"Help" The Infamous Ikey SOLOMON, London,NewYork,Tasmania.

[Neil Todd]

Can anyone help please. I have been researching an arm of my mothers family. It has led me down through a web of lies on BDM certs here in Australia to the Parents of my Great Grandmother.

She was Louisa Solomon b1855 where? she states New York, she was the daughter of a John Solomon & Mary Steven. She married in Melbourne Victoria in 1872. On her Marriage Cert it gives her parents names and place of birth. Through other court documents found in newspaper articles, I have also found a tie to the Solomons of Tasmania."Extremely interesting family" Ikey (Isaac)Solomon of Charles Dickens and Bryce Courtney fame ended his life of crime there after being sent to Tasmania. His wife Ann was imprisoned there as well and their eldest Son JOHN followed her from New York to Tasmania.

Is this John the same as my GGGrandfather

What I am trying to find out where John was born, London or New York, where he married and to whom. Not much of an ask, is it

Neil

[PrueM]

Hi Neil,

The Australian Dictionary of Biography has an article about Ikey Solomon:
http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020422b.htm

It states that Ann's four youngest children were sent with her to VDL when she was transported, and that her two eldest (including John) emigrated in order to stay with her.  They all left from England and it seems that only Ikey went to the USA in order to escape arrest.  He then came to VDL of his own accord before being finally arrested there, taken back to England to be tried, and then transported back to VDL!

It looks like John was born in England, then...the article doesn't mention any family for him, and I can't see any marriage or children to him in the Tasmanian Family Links database: http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx?search=8 (although that is not definitive).

Have you searched any other Australian records for the birth of Louisa?  There is one born in Tasmania (Launceston) in 1845, but her parents were Aaron and Frances.

You might also need to search passenger lists to see if you can spot John Solomon coming in to Australia to be with his mother and siblings.  If you're lucky he will be on an existing list, and if he's with a wife and children they may be listed also.

Perhaps a request for help on the Australia board might give you some more leads to go on?

Cheers
Prue

[tedscout]

Have you read wickipedia about Ikey Solomon

It says when he was given his ticket of leave in 1835 his 2 eldest sons seem to have left VDL by that time.

Also have you thought of contacting Bryce Courtenay who wrote the Potato Factory about Ikey and his wife Ann. - he may have done some research on their family.

  Ted

[Neil Todd]

Thanks Prue, Understanding the web that has unfolded has been difficult. An item on Louisa Solomons first child "Thomas 1875" to her Husband m 1872 "Charles Barker White Messenger" seemed strange. In the details of mother on the BCert it says Mary Solomon formerly Davis. It has no such referance on her m Cert.
When i checked newspapers it came up with a referance to a Louisa Davis nee Solomon. None of the certs I have; have all the correct details, they told lies on them. I will continue to check in Australia, but the referance to her father being a Mariner has me worried.
Thanks Ted, he is not taking my calls......
Neil

[OzJane]

Hi Neil.
A few years ago a relative included some information on the Solomons in a Family History for private distribution.
Ikey Solomon married Ann Julian who was transported arriving in Hobart in June 1828 followed by her sons John and Moses. After Ikey came out they had other children, including Sarah. Most of this you have. My distant cousin seems to have used information from "Australian Genesis". I have no details on that, however if you PM me, I could send you her email address - also in Australia.
She makes the point that at the same time there was a different family of Solomons in VDL, including Judah and Joseph Solomon who were transported, arriving in Hobart in Jan 1820. Joseph divorced his wife, Harriet before leaving England so either could remarry. Judah did not divorce his wife, Esther. She later arrived with 4 children which made domestic arrangements with his mistress and new family somewhat interesting.
Four of Joseph's children, Lion Henry; Mary; Sarah and Frances arrived in Tasmania later.   (Sarah is the connection with my family, Walford). Joseph later remarried.
Judah and Esther had at least 9 children in  England including a Louisa who married a John Davis at the Great Synagogue in London.  They came out to Australia in 1839 on the Juliet and settled in Tassie.  Louisa later moved to Victoria.

I don't know if any of this relates to your Solomons, there were rather a lot of them. I can, if you like give you a contact email for my distant cousin or in the first instance email you the *pdf of the history, there may well be some links somewhere. My cousin has done significant research and there may well be something in it for you.
Cheers
Ozjane

[Neil Todd]

Hi, Thanks you for your interest, the Solomons have me stumped. Louisa was supposedly born in the USA. But there seems no record of this. I would accept any help at this stage as I have almost given up. There seems to be a few fibs told in this line which makes it very difficult. I will pm my email.

Regards
Neil

[Star48]

Have just noticed your message from last year and hope I can help with your question regarding John Solomon, son of Ikey.  I am descended from a brother of John.  John was born in London in 1808, & married Elizabeth Harris in Sydney when aged 48, in 1856.  They had at least nine children, none of whom were named Louisa.  The years between his arrival in Australia in 1828 and his marriage 28 years later are well documented and were spent in Hobart until 1834 when he moved to Sydney.  He was a merchant and landowner, publican and gold dealer, which made him very rich.  (Ikey & Hannah had 4 sons and 2 daughters, all born in England.  Only a few of their descendants remained in Tasmania after 1860.)  There were at least three unrelated Solomon families in Tasmania - the largest of which were the descendants of Joseph Solomon of Evandale, Tas and his brother, Judah.  There were also prominent Solomon families in Melbourne and Adelaide. 

[Neil Todd]

Hullo Star48, Thanks for all the information. I now believe that my John Solomon is not the same John as the son of Ikey.

It would seem that my Louisa Solomon daughter of John Solomon and Mary Steven married a Mr Davis first. She then went on to marry a Mr Charles Parker White who had taken the name of Messenger from his first wife and then married Louisa He then disappears altogether and after seven years Louisa went on to marry again but used the name Messenger. All very confusing and it may never get unwound as there is no one left alive to attest the truth, Pity!

It has led me on a merry chase and I will continue to persue the truth as time allows, thanks again.

Neil

[nicky butler]

Hello star48 ....I think I'm also a descendant of ikey. ..do you know the names of the other children. ..was there John and David...because those names keep popping up in my family tree