Russia to Liverpool 1890's

[Rocketman]

  Any suggestions on my Jewish gt grandparents original names before changing to Isaac and Eva Robinson when coming to Liverpool from Russia sometime in the 1890's?

[JDG]

Hello,
Have you tried http://www.jgsgb.org.uk/ which is the web page for the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain.

[Rocketman]

Thanks Julie for that idea, I did look here a few years ago but the site now seems to be much better than I remember. I'll start digging again.

[Berlin-Bob]

some random thoughts in the "wee small hours":

keep the Initial, so it must have been R; maybe -sohn instead of son = robinsohn => rabinsohn;  Lots of russian, jewish and polish names have -ski at the end ==> robinski, RABINSKI !

Some further thoughts, after I had woken up:

If I am an emmigrant, going to a strange country, probably don't speak the language well, then I want to be near relatives.

So using the 1901 census decoder I entered surname ra*, ro* for census place Liverpool, Birth place Russia, and also for birth place Poland (as the borders changed a lot) and kept adding them together ("process search")
I then sorted by page number to get "groups living on the same page"

The bad news ? No Isaac or Eva Robinson.

The good news, a list of names for poles and russians in Liverpool:

RATNOR
ROBINSON
RADAM
RABINOWITZ
RAVINSKY
RAMANOWSKI
RAKISHIG
RAKISHEY
RALEKIN
RAMSON
RAFELOOWICH
RASSFPHIC

Hey, back up a minute ! A second look at RAVINSKY  shows
Forename(s) Lastname Age PRO Age Year Born Where Born   Census Place Census County Occupation

Isaac RAVINSKY  5   25 1876 Poland Russian Subject Lpool Lancashire Cabinet Maker

RAVINSKY ==> ROBINSON
Back to you - any idea, whether age or occupation fit   ?

Another thought: any ideas where in Russia ? Many parts of Poland were, at different times, in Poland, Germany, Austro-Hungary or Russia

[Little Nell]

Bob,

I am VERY impressed with your random thoughts.  In the Russian (i.e. Cyrillic) alphabet, what we write as 'b' is actually the letter with the sound 'v'.  So it is entirely possible that Isaac kept the 'b' shaped letter, perhaps by accident!  Huge tracts of Poland and Baltic areas were under the yoke at that time, which makes life very complicated.  But Ravinsky is more Russian than Polish or Baltic states, if that's any help to you, Rocketman. Keep thinking those random thoughts, Bob!

Nell

[Rocketman]

Hi Bob,
As Little Nell has already said I too am very impressed with your random thoughts. So much so that you might have hit the nail on the head !.
I'll tell you what I have on Isaac and Eva. Eva is shown on the 1901 census as aged 26 Russian Subject head of the house hold and married with 2 sons aged 1 and 2 both born in Liverpool. No mention of Isaac.
All I know about Isaac is from his sons later marriage certificate in 1919..... Father Isaac Robinson, deceased CABINET MAKER !. For some reason Eva's maiden name is shown as Robinson.( just to make life difficult for me!)
I'll be off to the record office as soon as I can. I've been searching for Isaac off and on for a couple of years now and I am of course hoping this may be him

[Rocketman]

Thanks also to Little Nell,
I hadn't realised the significance of the letters "b" and "v".
I have no idea whereabouts they came from in Russia or Poland. I say Russia only because of the usual handed down family stories that may have been distorted over the years, there are now no living relatives to ask. At least the 1901 census does confirm Eva as a Russian subject. I have noticed some entries say "Polish, Russian Subject".
Thanks for your help. I'll let you know.

[Berlin-Bob]

Hi Rocketman,

Glad I could help.
Here's another thought:


ask for a 1901 look-up of Isaac Ravinsky, and see if the "where" provides a clue. He may be at work, or visiting someone.

I notice, in the 1901, Eva is living in West Derby, census place Lancaster.
Is this the one you found ?

There is also an Isaac Robinson there from Russia in North Manchester, Lancaster, but he's a Waterproof Games Maker (on the same page is an Abraham Robinson, he's a Waterproof Garment Maker !). 
Eva is not "living on the same page" as Isaac and Abraham !

Good luck, and keep us posted !