On this day – 5th September

In 1862 Jacob Bittan was born to Abraham Bittan and Miriam Solomons. Abraham was the son of Joshua Bittan and Phoebe Martin (Nunes Martinez) who were Diane’s great great grandparents.

On this day – 11th August

In 1835 Benjamin Bittan was born in Spitalfields to Joshua Bittan and Phoebe Martin (Nunes Martinez). He was one of 11 children. He was Diane’s great grandfather.

He married Esther Levy on 10 February 1857 at 3 Cope’s Square, Middlesex Street. Their daughter Dinah married Aaron Hart. They had 8 children, one of whom Leah (Lily) was Diane’s mother.

On this day – 2nd July

In 1837 Abraham Bittan was born to Joshua Bittan and Esther Martin (Nunes Martinez). He was one of 11 children. His brother Benjamin was Diane’s greatgrandfather on her mother’s maternal side.

On this day – 21st June

In 1857 Joshua Bittan was born in Stepney to Abraham Bittan and Miriam Solomons. He was a Cigar Maker and later a General Dealer in Clothing.

Joshua married Esther Martin at Bevis Marks Synagogue on 8^th August 1876.

In 1883 Joshua and his family moved to New York and 2 of his 8 children were born in New York. By 1901 the family was back in London.

Joshua’s uncle Benjamin is Diane’s Great Grandfather on her mother’s maternal side.

On this day – 4th June

In 1861 Sarah Betan (Bittan) was born in Whitechapel to Joshua Betan (Bittan) and Phoebe Martin (Nunes Martinez). She was the youngest of 11 children and was the sister of Benjamin Bittan who is my wife Diane’s maternal great grandfather.

She married Abraham (Alfred) Levy on 9^th March 1880 at the Princes Street Synagogue, London. They had 7 children

In the 1891 & 1901 census’s she is shown as living with husband and children at 84 Oxford Street, Whitechapel and in 1911 living at 20 Alderney Road, Mile End. London.

Sarah died on 15^th January 1912, aged 51, in London. 

Jewish Chronicle Announcements on her death-

Levy -- In ever loving memory of our darling wife and mother Sarah Levy who departed this life on Jan 15th 1912. Gone but not forgotten. G-d rest her dear soul in peace. Amen. From her ever loving husband, Abraham, daughter and son, Fanny and Sam 20 Alderney road, Mile End E.

Levy - in ever loving and lasting memory of my darling mother Sarah Levy who passed away on Jan 15th 1912. Sadly missed by her son, daughter in law and grandchildren. May G-d rest her dear soul in peace. Amen - Mr. Ralph Levy 77 Harford street, Mile End, E.

Levy - In ever loving memory of my dearly beloved mother Sarah Levy who departed this life on Jan 15th 1912, Sadly missed by her daughter, son in law and grandchildren. May G-d rest her dear soul in peace amen - Mrs. N. Crabb 44 Great Queen St. Kingsway WC.

Levy - in ever loving memory of my dearly beloved mother Sarah Levy who departed this life on Jan 15th 1912. Sadly missed by her daughter Dinah. May G-d rest her dear soul in peace Amen, Mrs. G. Cohn 148 W. 143rd street NYC USA. American papers please copy.

Levy - in ever loving memory of my darling mother Sarah Levy who passed away Jan 15th 1912, Deeply mourned by her loving daughter and son in law, Mr. and Mrs, Lawrence Lazarus, 35 British Street, Bow

With many thanks to Brian Whipp and his family history website which can be found at http://www.whippfamily.co.uk/

Surnames

In our family tree when you include our extended families, there are about 100 surnames. Of these, however, only about 30 are direct ancestors. Over the next few blogs I will go through our ancestors. So lets start with A-D. Actually there are no A’s or D’s.

Balsom – Balzum – Belson - Benson – this line starts with my paternal greatgrandfather Joseph Balsom who came to England from Russia around 1889.

Benjamin – Binjamin – this line starts with Benjamin Benjamin whose daughter Leah married Moses Hart in 1819.  Benjamin was Diane’s maternal 3 x greatgrandfather

Bittan – Betan – this line starts with Yamin (Abraham) Betan who was born in Gibraltar and then moved to Morocco. He is Diane’s maternal 3 x greatgrandfather.

Cardoso – Nunes Cardoso – this line starts with Moses Nunes Cardoso who was married in Bevis Marks, London in 1697. He is Diane’s maternal 7 x greatgrandfather

                       

Chaves – de Chaves – this line starts with Rachel de Chaves who married Moses Nunes Cardoso (see above). She is Diane’s maternal 7 x greatgrandmother.

My wife's family

My wife Diane’s family were Ashkenazi Jews and her mother was born Leah (Lily) Hart. We were both surprised when we found out that Diane’s grandmother Dinah Bittan, was from a Sephardi family. Our 3 sons now want to know if they can have rice at Pesach. The Hart side I have traced back to Diane’s 3 x great grandfather Meir Hart born about 1770.

The Bittan side linked with the Nunes Martinez family in 1834 and with the Mendoza family in 1764 when Abigail Mendoza born in London in 1744 married Isaac Nunes Martines born in London in 1745.

Abigail Mendoza’s father Aaron was born in Amsterdam in 1709 and probably came to England about 1730. Aaron’s father Daniel Mendoza was born in Seville in Spain in 1685. Daniel’s father David was also born in Seville in Spain in 1650. In 1685 he married Abigail Castro de la Penta in Holland. Abigail was born in Seville in Spain in 1665.

David Mendoza’s father the Patriarch de Mendoza was born in Seville in Spain in 1624 and the trail ends there for the time being. Abigail’s family can be traced back to her great grandparents Franciscus Fernandes de la Penta born 1550 in Spain and Bianca Fernandes born 1558 in Spain who married in 1579.

The search continues.