Stuck and 'Jewish' family story: true or myth?

[stewart_M]

Tomatilo

You have listed a father and a son with the same forename - Benjamin.  This is a very strong Jewish name and it's one that appears time and time again in the Jewish branch of my London family from the 1800s.

Regards

Stewart

[tomatillo]

Thankyou Stewart. I did think that Benjamin may be a clue (as one of the tribes of Israel) but wasn't sure. That's very interesting to know. Many thanks. Taylor seems such an ordinary English surname but perhaps it could be a translation at some point.

[JustinL]

I have researched my Jewish roots in great detail, and there is nothing very Jewish that I can see in the generations of your family we've seen so far.

The fact that your gggf, Benjamin George Taylor, named one of his sons Benjamin is a fairly obvious case of Christian naming practice. Jewish children were (are) given the name of deceased relative, never of a living one.

The IGI records the baptism of a Benjamin George Taylor in the Old Church, St. Pancras on 12 Jan 1835 (birth 29 Dec 1834), son of John and Mary.

A Benjamin Taylor married Emma Fooks in the same church on 25 Dec 1859.

You do really need to get some birth/marriage certs to move forwards (or backwards) with any certainty.

Justin

PS My mum's dad's ashes were interred in Golders Green cemetery. He was most definitely not Jewish; maybe someone in your family has jumped to some false conclusions.

[avm228]

I have researched my Jewish roots in great detail, and there is nothing very Jewish PS My mum's dad's ashes were interred in Golders Green cemetery. He was most definitely not Jewish; maybe someone in your family has jumped to some false conclusions.

Yes, I wondered along those lines.  Just opposite the Jewish cemetery in Hoop Lane is the (secular) crematorium, which opened at the turn of the last century.  Perhaps that's caused some confusion in the family?

See e.g.:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golders_Green_Crematorium


Anna

[stewart_M]

JustinL

You said:

"Jewish children were (are) given the name of deceased relative, never of a living one."

However I have generations of Jewish family members who passed on the names David Benjamin to their sons. 
Regards

Stewart

[tomatillo]

Many thanks for the answers. I think it's clear that more information is needed so I will order the most likely match for Francis Henry and hope it is right...

[chime]

Hi tomatillo,

I hope you get this. I would love to chat about your Taylor ancestors as I think my Mary Maria Taylor is your Benjamin George Taylors brother. Thanks