the owner of the village at the time, Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac, was also the Chancellor of Lithuania.

It remained in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1795 when, in the First Partition of Poland it became part of Kingdom of Prussia (the region in which the town is located was split between Prussia and Russia) until 1807. At this time the town was incorporated into the Duchy of Warsaw and merged into the Białystok region. After Napoleon's defeat in 1815 the region switched hands again and became part of Russia, and then Congress Poland, as part of the Augustów, and later Suwałki, district.

According to tradition, Jews were living in this area in the 14th century and a synagogue was built at the beginning of the 16th. By the 19th century a flourishing Jewish community had developed. Between 1823 and 1862 no new Jews were permitted to settle in Vilkaviškis, which was near the border with Germany, under the czarist legislation restricting Jewish settlement in border towns. Nevertheless, the community numbered 4,417 in 1856 (as against 834 Christians), 3,480 in 1897 (60% of the total population), 3,206 in 1923 (44%), and 3,609 in 1939 (45%). The majority were occupied in commerce and crafts. Some derived their livelihood from agriculture and garden plots close to the town. The sizable brushmaking industry in Vilkaviškis was predominantly Jewish and employed hundreds of Jewish workers.

Synagogue in Vilkaviškis

Residences

The building at 5 Fernie Street, Manchester, where Harris and his family lived appears to be no longer in existence. 

Harris was living at 20 Whitfield Street, Cheetham Hill, Manchester at the time of his death. It appears to be a light industrial area today. It is hard to tell if the building itself has survived.

Minnie Rosenberg (1856 - 1929)

Minnie Rosenberg is my maternal 2x great grandmother. On her eldests daughter's birth certificate her name is given as Yetta. Baum family tree Here. Rosenberg family tree Here

Parents: Harris Rosenberg and Toby (Taube)

Born: October 1856 in Kovno, Russian Empire, now Kaunas, Lithuania

Hebrew name: Ita Michla daughter of Tzvi (Hirsh)

Migration: Minnie came with her family to England as a teenager sometime between 1872 and 1876 (age 16 to 20 years)

Married: Asher Baum on 3 January 1877 in Prestwich, Manchester, England. Minnie was 20 and Asher was 21

Asher Baum and Minnie Rosenberg marriage certificate on 3 January 1877 at the great synagogue in the district of Prestwich, Manchester, England. Both Asher and Minnie are listed as residing in 4 Faulk Street, Cheetham, presumably with with her parents. His occupation is listed as a macintosh maker and hers as a cap maker. He is 21 and she is 20

Children

Their first child was born in 1878 when Asher was 23 and Minnie 21. Their last child was born in 1899 when Asher was 44 and Minnie 42

• Hannah Baum 1878 - 1938
• Jeanne (Jane) Baum 1879 - 1964
• Samuel Baum 1881 - 1884
• Leah Baum 1884 - 1884
• Rebecca Baum 1887 - 1887
• Fanny Baum 1885 - 1950
• Abraham (Abe) Baum 1889 - 1944
• Rachel (Raie) Baum 1889 - 1973
• Harris Marcus (Harold) 1899 - 1904

Abraham and Rachel werte twins. In the 1911 census it is recorded that Asher and Minnie had a total of 9 children born alive and that five were still living

Census details
1881
The family is at 5 Fernie St., Manchester, England. Asher is a grocer, age 28 and Minnie is 23. The children, all born in England, are given as Annie age 3 and Jane age 1. The family lived in the house of Minnie's parents, Harris Rosenberg, age 51, from Poland, also a grocer, his wife Toby, age 50, born in Poland and their two younger Polish born children, Rose, age 15 and Rachael, age 9

1891
The family is at 46 Lord Street, Cheetham Hill, Prestwich, Manchester and Asher is a provision dealer age 36. Minnie is 32 and her place of birth is listed as Poland, Annie is 13, Jane is 10, Fanny is 5 and both Abraham and Rachel are 1. They have two servants, Sarah Markus age 19 from Russia and Ellen Brown age 21 from Ireland

1901
The family is still at 46 Lord Street, Cheetham Hill, Prestwich, Manchester. Asher is still a grocer / baker / shopkeeper and both he and Minnie are now naturalised British subjects. Living with them is Jane age 20, Fanny age 15, Abraham, age 11, Rachel age 11 and Harold age 1

1911
The family is still at 46 Lord Street, Cheetham Hill, Prestwich, Manchester and Asher is still a grocer, age 56. Minnie is age 54 with her place of birth listed as Valkevish, Russia (now Vilkaviškis in south-western Lithuania); Fanny age 25, Rachael age 21 and Abraham age 21 (who has signed the document)

1921
The family is still at 46 Lord Street, Cheetham, Manchester. Minnie is now a widow, age 64 years and 8 months with her place of birth listed as Kovno, Russia, (now Kaunas, Lithuania). She is running the grocery business. Fanny is age 36, single and also working in the grocery store as is Rachael (spelt Raie) age 31. Abe A Baum is age 31 and is a woolen cloth merchant. The house has five rooms. The census was conducted on the 19th June 1921 which gives Minnie's date of birth as approximately October 1856

Death
14 February 1929 in Salford, Manchester, England at 72 years of age. Buried in the Urmston Jewish Cemetery, Urmston, Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England

Death certificate for Minnie Baum. Cause of death was cardiac failure, bronchitis and influenza. Present at her death was her son-in-law Abraham Goorney

Tombstone for Minnie Baum (Nee Rosenberg). Her age is given as 72 years. "A beautiful memory left behind". Hebrew translation "Here lies our dear and pleasant mother Ita Michla daughter of the late Mr. Zvi, remembered for her deeds which remain after her, firm in her paths and shining in her words, 72 years old, she departed to the sorrow of her son and her daughters on the fourth day of First Adar 5689. Abbreviation: May her soul be bound up in the bond of life."

Probate

Minnie Baum (Nee Rosenberg) Probate 6 June 1930. At the time of her death she was residing at 428 Great Cheetham Street in Salford, Manchester. She died intestate and her beneficiaries were her two daughters, Fanny Goorney and Hannah Levin. The value of her estate was £831-1-3 gross and £683-7-1 net

Pictures

Minnie Baum (Nee Rosenberg)

Asher and Minnie Baum (Nee Rosenberg) in Manchester around 1893 with their children. Left to Right, Rachel Baum, Asher Baum (seated), Hannah Baum (standing), Fanny Baum, Minnie Baum (seated), Jeanne Baum (standing), Abraham Baum

Documents

A letter on the company letterhead to the Ministry of Labour dated 15 December 1918 in which Minnie vouches that her son Abraham is an employee: "was in my employment before August 1914, and that I am prepared to offer him employment as - Baker, to manage the whole business immediately on his return to civil life."

Place of Birth

Minnie Rosenberg was born Kaunas in Lithuania

KAUNAS is situated at the confluence of the rivers Viliya and Neman. Formerly in Poland-Lithuania, it passed to Russia in 1795, was occupied by Germany in World War I (1915–18), and became capital of the independent Lithuanian Republic from 1920 to 1939. In World War II it was under Soviet rule from June 1940 to June 1941 and subsequently under Nazi occupation to July 1944. 

Jews took part in the trade between Kaunas and Danzig in the 16th century. Their competition aroused opposition from the Christian merchants, and through their influence Jews were prohibited from Kaunas on numerous occasions. However, the ban was not strictly enforced, and gradually a small group of Jews settled in Kaunas. The ban was renewed in 1682, and Jews were not permitted to settle in Kaunas and engage in trade until the 18th century when they were permitted to reside in two streets. In 1753 they were expelled from land belonging to the municipality. The Jews were again expelled in 1761, when there were anti-Jewish riots. They found refuge in the suburb of *Slobodka (Vilijampole) on the other side of the River Viliya, where a Jewish settlement had existed long before that of Kaunas. In 1782 the expelled Jews were permitted to return to Kaunas.

After the partition of Poland in 1795 Kaunas became part of Russia. In 1797 the Christians in Kaunas again demanded the expulsion of the Jews, but the authorities in 1798 ordered that they should be left alone, and not be prevented from engaging in commerce and crafts. Restrictions on Jewish settlement there were again introduced in 1845 but abolished in 1858. The Jewish population increased as the town expanded. There were 2,013 Jews living in Kovno (Kaunas) and Slobodka in 1847; 16,540 in 1864; 25,441 in 1897 (30% of the total population); and 32,628 in 1908 (40%).

From the second half of the 19th century, Kovno became a center of Jewish cultural activity in Lithuania. Prominent there were Isaac Elhanan Spektor (the "Kovner Rav,"; officiated 1864–96), Abraham Mapu, one of the first modern Hebrew writers, and the literary critic Ba'al Makhshoves (Israel Isidor Elyashev). The yeshivot of Slobodka became celebrated, in particular the Or Ḥayyim yeshivah, founded by Ẓevi Levitan about 1863, which attracted students from other countries. It was headed by noted scholars. Nathan Ẓevi Finkel introduced*musar ideals there; from 1881 it was known as the Slobodka yeshivah. Subsequently there was opposition among the students to the musar method, and in 1897 the yeshivah was divided into two: the followers of musar established the Knesset Israel yeshivah, named after Israel Lipkin (Salanter), while its opponents founded the Knesset Bet Yiẓḥak yeshivah, named after Isaac Elhanan Spektor. In May 1869 a conference was convened at Kovno to help Jewish refugees from northwestern Russia where the failure of the crops had led to famine and an outbreak of typhus. Another was held in November 1909 to work out a proposal for a law to establish Jewish community councils in Russia. The Kovno community maintained numerous ḥadarim, schools, and libraries. It returned Jewish deputies to the first and second *Duma (L. Bramson and Sh. Abramson). The Jews in Kovno underwent many vicissitudes during World War I. In May 1915 an edict was issued by the czarist government expelling the Jews from the entire province. When later the city was occupied by the Germans, about 9,000 Jews returned, and communal life was revived with the help of Jews in Germany. Many who had been expelled to the Russian interior returned after the 1917 Revolution.

Residences

The building Minnie and her family occupied at 46 Lord Street, Cheetham, Manchester no longer appears to exist. The building at 5 Fernie Street is also no longer in existence

428 Great Cheetham Street in Salford, Manchester where Minnie died in 1929.

Asher Baum (1855 - 1917)

Asher Baum is my maternal 2x great grandfather. Baum family tree Here

Parents: Mark Baum

Born: 1855 in Vorne, Russia (now Varniai in the Telz district of Lithuania). However his age, as stated on his tombstone, suggests he may have been born as late as 1857

Hebrew name: Asher Zelig, son of Mordechai Gershon. Asher in Hebrew and Zelig in Yiddish both mean “happy”

Migration: Asher came to England as a young man sometime before 1877 (before the age of 22). It appears that he came without his family, and probably left Russia to evade military service

Married: Minnie Rosenberg on 3 January 1877 in Prestwich, Manchester, England. Asher was 21 and Minnie was 20

Asher Baum and Minnie Rosenberg marriage certificate on 3 January 1877 at the great synagogue in the district of Prestwich, Manchester, England. Both Asher and Minnie are listed as residing in 4 Faulk Street, Cheetham, presumably with with her parents. His occupation is listed as a macintosh maker and hers as a cap maker. He is 21 and she is 20

Children

Their first child was born in 1878 when Asher was 23 and Minnie 21. Their last child was born in 1899 when Asher was 44 and Minnie 42

• Hannah Baum 1878 - 1938
• Jeanne (Jane) Baum 1879 - 1964
• Samuel Baum 1881 - 1884
• Leah Baum 1884 - 1884
• Rebecca Baum 1887 - 1887
• Fanny Baum 1885 - 1950
• Abraham (Abe) Baum 1889 - 1944
• Rachel (Raie) Baum 1889 - 1973
• Harris Marcus (Harold) 1899 - 1904
Abraham and Rachel were twins. In the 1911 census it is recorded that Asher and Minnie had a total of 9 children born alive and that five were still living

Occupation: Mackintosh maker, grocer, butcher, provision dealer, shopkeeper. His grocery shop was a business partnership with his father-in-law, Harris Rosenberg until Harris's death in 1897

Census details
1881
The family is at 5 Fernie St., Manchester, England. He is a grocer, age 28 and Minnie is 23. The children, all born in England, are given as Annie age 3 and Jane age 1. The family shared the house with Minnie's father, Harris Rosenberg, age 51, from Poland, also a grocer, his wife Toby, age 50, born in Poland and their 2 younger Polish born children, Rose, age 15 and Rachael, age 9

1891
The family is at 46 Lord Street, Cheetham Hill, Prestwich, Manchester and Asher is a provision dealer age 36. Minnie is 32, Annie is 13, Jane is 10, Fanny is 5 and both Abraham and Rachel are 1. They have two servants, Sarah Markus age 19 from Russia and Ellen Brown age 21 from Ireland

1901
The family is still at 46 Lord Street, Cheetham Hill, Prestwich, Manchester. Asher is still a grocer / baker / shop keeper. He is listed as born around 1856. Both he and Minnie are now naturalised British subjects. Living with them is Jane age 20, Fanny age 15, Abraham, age 11, Rachel age 11 and Harold age 1

1911
The family is still at 46 Lord Street, Cheetham Hill, Prestwich, Manchester and Asher is still a grocer, age 56. Minnie is age 54, Fanny age 25, Rachael age 21 and Abraham age 21 (who has signed the document)

Naturalization

Asher Baum became a naturalized British subject on 22 December 1886

Asher Baum naturalization certificate 22 December 1886 p. 1

Asher Baum naturalization certificate 22 December 1886 p. 2

Asher Baum naturalization notice 22 December 1886. The London Gazette, 1 February 1887, p. 535

Death
10 December 1917 in Prestwich, Manchester, England at 64 years of age. Buried in the Urmston Jewish Cemetery, Urmston, Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester, England

Death certificate for Asher Baum. Cause of death is given as diabetes chronic Brights disease and cardiac failure. Present at the death was his daughter Rachel Baum

Tombstone for Asher Baum. Erected in loving memory of Asher Baum who died Kislev 26th 5678 DEC 10th 1917 aged 64 years. Deeply mourned by his wife and children. M.H.D.S.R.I.P.

Hebrew translation: the laudatory text beneath the curved line that records his name is in the form of an acrostic אשר זעליג – each line begins with the next slightly-enlarged letter forming his name over 8 lines of text. 

"Here [lies] buried / our dear and reputable father, he was Asher Zelig (אשר זעליג) son of Mordechai Gershon / a man esteemed, princely and noble / his name praised at the gates / his advice guided by righteousness and straight paths / his good memory will be [recalled] for generations to come / he lives on in the revered heavens / he feared no man, save God alone / days and nights early unto the synagogue [abbreviation for name thereof?] / the Garden of Eden shall be your residence for, aagh, / suddenly death plucked him at age 64 of his life / 26th Kislev 5678, the living God collected his spirit / may his soul be bound in the bond of [eternal] life."

The Hebrew date matches the civil date recorded as December 10th 1917, after sunset and before midnight.

Probate

Asher Baum Probate 18 January 1918. He died Intestate and his beneficiary was his wife, Minnie Baum. The value of his estate was £845-6-11 gross and £305-11-6 net

Pictures

Asher Baum

Asher and Minnie Baum (Nee Rosenberg) in Manchester around 1893 with their children. Left to Right, Rachel Baum, Asher Baum (seated), Hannah Baum (standing), Fanny Baum, Minnie Baum (seated), Jeanne Baum (standing), Abraham Baum

Documents

Asher Baum rates assessment 1885. Note he is not the owner of the property

Asher Baum becomes the sole partner in the Cheetham Rubber Company. The London Gazette, 24 June 1890, p. 3539

In 1894 Asher Baum was listed as a Baker, grocer and provision dealer in Harfield's Commercial Directory of the Jews of the United Kingdom

Asher Baum bankruptcy receiving order. The London Gazette, 26 September 1916, p. 9398

Asher Baum bankruptcy is annulled. The Edinburgh Gazette, 20 March 1917, p. 613

Place of Birth

Asher Baum was born in Varniai in the Telz district of Lithuania

It was established in the 14th century, on the bank of the Varnelė River, near an important Samogitian castle. It was the center of Samogitian Catholic church: after the baptism of Samogitia, the Samogitian Bishop resided in the town. Around 1414–1416 the first church was built, and c. 1464 the first cathedral. Varniai was the center of Samogitian episcopate until the middle of the 19th century, when authorities of the Russian Empire moved it to Kaunas.

The first Jews probably settled in Vorne in the second half of the seventeenth century. The bishop granted rights to a few Jews to run taverns, sell liquor and collect taxes during the fairs. Later, peddlers, merchants and artisans arrived in town. Jews, provided the majority of tradesmen, including tailors. Their workshops were small and run by families. The tradesmen of the time numbered twenty-two tailors, ten carters, sixteen shoemakers, six blacksmiths, three carpenters, three hatters, two builders, one book binder, one painter and one mould-maker. There were also well known timber tradesmen: one of these, Aharon Raskin, was a very prominent member of the community. The timber was loaded onto rafts and sent to Memel (Klaipeda) en route to Germany. The local flour mill was owned by Rafael Zax. Liquor distillation plants were also run by Jews. Several families kept stores, and they would travel to the large regional town of Shavl (Šiauliai) to stock up on goods.

As the population grew, a cemetery and prayer houses were built – the Kloiz and the Shtiblekh on two of the sides of the Shul, a building with a high dome for prayers in the summer. Later, welfare associations were established. Linath HaTsedek, Bikur Holim, Gemiluth Hesed, Hakhnasath Kalah and Hakhnasath Orkhim were among these. Social assistance was mostly provided by generous women with initiative. One such was Ida-Pesia, the wife of Aharon Raskin the timber merchant. He was also the Gabai of the local Yeshivah with its 60 students. This Yeshivah was established and directed by Nahum-Lipa Hananyah, and it existed for 35 years until his death in 1910. Many of the young people in the town studied in the Telz Yeshivah and in other Yeshivoth in the area. Quite a few acquired a general education as well.

In 1874, a blood libel was initiated by a local priest who gave money to a Christian boy to disappear from the town. Then he announced that the Jews had murdered the boy for his blood. The priest, together with a group of peasants armed with knives and sticks, went out in the streets and attacked every Jew they met. A few were injured and taken to hospital. The uproar stopped when the boy returned home. In 1847, 1,084 Jews lived in the town. Half a century later, according to the government census of 1897, there were 3,121 residents in Varniai, including 1,226 (39%) Jews.

Jewish homes in an alleyway

One of the prayer houses in Vorne

Residence

The building Asher and his family occupied at 46 Lord Street, Cheetham, Manchester no longer appears to exist. The structure at 5 Fernie Street is also no longer in existence