Finding Out if Ancestors were Jewish

Jenn S. asked for help with

My paternal 3rd great grandfather, Samuel Abraham(s) was born about 1806 according to the England 1841 Census.  I know I should either add or subtract 5 to that as they were know to round the number.

When Samuel and Mary Cockayne married there were no parents listed.  I contacted the church and verified that the parents were not listed.  Samuel died, I believe, 1849 in Nantwich, England and it was listed that his father was Marcus.  So if his father was Marcus, he did not follow the pattern which all families followed during that time by naming his first son the name of his father.  His children, that I know of, are as follows:  Lewis abt. 1831-1891, Samuel 1834-1836, Caroline abt. 1836-?, Charlotte abt. 1837-1902, George H. 1838-1840, Harriet abt. 1840, Mark Henry abt. 1842-? and Eliza abt. 1846-?.

Our name was change to Brahams. Also, we are not Jewish. Abrahams i commonly a Jewish name and there was a story told that the Abrahams were Jewish until one of the boys married a Christian and they were cast away from the family. Could that have been Samuel and is that why I can't find anything? So those are my things about Samuel.

Jenn - Naming patterns were not followed by all families as you stated in your query. Some families followed them but many did not. And I note that there was a child named Mark Henry  - Mark being a shortened form for Marcus.

A Charlotte and Catherine Abraham of the right ages can be found in the Hebrew Girls Boarding School, Palestine Place in 1851. They are in the census for that year for Tower Hamlet, St. John's, Bethnal Green, Middlesex England. So it seems there may be some truth to your family lore.

Also you might want to make note of the fact that some of the children are listed twice in the 1841 census - once with their parents Samuel and Mary, but also in Manchester with Mary Cockayne age 63 with daughters Eliza and Fanny as well as the Abraham children Lewis, Caroline and Charlotte. 

A quick search for a few of the children turned up Harriet's baptism - as Harriet Ellen Abrahams to Samuel and Mary on 29 Aug 1849 in Manchester. Her birth date is given as 18 Aug 1839 and Samuel is noted as a Commercial Traveller. He is not recorded as being deceased at that time although another record indicates he was buried 30 Jul 1849 in Nantwich. A second child named Eliza Cockayne was baptised the same day to Samuel and Mary (whose name is given as Mary Ann). Her birth was 1845.

If I were you I would search each of the children thoroughly - see who they married, when and where they died. Look for burial records, obituaries, church death records to gain more information on the family.

Sometimes You Must Use Pay-to-View Databases to Find an Ancestor Online

Jenn S. asked several questions. I chose this one to answer today

My 2nd great grandmother on my maternal side.  Elizabeth Power(s) is her name.  She married William Hinch(c)liffe in England and came to the US with him settling in Fall River, Massachusetts.  I have that she was born about 1821 and died somewhere between 1870 and 1880, as she is listed in the 1870 United States Census but William is listed as Widower in 1880.  I cannot find out anything about her prior to coming to the United States and I cannot find when she exactly died.  I have gone to the Fall River library and searched and saved their death notations and cannot find anything.  I have an indication in my tree, not sure where I got it, that lists Lawrence as her father's name.  I have nothing to verify that.  I can tell you that William and Elizabeth had 9 children, all in Fall River, that I know of.  Mary 1848-1849, Mary 1850-1908, Thomas 1852-1912, Jane 1856-1861, Elizabeth 1860-1918, Sarah 1860-?, Ruth 1860-1863, William 1861-1862 and Samuel (my 1st great grandfather) 1862-1927. 

Here is an early Christmas gift for you... William and Elizabeth were married in St. Peter's Catholic Church, Ashton under Lyne, Stayleybridge Cheshire on May 26, 1845. His parents are listed as Thomas and Mary Hinchcliffe, hers are Lawrence and Elizabeth Power. Source: Cheshire Non-conformist & Roman Catholic Registers (Marriages) on FindMyPast

It might help you to see who the witnesses were - Maria Power is one of them. See the last column on the right.

 

 Your next step might be to hunt for Elizabeth and her parents in the 1841 census. I would start with Cheshire and see what you can find. In fact a 20 year old Elizabeth Power with mother Elizabeth (no father in the household) shows up in Stockport Cheshire in 1841.