Showing posts with label Ponevez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ponevez. Show all posts

Saturday, 6 June 2026

Tilly Morris (1886 - 1981)

Tilly Morris, born Tilly Dik, is the sister-in-law of Rachel Levin, my 2x great aunt. Morris family HERE

The original name of the family was Dik (Dikiene in Lithuanian) and the family, while registered in Raguva, Lithuania, lived in what is now Panevėžys, Lithuania. However, when Dinah's eldest brother Jacob arrived in England the clerk did not understand Yiddish and since Jacob called himself Jacob "Monnes" (Menachem), the clerk thought he said Munes was his last name. This was not English enough so the clerk anglicized it to Morris. Later when Jacob brought out other members of his family they changed their name to Morris as well

Parents: Joseph Dik (1851 - 1924) and Golda Chaya (1846 - 1923)

Born: November 1886 in Ponevezh, Kovno District, Russian Empire, now Panevėžys, Lithuania,  Ponevezh [Russian], Ponevezh [Yiddish], Poniewież [Polish], Ponewiesch [German], Panevēža [Latvian]

Hebrew name: Tova daughter of Yosef

Siblings
According to AI searches there were several other children who were born in Panevėžys as well, but I have yet to corroborate this

Migration to England: In Lithuania, at that time, the eldest son was drafted to the Russian army when they reached the age of 18. Therefore, Tilly's eldest brother Jacob left Lithuania planning to travel to America but on arrival in Liverpool did not have enough money to complete the journey. The local Jewish Leadership offered help on condition that he marry a Jewish girl and settle in England.  Once settled in England he brought all his family to join him in Liverpool and all his siblings changed their name to Morris. Tilly came to Liverpool sometime before 1910

Married: Isaac Epstein in (January - March) 1910 in Liverpool, England

Children
Their first child was born in 1911 when Isaac was 27 and Tilly 24 years old and their last child was born in 1927 when Isaac was 43 and Tilly 40 years old 

Census
1911
In the 1911 census taken on 2 April that year, Tilly and Isaac have been married for one year and are living in a 6 room dwelling at 15 Vine Street, Liverpool, England. Isaac is age 26 and a travelling draper and clothier on his own account and Tilly is a housewife age 24. Living with them is their infant son Baruch who was born on 12 March 1911. Also living there is a boarder, Milly Morris age 21 who is a dressmaker, and a domestic servant, Maggie Graley, age 15


1921
In the 1921 census taken on 19 June 1921, Tilly and Isaac are living in a 6 room dwelling at 48 Erskine Street, Liverpool, England. Isaac is age 37 years and four months and a travelling draper and clothier working from home. His place of birth is given as Wloclawek, Poland.Tilly is a housewife age 35 years and six months and born in Poneviezys, Lithuania. Their children are Boruch age 10 years and four months, Leah age 8 years and 10 months, Naphtali age 7 years and one month, Esther age 6 years and one month, Sarah age 1 year and one month



1939 Register
In 1939 the family are living at 99 Granby Street, Liverpool, England. Isaac is now a master butcher with his own business. Living with Isaac and Tilly are their children Leah and Esther who both work in the family butchery, and Sara. The family had moved to Palestine in the mid-1920s but had returned to Liverpool in the early to mid 1930s due to their poor financial situation. However Naftali remained in Palestine


Photo
Tilly with her daughter Leah and son-in-law Oscar Werner on their wedding day, 10 June 1945

Electoral Registers
1948
In the 1948 electoral register Tilly and her children Naphtali and Zahava are living at 99 Granby Street, Liverpool, England. Her husband Isaac died in 1941

1960

In 1960 Tilly and her child Zahava and her husband Martin Dover are listed as living at 2 / 3 Croxteth Grove, Cheshire, England

Death
6 April 1981 in Johannesburg, South Africa, age 94. She was buried on 7 April 1981 in the Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg, grave block H, grave no 3375

Tombstone for Tilly. Inscription: "In loving memory of Tova Epstein passed away 6th April 1981. Deeply mourned by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. M.H.D.S.R.I.P."

Hebrew translation: "The honorable and honest woman, beloved and dear mother and grandmother Tova daughter of Mr Yosef who died 3 Nisan 5741 / 1981"

Westpark Cemetery details for Tilly

Jewishgen Cemetery record for Tilly

Place of Birth
Tilly Morris was born in Panevėžys, Lithuania

PANEVEZYS (Panevezhis; Lith. Panevežys; Rus. Ponevezh), city in Lithuania. In 1766 the Jewish community numbered 254; in 1847, 1,447 Jews were registered, and in 1897, 6,627 Jews (50% of the total population) lived in Panevezys. An ancient Karaite community is also known to have existed there. A number of noted rabbis officiated in Panevezys, among them Isaac Jacob Rabinovich (Itzele Ponevezher), Joseph Kahaneman, and Jeroham Leibovich. The Hebrew poet Judah Leib Gordon served as a teacher in the city from 1853 to 1860. Naphtali Friedman, a noted advocate, served as delegate from Panevezys to the third Duma.

In May 1915, during World War I, the Jews of Panevezys were sent along with other Lithuanian Jews to the interior of Russia by the Russian military authorities. Most of them returned after the Russian Revolution. In 1923 there were 6,845 Jews living in Panevezys (35% of the total population), most of them occupied in small trade and crafts and some in larger business enterprises and industry.

The community had an active social and cultural life. Its educational institutions included Hebrew and Yiddish primary schools, two Hebrew secondary schools (one belonging to the Zionist-orientated Tarbut educational system and the other, for girls, to the religious Yavneh), a Jewish pro-gymnasium, and libraries.

The Panevezys Yeshivah, which had a high reputation, was founded by Liebe Miriam Gavronsky, daughter of K.Z. Wissotszky. When the Jews were expelled during World War I, the yeshivah was first moved to Ludza in Vitebsk province and then to Mariupol (Zhdanov) in the Ukraine. After World War I Rabbi Kahaneman founded the great Ohel Yiẓḥak yeshivah in Panevezys with about 200 students. In 1944 the yeshivah was reestablished by Rabbi Kahaneman in *Bene Berak, Israel.

Panevezys was occupied by the Germans in 1941 a few days after the outbreak of the German-Soviet war. A ghetto was established from which Jews were transported and murdered in September 1941. They were buried in 12 mass graves. In 1968 the Jewish cemetery at Panevezys was destroyed.

Residence

In 1911 Tilly and Isaac and family are living at 15 Vine Street, Liverpool, England. The building no longer exists


In the 1921 census Tilly and Isaac are living at 48 Erskine Street, Liverpool, England. The building no longer exists


In 1939 the family are living at 99 Granby Street, Liverpool, England


From 1949 to 1962 Tilly lived at 3 Croxteth Grove, Cheshire, England
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Monday, 4 May 2026

Ely Morris (1880 - 1973)

Ely Morris, born Eliash Dik, is the brother-in-law of Rachel Levin, my 2x great aunt. Morris family HERE

The original name of the family was Dik (Dikiene in Lithuanian) and the family, while registered in Raguva, Lithuania, lived in what is now Panevėžys, Lithuania. However, when Ely's eldest brother Jacob arrived in England the clerk did not understand Yiddish and since Jacob called himself Jacob "Monnes" (Menachem), the clerk thought he said Munes was his last name. This was not English enough so the clerk anglicized it to Morris. Later when Jacob brought out other members of his family they changed their name to Morris as well

Parents: Joseph Dik (1851 - 1924) and Golda Chaya (1846 - 1923)

Born: 22 January 1880 in Ponevezh, Kovno District, Russian Empire, now Panevėžys, Lithuania,  Ponevezh [Russian], Ponevezh [Yiddish], Poniewież [Polish], Ponewiesch [German], Panevēža [Latvian]

Jewishgen birth record extract for Ely

The original birth record for Eliash Dik. On the left-hand page of that image, look for the entry numbered 18 in the second column (Male/Мужскаго). Left hand side of the page is in Russian, right hand side of the page is in Yiddish.

Name of the Child: Eliash (Еліяшъ). Parents:  Father: Girsh-Iosel, son of Naftel Dik (Гиршъ-Іосель Нафтелевъ Дикъ). He is listed as a citizen of Raguva (the text says "Роговскій мѣщанинъ"). Mother: Golda, daughter of Eliash (Голда Эліяшева). Date of birth: 22 January 1880. Circumcision: 29 January 29th 1880. Place of Birth: Panevezys.

Hebrew name: Eliyahu son of Tsvi Yosef

Siblings
According to AI searches there were several other children who were born in Panevėžys as well, but I have yet to corroborate this

Migration to England, then South Africa: In Lithuania, at that time, the eldest son was drafted to the Russian army when they reached the age of 18. Therefore, Ely's eldest brother Jacob left Lithuania planning to travel to America but on arrival in Liverpool did not have enough money to complete the journey. The local Jewish Leadership offered help on condition that he marry a Jewish girl and settle in England.  Once settled in England he brought all his family to join him in Liverpool and all his siblings changed their name to Morris. Ely must have arrived in Liverpool sometime in the early 1890s and moved to South Africa in 1896

Occupation: Furniture shop owner

Ely established Modern House Furnishers in Charles Street, Bloemfontein in 1929. This advert dates from around 1976 and includes photos of Ely, his son Nathan (Sonny) and Nathan's son Selwyn

Marriage: Annie Katz on 15 November 1911 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Ely was 31 and Annie 23

Marriage certificate for Ely and Annie who were married in Johannesburg on 15 November 1911

Children
Their first child was born in 1913 when Ely was 33 and Annie 25 years old. Their last child was born in 1921 when Ely was 41 and Annie 33 years old 

Biography

Mazeltov - ELY MORRIS IS 90 YEARS YOUNG

Мг. Ely Morris of Johannesburg celebrated his 90th birthday last week.

Born in Latvia, Mr. Morris came to South Africa as a boy of sixteen after spending a few years in Liverpool. He arrived in Cape Town with two shillings in his pocket and started work as a cabinet maker. His firm insisted that he should work on Shabbat and therefore he resigned and moved to Johannesburg where he opened a general dealer's store, and later married Annie Katz.

The young couple and their family decided to immigrate to Palestine in 1928 as Mr. Morris had long been an active Zionist. Unfortunately conditions in Palestine were difficult at that time he lost his money and was forced to return to South Africa, this time to settle in Bloemfontein. Here he started a furniture business which is today run by his son, Nathan, and grandson.

Since the death of his wife five years ago, Mr. Morris has been living with his daughter and son-in-law, Bee and Henry Salkinder of Emmarentia, Johannesburg. His other daughter Lee Loewenson lives in Salisbury. Mr. Morris has nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 

Longevity seems to run in his family Mr. Morris has two sisters, Mrs. Rachel Steckol who is 97 and Mrs. Tilly Epstein, who is 86. Both live in Johannesburg.

Death
14 February 1973 (1st Adar 5733) in Bloemfontein, South Africa age 92. He was buried in the Bloemfontein Memorial Cemetery on 15 February 1973, plot no 9:A276

Tombstone for Ely Morris. "In loving memory of Ely Morris who passed away 14.2.1973. Deeply mourned by his loving son, daughters, daughter-in-law, sons in-law, and grandchildren. M.H.D.S.R.I.P."

Hebrew translation: "Here lies our dear father, a righteous and honored man, he went to his peace in a good old age, Eliyahu son of Reb Tzvi Yosef, departed 13 Adar 5733. May his soul be bound up in the bond of life."


Jewishgen Cemetery record for Ely

Place of Birth
Ely Morris was born in Panevėžys, Lithuania

PANEVEZYS (Panevezhis; Lith. Panevežys; Rus. Ponevezh), city in Lithuania. In 1766 the Jewish community numbered 254; in 1847, 1,447 Jews were registered, and in 1897, 6,627 Jews (50% of the total population) lived in Panevezys. An ancient Karaite community is also known to have existed there. A number of noted rabbis officiated in Panevezys, among them Isaac Jacob Rabinovich (Itzele Ponevezher), Joseph Kahaneman, and Jeroham Leibovich. The Hebrew poet Judah Leib Gordon served as a teacher in the city from 1853 to 1860. Naphtali Friedman, a noted advocate, served as delegate from Panevezys to the third Duma.

In May 1915, during World War I, the Jews of Panevezys were sent along with other Lithuanian Jews to the interior of Russia by the Russian military authorities. Most of them returned after the Russian Revolution. In 1923 there were 6,845 Jews living in Panevezys (35% of the total population), most of them occupied in small trade and crafts and some in larger business enterprises and industry.

The community had an active social and cultural life. Its educational institutions included Hebrew and Yiddish primary schools, two Hebrew secondary schools (one belonging to the Zionist-orientated Tarbut educational system and the other, for girls, to the religious Yavneh), a Jewish pro-gymnasium, and libraries.

The Panevezys Yeshivah, which had a high reputation, was founded by Liebe Miriam Gavronsky, daughter of K.Z. Wissotszky. When the Jews were expelled during World War I, the yeshivah was first moved to Ludza in Vitebsk province and then to Mariupol (Zhdanov) in the Ukraine. After World War I Rabbi Kahaneman founded the great Ohel Yiẓḥak yeshivah in Panevezys with about 200 students. In 1944 the yeshivah was reestablished by Rabbi Kahaneman in *Bene Berak, Israel.

Panevezys was occupied by the Germans in 1941 a few days after the outbreak of the German-Soviet war. A ghetto was established from which Jews were transported and murdered in September 1941. They were buried in 12 mass graves. In 1968 the Jewish cemetery at Panevezys was destroyed.
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