Harris Rosenberg (1909 - 1945)

Harris Rosenberg is my maternal 3rd cousin 2x removed. Rosenberg family tree Here. He changed his name to Harold Rowe some time after September 1939

Parents: Ephraim Rosenberg (1881 - 1954) and Bertha Kaufman (1881 - 1959)

Born: 23 April 1909 in Manchester, England

Married: Dora Edith Barnett  in Chester, England in January 1942

Hebrew name: Tzvi son of Ephraim 

Children

• Victoria 1942 (Oct - Dec) - ?

Military Service. In 1945 Harold was a Royal Air Force (RAF) volunteer reserve flight officer, Service Number: 190277, 59 Squadron, Transport Command based at Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire. He appears to have joined the RAF in either 1940 or 1942

Census details

1911

Harris and his parents are living at 32 Petworth Street, Cheetham,  Manchester. Ephraim's age is listed as 29 years and Bertha is also 29 Years of age. Ephraim's occupation is listed as a commercial traveller selling waterproofs and caps. Their children are listed as Marcus age 3 years and Harris age 1 year. Also living with them is Mary Stone, age 49, a domestic servant

1921

Harris and his parents are living in a ten roomed house at 3 Northumberland street Broughton Manchester. Ephraim's age is listed as 39 years and 11 months and Bertha is also 39 Years and 11 months old. Ephraim's occupation is listed as a wholesale clothing manufacturer. He is an employer and his place of work is 6 North Street, Manchester. Their children are listed as Marcus age 13 years and 11 months, Harris age 12 years and 2 months and Freida age 7 years and 3 months. Also living with them are Ephraim's sister Lena and Nellie Brown, a domestic servant age 24 years and 9 months

1939 register

Harris is living with his parents Ephraim and Bertha at 23 Alverstone Road, Liverpool. Harris is a dealer manager of boots and shoes, Bertha is a housewife and Ephraim is a commercial traveller (clothing)

Death

Harold was the flight engineer on a Liberator KH125 aircraft which was flying from India to RAF Oakington. On board were five crew and twenty three passengers. The aircraft was flying in a low pressure area with thunderstorm activity. The aircraft was hit by lightning and lost several pieces on its wing before crashing into the ground near Rochefort killing all on board. He was buried at the Rochefort-Sur-Mer Naval Cemetery in France. He was 36 years old

Within the Star of David symbol –  "May his soul be bound in the bond of [eternal] life." Beneath – Here [lies] buried Tzvi son of Ephraim / died 28th Kislev 5706.

Death Notices

Jewish Chronicle, 14 December 1945 "Always a lovely boy"

Jewish Chronicle, 6 December 1946

Jewish Chronicle, 2 December 1949

Probate

Harold Rowe Probate 14 February 1950. The value of his effects was £145

Residences

In the 1921 census Harris and his family were living at 3 Northumberland street, Broughton, Manchester. The dwelling appears to no longer exist

In the 1939 register Harris and his family were living at 26 Alverstone road, Liverpool, England

At the time of his death Harold and his family were living at 48 Vernon Rd, Chester, England

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 inscription: In loving memory of Harris Rosenberg. Died Tamuz 22nd 5657 aged 67 years. Departed from his wife and children. R.I.P.

Hebrew Translation: Tzvi, son of Shmuel. acrostic:
Charity in secret his hand gave from the hole (reference to Song of songs chap 5 verse 4)
Dark and needy houses in his righteousness saw light
His hands were steadfast till his strength ran out
At the age of 67 came the end of his years
He pursued peace, and from honor distanced (himself)
Observed the mitzvot, then his heart yearned for God.
May his soul be bound in the bond of life (abbrev.)

Will

This is the last Will and Testament of me Harris Rosenberg of 20 Whitfield Street, Cheetham, Manchester in the county of Lancaster. Out of business I appoint Asher Baum and Moses Rosenberg (hereafter called my Trustees) to be the Executors and Trustees of this may will I direct may said trustees to pay and discharge all my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses as soon as conveniently after my decease. I give all my share and interest in the business lately carried on by me us co-partnership with Asher Baum under the style of the standard Private Advance Company to the said Asher Baum absolutely I give all the next residue and remainder of any property whatsoever and wheresoever unto my wife Tobe Rosenberg absolutely. In witness whereof I have here unto set my hand this twentieth day of July one thousand eight hundred and ninety seven.

Signed by the said Harris Rosenberg as his last will and testament in the presence of us both being present at the same time who in his presence and in the presence of each other have here unto subscribed our names, as witnesses the same having been just read over to the said Harris Rosenberg in our presence who appeared perfectly to understand the same and being unable to write made his mark hereto also in our presence.

James Brooke Garner

Percy Hodeu

Clerks with Messrs Gardner & Son solicitors Manchester

On the 28 day of August 1914 Probate of this Will was granted at Manchester to Asher Baum and Moves Rosenberg the Executors

Certified to be a correct copy

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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.