Please help me trace my paternal family beyond my father

[LizzieL]

@ Jaywit - 5% Ashkenazi Jew: Eastern Europe / Russia
4% Ashkenazi Jew: Central and SE Europe

The Myersons seem to trace back to Lithuania/ Russia. And Morris Myerson had an uncle (father's brother) called Barnett Myerson !
However before we start another wild goose chase, after emigrating to the USA he did not appear to leave. But of course he may have had a dalliance with a Grand Duchess as she and her brother, the Duke, were passing through Missouri on their way to South Africa for a holiday. 

[jellybean2894]

Ha ha - Wouldn't that be something?! I hate to say it, but am glad I'm not the only one flummoxed.
Thanks very much though

[jaywit]

' Peter's mother apparently had the title of the Grand Duchesse of Higher and Lower Savoy and her brother was the Duke D'Avignon. Peter's grandfather was believed to be Louis Woolf Barnato and was the middle of three brothers.'

Can anyone find a Duke and/or Grand duchess who were around at the right time? I'm struggling

[LizzieL]

' Peter's mother apparently had the title of the Grand Duchesse of Higher and Lower Savoy and her brother was the Duke D'Avignon. Peter's grandfather was believed to be Louis Woolf Barnato and was the middle of three brothers.'

Can anyone find a Duke and/or Grand duchess who were around at the right time? I'm struggling

Mr Google says neither title exists. Savoy was not divided into upper and Lower, but there was a duke / grand duke of Savoy as a single duchy, but later became one of the titles of the king of Italy.

Earlier it was Peter's father not grandfather who was Louis Woolf.

I think the best way with this is through DNA. Jb should start a new thread on the DNA board. giving the top paternal matches with cM, just those attributable to Peter's ancestry not his wife.

[jellybean2894]

@LizzieL - sorry that was my error - my aunt wrote it as "My grandfather" ie Peter's father but I typed it here incorrectly. She was referring to Peter's father, not grandfather.

Noted re DNA. Thanks a million everyone, and if I happen to be linked to Barney or Oppenheimer or some sort of royalty, I could type "thanks a billion"

[PatLac]

I had seen the other thread but the link says Image Restricted. Anyone?

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS74-TWYL?i=520

[jaywit]

I had seen the other thread but the link says Image Restricted. Anyone?

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS74-TWYL?i=520

Same here.

[Wexflyer]

In SA, I have made application for a birth certificate with Home Affairs but as has been pointed out earlier on this forum, we are not that good with record keeping, especially pre-1900.

This website says birth registration in Transvaal didn't start until 1901
https://www.ancestors.co.za/birth-records-south-africa/

As I pointed out previously, this is ignoring denominational records. If Jewish, then synagogues may have records of birth, circumcision or mar mitzvah. If Christian, baptism.

Seems no effort has been made to look for such? For example, there can't have been many synagogues in Pretoria at the time.

[jaywit]

History of synagogues in Johannesburg.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Park_Synagogue_(Johannesburg)