Monday 29 July 2024

Louis Abrahamson (1877 - 1957)

Louis Abrahamson is the father of Dorothy Sophia Abrahamson, the 2nd wife of my maternal grandfather Marcus Levin. Abrahamson family HERE

Parents: Abraham Daniel Abrahamson (1827 - 1898) and Annie, also known as Hannah (1852 - 1940)

Born: 5 or 6 December 1877 in Sluzk, Minsk, Russian Empire, now Slutsk, Belarus. His date of birth is listed as 5 December 1877 in his naturalization papers and 6 December 1877 in the 1939 register

Hebrew Name: Yehudah Leib son of Avraham Daniel

Migration to England: I am unable to locate Louis or his family in the 1891 census suggesting that they came to England sometime after that when Louis was a teenager. Louis's younger brother Jacob was born in Russia on 3 August 1889

Occupation: Rabbi of Oxford and Rhyl Congregation and Shochet (ritual slaughterer) in Manchester

Married: Rachel (Ettie) Joseph on 31 March 1903 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. Louis was age 25 and Ettie was 22. On their marriage certificate their ages are given as 23 and 21 respectively, but this does not match other information I have on them

Marriage certificate for Louis Abrahamson and Ettie Joseph who were married in the Hope Place Synagogue in Liverpool on 31 March 1903. Louis was a minister age 23 and Ettie was age 21. Their address was given as 229 Wavertree Road, West Derby, Liverpool. Louis's father is Abraham Daniel Abrahamson, a teacher, deceased, and Ettie's father is given as Samuel Aaron Joseph, a picture dealer

Children
Their first child was born in 1904 when Louis was 26 and Ettie 23. Their last child was born in 1923 when Louis was 45 and Ettie was 42

Census details
1901
In 1901 Louis and his family are living at 5 Kenyon Street, Wrexham, Denbighshire, Wales. Louis is age 24 and his occupation is given as Rabbi of a Hebrew Congregation. Living with him is his widowed mother Hannah age 49 and his brother Jacob, age 13


1911
Louis and his family are living at 17 Bloom street Liverpool in a 7 room house. In the household, there are six members. Louis Abrahamson, is 33 years old and a shochet (Jewish butcher), and his wife, Etti Abrahamson, is 30 years old. The children are Adaline, who is 6 years old, Annie, who is 5 years old, Dorothy who is 3 years old and Daniel, who is 2 years old



1921 Census
The family are living at 14 Jessel Street, Chorlton-upon-Medlock, Lancashire, England in a 6 roomed dwelling. Louis Abrahamson is age 44 years old and a shochet (Jewish butcher) for the Manchester Shechita Board, his wife, Ettie Abrahamson is age 40 years old. The children are Adaline, who is 17 years old, Annie, who is 15 years old, Dorothy who is 13, Daniel, who is 12 years old, Freda who is 10, Miriam who is 7 and Eva who is 5





1939 Register
In the 1939 register the family are living at 238 Great Cheetham Street, Manchester, England. Louis is a shochet (butcher). Living with him is his wife Ettie and her children Eva, Anne, Dorothy and Adeline



Naturalization

Home Office No. 237,752. Certificate No. 23860

NATURALIZATION ACTS, 1870.

Certificate of Naturalization

Whereas Louis Abrahamson, an Alien, residing at 92 Upper has presented to me, the Right Honourable Reginald McKenna, one of His Majesty's of Naturalization HOME Right OFFICE Street, Liverpool, , Secretaries of State, a Memorial, praying for a Certificate alleging that he is a Subject of Russia, having been born in sluzk in the County of Minsk about the 5th December, 1877, and is the son of Abraham Daniel and Annie Abrahamson, both subjects of Russia - Shochet under the Liverpool Shechita Board - is married and has five children under age residing with him, viz:- Adeline Dinah, aged 9 years, Annie, aged 7 years, Dorothy Sophia, aged 5 years, Daniel Joseph, aged 4 years, and Freda Leah, aged 2 years,

and that in the period of eight years preceding his application he has resided for five years within the United Kingdom, and intends, when naturalized, to reside therein:

And whereas I have inquired into the circumstances of the case, and have received such evidence as I have deemed necessary for proving the truth of the allegations contained in such Memorial, so far as the same relate to the Memorialist:

Now, in pursuance of the authority given to me by the said Acts, I grant to the aforesaid Louis Abrahamson

this Certificate, and declare that he is hereby naturalized as a British Subject, and that, upon taking the Oath of Allegiance, he shall in the United Kingdom be entitled to all political and other rights, powers, and privileges, and be subject to all obligations, to which a natural-born British Subject is entitled or subject in the United Kingdom; with this qualification, that he shall not, when within the limits of the Foreign State of which he was a Subject, be deemed to be a British Subject, unless he has ceased to be a Subject of that State in pursuance of the laws thereof, or in pursuance of a Treaty to that effect.

In witness whereof I have hereto subscribed my Name this 13th day of August, 1913.

(Sd.) R. Me KENNA, HOME OFFICE, LONDON.

Oath of Allegiance.

I Louis Abrahamson swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King George the Fifth, His Heirs and Successors, according to law.

So help me GOD.

(Signature of Alien) Louis Abrahamson

Sworn and subscribed this 15 day of August 1913, before me

(Signature) Herbert J. Davis, A Commissioner for Oaths.
-----------------------------
Louis and his family were naturalized in August 1913

Death
2 January 1957 in Manchester at 79 years of age. Buried in the Rainsough Jewish Cemetery, Manchester, England

Tombstone inscription: In loving memory of a dear father, Louis Abrahamson who passed away 9th January 1957 in his 80th year. Very Much Missed By His Son, Daughters,
Sons-In-Law, Daughter-In-Law, Grandchildren And Brother.
M.H.D.S.R.I.P.

Hebrew translation: Here is buried an esteemed and dear man, lovely and loved by people. His hands lived faith, as a slaughterer for many years. Y’hudah Leib son of Avraham Dani’el. Died with a good name 8 Sh’vat (5)717. May his soul be bound up in the bond of (eternal) life

Probate
Louis Abrahamson probate. At the time of his death he was living at 238 Great Clowes Street, Higher Broughton, Salford, Manchester, England and his beneficiary was his daughter Anne Burman. The value was  £694 2s 6d

Photos
Louis Abrahamson as a young man

Louis Abrahamson in later life

Louis and Ettie Abrahamson with their daughters Eva and Miriam and presumably grandchildren

Louis and Ettie Abrahamson in later life

A travel document photo of Louis Abrahamson taken in March 1948 when he was 70 years old

Jewish Chronicle Article extracts (from JewishGen)
Rev. L. Abrahamson served as minister of Oxford Synagogue (c.1900-c.1901), a visiting minister to Wrexham Hebrew Congregation, North Wales (in 1900 and 1901) and as reader of Rhyl and District Hebrew Congregation, North Wales (1901-c.1904). By 1911 he was was in Liverpool where his occupation was also a shochet, employed by the Liverpool Shechita Board. (Jewish Year Book listings and Jewish Chronicle press reports.)

Jewish Chronicle, 27 April 1900, page 29 
Rev L. Abrahamson conducted Passover services.

Jewish Chronicle, 28 September 1900, page 27
'The synagogue has been re-decorated, &c., the cost being defrayed by the President, Councillor Zacharias. The services were conducted by the Rev. L. Abrahamson and Mr. Moses Segal.

Jewish Chronicle, 28 December 1900 page 34
Special Chanukah Service and the children were examined by S. Bloom. The new minister and teacher, Rev L. Abrahamson of Oxford was complimented on the improvement in the Hebrew classes.

Jewish Chronicle, 8 February 1901 page 26
The order of prayers was conducted at synagogue, Bradley Road, by Rev. L. Abrahamson, who also delivered a discourse. Several Christians were present.

Jewish Chronicle, 24 May 1901, page 27
[Rev L. Abrahams late of Oxford congregation elected to be minister and shochet of Rhyl congregation.]

Jewish Chronicle, 7 June 1901, page 4
'RHYL. To let. 3 bedrooms and sitting-room, - furnished, convenient; two minute walk for promenade' near the marine lake; good attendance. Apply Rev. Shochet L. Abrahamson

Document

Hebrew Congregation
OXFORD.

10 November 1902

Mr Louis Abrahamson is retiring from the Congregation in Consequence of the number of members having diminished, causing a pancity funds.

Mr. Abrahamson has given the very greatest satisfaction and carries with him the respect and regrets of all

Signed J. Zacharias
------------------------
Letter of recommendation from the Oxford Hebrew Congregation

Place of Birth
Louis Abrahamson was born in Slutsk, nowadays in Belarus

The first evidence of Jewish life in Slutsk (Pol., Słuck) dates from 1583, when the town formed part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth; its Jewish community was granted a formal privilege in 1601. By 1623, Jews owned 16 houses. Though affected by wars in the mid-seventeenth century, both the town and the Jewish community developed rapidly. By 1750, there were 1,593 Jews (representing 33% of the total population) in Slutsk. Relations with non-Jewish society were tense, particularly due to economic competition. Jews made up more than 75 percent of the towns’ merchants, and a similar proportion was engaged in the manufacture and sale of alcohol. Though Slutsk was not an important centre for Torah study, major rabbinic figures, including Yehudah Leib Pohovitser and Ḥayim ha-Kohen Rapoport, served there.

Annexed to the tsarist empire in 1793, the town grew more slowly in the nineteenth century, partly because the railway system bypassed it. In 1897, the Jewish population had reached 10,264 (77% of the total population). Jews played a crucial role in local markets that specialized in agricultural produce, especially fruit and vegetables. In those years, the imposing Kalte synagogue was built and the town formed a bastion of anti-Hasidic Misnagdim. Following the 1917 October Revolution, Slutsk became part of the Soviet Republic of Belorussia. Independent Jewish merchants and craft workers—the majority of the community—did not easily fit into the new economic order, leading to high levels of impoverishment. The number of Jews had declined to 8,538 (53%) in 1926. Jewish institutions were closed and liquidated, with the Kalte synagogue serving as a military warehouse. The yeshiva moved to nearby Kletsk in the early 1920s. With the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, many of the Jews of Slutsk were summarily shot and the rest sent to a ghetto. The ghetto was liquidated on 8 November 1942, with the few surviving “useful” Jews murdered within months. In the post-Holocaust years, very few Jews lived in Slutsk—1,275 were recorded in 1959 and 606 in 1989. No synagogue existed, and a minyan was held in a private home; its members maintained the Jewish cemetery. The fall of the Soviet Union has seen little revival of the community: in 2006, the Jewish population numbered less than 500 and was receiving support from the American Lubavitch and Reform movements

Residences
In 1908 Louis and his family is listed as living at at 92 St Anne Street, Liverpool, England. The property no longer exists



In the 1939 register the family is living at 238 Great Cheetham Street, Manchester, England. The property appears to no longer exist, having been demolished and replaced by a block of units


At the time of his death Louis was living at 238 Great Clowes Street, Higher Broughton, Salford, Manchester, England
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