Family Ashmele

Family Notes...Morris Freedman and his brothers.

Jacob Freedman (great-uncle)...

Jacob Freedman, the son of Nathan Freedman and Jessie-Freda (surname unknow) was probably born 1871 in Augustow, Poland. He was given the Hebrew name Yaacov Zelig ben Nisan after both his grandparents He came to England in the 1890s presumably with his parents and brothers, living at Great Garden Street and and taking employment as a tailor.
In March 1895, Jacob married Annie Wisenberg, a 20 year-old London-born spinster (and daughter of the late Elkan Wisenberg, tailor) at the East London Synagogue, Mile End Old Town. They had (at least) two children - Henry (b.1896) and Edward (b.1897). Homes included Great Garden Street and Rupert Street in Whitechapel, and Settles Street in Stepney.

Jacob died sometime after 1924.

Morris Freedman (grandfather)...

Morris Freedman, son of Nathan Freedman and Jessie-Freda (surname unknow) was born August 1877 in Augustow, Poland and was given the Hebrew name Moshe Dov_Ber ben Nissan. Morris received no formal schooling, and in 1892 he was brought to England by his mother. From 1892 until his marriage in 1909, Morris lived at Great Garden Street in the East End of London with his parents and brothers. 

In August 1909 Morris married Yetta Freizeit/Fraser, a 22 year-old tailoress (and daughter of Avraham Freizeit also from Augustow), at the Great Synagogue, Bethnal Green in London. They lived at Pedley Street in Shoreditch with their children - Louis(b.1910), Anne(b.1912), Ray(b.1914) and Sadie(b.1916).  During 1917, they lived briefly at Wellclose Square, Cobb Street before moving to Commercial Road. Morris was declared medically unfit for military service, and was employed in the manufacture of khaki army uniforms.

In 1904, at the age of 27, Morris started tailoring on his own account. In 1921 he opened a boot shop at New Cut in Lambeth (rent £80pa), and in 1923 he opened a ladies tailoring business and another boot shop at Lower Marsh in Lambeth (rent £120pa). From 1923 to 1932, Morris and his family lived above the shops. In 1930, he opened yet another boot shop at Ladbroke Grove in west London (rent £100pa), and in 1932, he bought the property at Lower Marsh in his wife's name from the Southern Railway Company for £1450. Morris was assisted in these businesses by Yetta, a seamstress in her own right, and his family.

Morris was fined ten shillings at Tower Police Court in September 1926 for "failing to have the licence of a motor vehicle in a waterproof container". He was fined five shillings at the same court in December 1927 for "allowing a dog to be at large without a name on its collar", and a further ten shillings for "allowing a ferocious dog to be at large".

Morris applied for UK Naturalization in 1932, but after forty years in the UK he was still unable to read or write the English language except for his own signature.  The Home Office officials wrote "The applicant cannot write in any language; he cannot read manuscript in any language; he can however read printed Yiddish...If he could not read printed Yiddish, we should not hesitate to naturalize him, but it is suggested that that his ability to read printed Yiddish brings him under the disability which attaches to those who are less proficient in English than in a foreign language. On this view, while we should be prepared to naturalize him if he were entirely illiterate, his small amount of education in Yiddish is to prove a stumbling block.". The report concludes "The man is quite a good subject for naturalization and the fact that he can read printed Yiddish and cannot read printed English...does not turn the scale against him.". Naturalization was granted to Morris in December 1932.

In 1943 Morris and Yetta were living at Clifton Court in Maida Vale, London. After their children married and left home, they themselves moved to Filey Avenue in Stoke Newington, London.  At the time of his death in 1956, Morris and Yetta were living on the Barnsbury Estate, Caledonian Road in Islington.

Morris was a short man - just 5"1'. He died October 1956 age 77 in Shoreditch, London of coronary occlusion due to atheroma, and was buried at the Jewish Federation Cemetery at Rainham, Essex. The inscription on the headstone reads "Here lies Moshe ben Nissan  15 Cheshvan 5717. In loving memory of Morris Freedman died 19th October 1956 aged 77. Deeply mourned by his dear wife, son, daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, brother, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, relatives and friends. Peace to his dear soul."

Morris Freedman died in October 1956 and was survived by one brother - but which one?

Israel Freedman (great-uncle)...

Israel Freedman, the son of Nathan Freedman and Jessie-Freda (surname unknow) was probably born 1882 in Augustow, Poland. He came to England in the 1890s, presumably with his parents and brothers, living at Great Garden Street and taking employment as a cabinet maker.

Hyman Freedman (great-uncle)...

Hyman Freedman, the son of Nathan Freedman and Jessie-Freda (surname unknow) was probably born 1885 in Augustow, Poland. He was given the Hebrew name Chaim Natan ben Nisan. He came to England in the 1890s, presumably with his parents and brothers, living at Great Garden Street and taking employment as a cabinet maker.

In September 1911, Hyman married Mary Schaffer, a 19 year-old fur machinist (and daughter of the late Hyman Schaffer of Austria, painter and decorator) at Philpot Street Synagogue, Mile End Old Town. They had three children - May Frances (b.1912), Henry (b.1913) and Jack (b.1916). Homes included Hackney Road and Brick Lane.
Hyman was a witness at the wedding of his niece Anne Freedman to Woolf Shear in April 1931.

 Page last updated  ..  30 March, 2004