Family with Jewish connections in 16th century Wolston?

[Coxxy]

Hi

My son (aged 14) has been asking me about our Family history and so I recounted to him the aural history from my Mum's side - she was a LISSAMAN - of two brothers coming from Eastern Europe and settling in Birmingham and Coventry - they were silver smiths. So I think that I am the source of the information that you found on Google.

The Romany info is interesting as the LISSAMAN's seem to be happy to travel. My LISSAMAN ancestors from the west midlands emigrated to USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND.

In an attempt to identify the place from where they emigrated to the UK I came across this town in Poland:

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

I think its name of LISSA is post the emigration date so probably not relevant.

Regards

Mark

Thank you for the replies, I was just thinking that what is said makes perfect sense, but then whilst rummaging for the surname on Google I came across this family tale which I was unaware of.  The two brothers I believe are said to be silversmiths.  Not sure what to make of it, maybe the family had no Jewish origins, but did arrive from Eastern Europe at some point.  I also read that the name had been found in old German records.  Brain full of question marks now, will sign off and ponder .......

'Some of my ancestors were LISSAMAN's from Wolston, Ryton-on-Dunsmore and elsewhere in Warwickshire. In the 1800's a lot of them were carpenters, joiners or involved in the building trade..................... The oral history handed down in the LISSAMAN family was that two brothers came to England from Eastern Europe. They may have been Jews. One settled in Birmingham and one in Coventry - these are the two places where most can now be found. The 1881 census for the Uk has only 209 LISSAMANs including, variants, and the 1901 has a similar number. LISSAMAN is not an English name. It looks like if the story is true then they came to England before 1700.'

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?action=post2;start=0;board=38

[Coxxy]

Hi

My LISSAMAN line starts with Thomas (1629-1711 of Brandon), Thomas (churchwarden 1718 Wolston), William, Benjamin, Edward, James (m Eliza HERITAGE), and then Thomas H (my Great grandfather)

Hi

My line is Roger, Josiah, Thomas, William, Benjamin, Sarah, then another five generations before me

[maesyseren]

Hi - James LISSAMAN Eliza HERITAGE are my GG grandparents and your great grandfather Thomas H was the brother of my great grandfather Charles Arthur, whose daughter was my grandmother.  I think your Mum's account of the two silversmith brothers is fascinating, and it's interesting to see that Warwickshire is still mostly where the surname is found.  Also interested by the idea of a Romany connection, although these Lissamans seem very settled in Wolston for several generations.

[Lissaman]

Hi not sure if anyone is still reading this but I am a Lissaman from the Wolston area (well Rugby).

I can tell you that our surname is not Jewish and links back to 7th century England, the Lissaman branch actually comes from Rugby and spreads out from there. The reason it is known in Wolston is because of my branch of the family (fathers side) were all brought up in Ryton, it was a large family with a unique surname (I am the only Lissaman with my first name and from what I have searched there has never been another with it, it is also a fairly common name).

[Coxxy]

Hi Lissaman

Yes I'm still reading the thread.

Thanks for posting. Always good to hear from another Lissaman, especially one that is still in the original area. I'd be very interested in hearing more about the history of the family pre 17th century.  My great x6 grandfather Thomas Lissaman was buried in Ryton on 29 Dec 1750.

Regards Mark

[maesyseren]

Hi - still reading too and would also be interested to know more of the history of the family :-)

[Graham Whitehead]

There were Lissamans in Stoke. Coventry at least until the 1970s.  They were Non-Conformists.

[kat1069]

Hi
I've never posted before but was doing a search for my grandmother, Gladys Lissaman who lived in Coventry. We didn't know the origin of the surname but it appears to feature heavily in the Coventry area and surrounds. The family were stonemasons and other trades. Be good to know any more about the name. Thanks for posting about Lissaman as I live in Australia now and have never heard the name outside West Midlands.

Kat

[AmyDC]

For Kateblogs — I read w/ interest your family was originally Todero from Italy. My mother’s maiden name is Todaro and her family is from Licata, Sicily. There are Todaros throughout Sicily and they are rumored to be of Spanish descent.

Do you think the Toderos and Todaros are one and the same? If so, do you have any additional information?