Bollegraaf/ Bolegraaf to Isaacs name change

[Tillyboo]

Hello,

My G Grandmothers brother, Herman (Third Generation), came to England from the Netherlands in the late 1800's - early 1900's before emmigrating to Australia in 1912.

The family surname was Bollegraaf but Herman changed his name to Isaacs upon emmigrating. Why would he do that ?
My G grandmother also took the name Isaacs and came to London, again we don't know when, and we had never heard of the name Bollegraaf until researching this line of the family.

We have the following information :

201. Herman Izak ISAACS (Salomon Izak BOLLEGRAAF , Jacob Simons BOLLEGRAAF , Simon Isaacs ) was born on 31 Jul 1878 in Amsterdam, NH, NL. He died on 16 Sep 1943 in Randwick, Sydney, AUS.

It appears that Herman Izaak Isaacs was Herman Izaak Bollegraaf, but was forced to change his name when he immigrated from the Netherlands to Britain. Iimmigrated from Londen to Australie, possible in 1912.

Herman married Elizabeth ITALIAANDER on 7 Jun 1903 in Londen, UK. Elizabeth was born in 1877 in Amsterdam, NH, NL. She died on 17 Feb 1949 in Randwick, Sydney, AUS.

They had the following children:

    +    522    F    i    Sara ISAACS
    +    523    M    ii    Simon ISAACS (SIMON WAS THE JUDGE)
    +    524    M    iii    Joseph ISAACS
    +    525    M    iv    Salomon (Charles\Charlie) ISAACS
    +    526    F    v    Lena ISAACS
    +    527    M    vi    Maurice ISAACS
         528    M    vii    Larry ISAACS died in 1912 in Onboardship To Australia .

Does anyone know anything about the name Bollegraaf or indeed the Bollegraaf family ?
From the information i have it seems the vast majority sadly perished in the WW2 camps.

We have the Genealogy of Simon Isaacs Bollegraaff  (First Generation) and this is what it say's :

Simon Isaacs BOLLEGRAAFF was born on 9 Jul 1764 in Amsterdam, NH, NL. He died on 7 Mar 1839 in Martenshoek, Hoogezand, GR, NL. Simon was employed as Kruier, Porter.

This man adopts the name Bollegraaff. See certificate of name adopting, Cityarchives Amsterdam

Would this certificate be available online ? My internet connection is really playing up so I'm going to switch off in a minute (this is my 3rd attempt at posting before my laptop crashes again !)

Many thanks

[aghadowey]

This site might be worth a look- lots of Bollegraafs mentioned in the database: www.dutchjewry.org

[JAP]

Hi Tillyboo,

You haven't quoted the source of your information but, on Googling, it seems that it possibly comes from the following site (or is this your site?):
http://www.mh-tempel.nl/stamboom/bollegraaf/
(You list Herman as number 201 and he is listed on that site as number 201; etc, etc ...).

That site states (as do you) that Herman Izaak BOLLEGRAAF was forced to change his name to Herman Izaak ISAACS when he migrated from the Netherlands to the UK.  If it is your site, what is the source of the information about being 'forced'; and if it is not your own site, have you contacted the site owner and enquired as to the source of the information   

From the above website it seems that it was a reversion from BOLLEGRAAF to the family's original name of ISAACS?  That is, that the 1764 paterfamilias was born as Simon ISAACS but changed his name to BOLLEGRAAF.  Perhaps the reason is given in the quoted certificate about this change?  Have you enquired of the owner of the website whether he/she has a copy of that certificate?

Over to you,

JAP

[Tillyboo]

Hi Aghadowey,

Oh, this research is becoming so difficult and confusing for me. I have just received a copy of my GG, Leah's 2nd marriage certificate from 1919 and I was shocked to see a different father's name to the one we have researched.

We have Leah's father to be Salomon Jacob Izak but the 2nd marriage certificate states her father to be Charles Izak. I have had a very quick look but cannot see a Charles in my data (http://www.mh-tempel.nl/stamboom/bollegraaf/pafg04.htm#457C) other than Salomon (Charles\Charlie) ISAACS who was Herman's (Leah's brother) son.

Maybe Leah didn't want to record her father's correct name or want to be traced/ identified because she was Jewish ? Or, maybe her father changed his name to Charles or wanted to be known as Charles. At least the Izak bit is constant. But who knows ?

My mother has confirmed some of the names within the website above as she remembers her Gran talking about them and two actually visited whilst my mum was very young.

I will check out the website you suggested, thank-you !

Hi JAP, your post has just popped up. Yes, it is indeed the website you refer to. no, it's not my site but I have since contacted the authors and so far introduced myself and given the history of my family. I will ask about the history of the change of name. Unfortunately there is no further data related to Leah other than what is listed but I could ask about her father possibly changing his name to Charles from Simon.

It's all very intriguing. I will post back when I have received a reply, the author seems very helpful and pleased I have contacted her.

Laurie

[aghadowey]

Also try Yad Vashem website (www.yadvashem.org) to search database. There are lots of Bollegraaf entries to go through but the Testimony records are especially helpful as they were filled out by surviving relatives.

[Tillyboo]

Hi Aghadowey, that sounds really interesting, thank-you. How do you know so much ? You seem to be very knowledgeable in the Dutch/ Jewish area.

I still haven't had any luck identifying where Sarah Eskildsen (Leah's daughter & my Grandmother) was born (previous posts). We now think she was born in Antwerp. Can you point me in a direction of a website that might be able to help me find her in local records ?

Laurie 

[aghadowey]

Have used Yad Vashem website to trace people that were talked about when I was a child and found it very easy to find what I was looking for in it.
Haven't done any Belgium research except for my German relatives travelling through Antwerp. Have a look at what's listed for Cyndi's List for Belgium.

[Tillyboo]

Hi Aghadowey,

News at last ! ...

I have just found a birth entry in the UK census for 1906 for the right Q for my grandmother, Sarah Eskildsen, daughter of Leah Isaacs (Bollegraaf).

She is registered as Isaacs in an area I didn't recognise so I may have by-past it at an early stage. I've researched so many names and variations of names and spellings I've lost count and the trail had got very confusing.

So, it looks like she was illegitimate and later took the name Eskildsen and Alf Shou/ Shau was not my biologcal great grandfather.

My mum was always told her grandfather was Portuguese so we couldn't understand where that had come from .... now we know.

Anyway, I've ordered the birth certificate so hopefully a better picture will emerge.

Laurie

[aghadowey]

Have just put a few misc. thoughts about Alf on other posting. Now, reading the above have a few more ideas which I will send in a pm instead of posting in the open.