Dear Readers,
I thank you for taking the time for taking a gander at my post. This is in reference to my mother's maiden last name of Estelow. She is originally from Burlington, NJ. It is a family tradition that the first Estelow in the U.S. was one of the Hessian (Hesse was a German principality) soldiers so infamously used by King George the Third against the American colonial army. Now I took 3 years of German in high school and the word "Estelow" (pronounced "ESS-ta-lo") always struck my ears as sounding very un-German (I hope those who know German will corroborate this for me). About the most I could do was concoct a theory that it was possibly an Anglo-Americanization of "Oeste Loewe" which means "East Lion" in Germany. However, I am unaware of any such possible surname extant among Germans. Furthermore, it is certainly an odd phrase or name.
Some light was shed on the matter when I looked at some old censuses via some web-site a few years ago (I forget which one). Apparently, the name was originally spelled "Estilo". This just so happens to be Spanish for "style". This confused me. If the family tradition is true, and yet this is a Spanish name, what was a Spaniard doing fighting for Hesse who was in turn fighting for England.....in America? Now, as an aside, I have always had a fascination for anything pertaining to Jewry. What was half-hunch and half-wishful thinking led to my idea that this Estilo was possibly of Sephardic Jewish extraction (i.e. Jews from Spain). It is known - I hope history buffs will corroborate this for me - that the Jews were kicked out of Spain in 1492. Some of them moved across the straits of Gibraltar to North Africa, others to the Netherlands. I am unaware of whether any of them moved to any of the German lands.
So my question, aimed mainly towards those knowledgeable of History, is: Were there Sephardic Jews who moved to the German principality of Hesse? Would some of these Sephardim have fought in the Hessian Army?
I am certainly not aware if any of my ancestors were practicing religious Jews. The Estelow/Estilo family which my mother comes from were Anglicans traditionally. However, knowing a little history, I am aware that many Jews (particularly those of Spain) converted to Christianity - the so-called Marranos/Conversos. I am also aware that it was not uncommon for some of these converts to choose, in particular, the Anglican/Church of England Communion. I believe Benjamin d'Israeli was of this variety (again, history buffs: correct me where I am wrong).
Thank you for your help and time!
I thank you for taking the time for taking a gander at my post. This is in reference to my mother's maiden last name of Estelow. She is originally from Burlington, NJ. It is a family tradition that the first Estelow in the U.S. was one of the Hessian (Hesse was a German principality) soldiers so infamously used by King George the Third against the American colonial army. Now I took 3 years of German in high school and the word "Estelow" (pronounced "ESS-ta-lo") always struck my ears as sounding very un-German (I hope those who know German will corroborate this for me). About the most I could do was concoct a theory that it was possibly an Anglo-Americanization of "Oeste Loewe" which means "East Lion" in Germany. However, I am unaware of any such possible surname extant among Germans. Furthermore, it is certainly an odd phrase or name.
Some light was shed on the matter when I looked at some old censuses via some web-site a few years ago (I forget which one). Apparently, the name was originally spelled "Estilo". This just so happens to be Spanish for "style". This confused me. If the family tradition is true, and yet this is a Spanish name, what was a Spaniard doing fighting for Hesse who was in turn fighting for England.....in America? Now, as an aside, I have always had a fascination for anything pertaining to Jewry. What was half-hunch and half-wishful thinking led to my idea that this Estilo was possibly of Sephardic Jewish extraction (i.e. Jews from Spain). It is known - I hope history buffs will corroborate this for me - that the Jews were kicked out of Spain in 1492. Some of them moved across the straits of Gibraltar to North Africa, others to the Netherlands. I am unaware of whether any of them moved to any of the German lands.
So my question, aimed mainly towards those knowledgeable of History, is: Were there Sephardic Jews who moved to the German principality of Hesse? Would some of these Sephardim have fought in the Hessian Army?
I am certainly not aware if any of my ancestors were practicing religious Jews. The Estelow/Estilo family which my mother comes from were Anglicans traditionally. However, knowing a little history, I am aware that many Jews (particularly those of Spain) converted to Christianity - the so-called Marranos/Conversos. I am also aware that it was not uncommon for some of these converts to choose, in particular, the Anglican/Church of England Communion. I believe Benjamin d'Israeli was of this variety (again, history buffs: correct me where I am wrong).
Thank you for your help and time!
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