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Leeds, Oxford and Watford.

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  • Leeds, Oxford and Watford.

    I was born in Watford in early 1960s, an unplanned pregnancy from a woman separated from her husband and a man of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. I was adopted, but have gleaned the following brief biographical details from my birth mother: that my birth father owned or ran a shop that operated in a parade of shops in South Oxhey. She is reluctant to share anything else with me.

    Hi everyone


    DNA strongly suggests that his biological father was a member of the Lebedun family from Varena Lithuania and that his mother was also Lithuanian from Rasheini with a last name of Serif/Harrif/Rose.




    My birth father (born perhaps 1910) was likely conceived in Lithuania (his parents perhaps not being married to each other), and came to England, most likely to Leeds where his mother's sister lived. His mother's sister was a member of the Lithuanian Jewish community at New Briggate Synagogue.




    In Oxford in 1940 he produced another illegitimate child (my half-sister - whose mother had lodgers from all over the world). I am trying to untangle the connection and consider whether he would have been a member of a particular community, and would that community still have records of him or his parents.




    Please help me piece the puzzle together.

  • #2
    What records and where have you looked for this man? It sounds like you know quite a bit about him already.

    Comment


    • #3
      It sounds like you might have to hire a researcher in lithuania to try and find some records.

      Comment


      • #4
        I have looked at birth, marriages, deaths. I have looked in the Kelly's directories in Hertfordshire for drapers shops and even had one of shop owner's daughter do a dna test for me. I have been down the non dna route, but have come to a standstill.

        I have contacted older people from South Oxhey to see if they remember any Jewish families who owned shops in the 1960's. I am currently going through the GRO index for births between 1900 and 1910 with the birth mothers name Rose/Serif.

        Yes I think I will have to find someone who is specialised in Jewish immigrants from Lithuania. I will do some research into that.

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        • #5
          What databases are your autosomal DNA results in? The usual recommendation is to "fish" all the ponds (23andme, AncestryDNA, familytreeDNA, gedmatch; also LivingDNA, especially since you're in the UK).

          I assisted a woman to find her bio-dad who was half Ashkenazi. I know she is active in Jewish Facebook group(s?) and received assistance there - would you like me to inquire which ones?

          Great that you have found a paternal half-sister. First, it should help identify each of your paternal DNA segments and sort your matches into mom-or-dad groups. In fact, I hope she has tested and has also moved her results to all the ponds. But her info also gives you more record data points to search for the bio-dad - and her birth is near the 1939 registration. Can you pinpoint her bio-mom in 1939? Any chance that the bio-dad could have been in the same neighborhood?

          The focus of the record search (apologies if you already know this): about 9 months before each of your births, locating the mother, then locating likely men who would have been in the area at the time.

          DNAADOPTION.com is a website founded for people searching for a bio-parent. Their techniques are well researched, and I think they may provide some support, too. Also, there is a "project" on familytreeDNA.com for adoptees.
          Last edited by PhotoFamily; 28-01-22, 16:34.

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          • #6
            have you identified the shops? I guess he possibly only worked there? I do have a friend that was born in Watford and spent her childhood there.
            Carolyn
            Family Tree site

            Researching: Luggs, Freeman - Cornwall; Dayman, Hobbs, Heard - Devon; Wilson, Miles - Northants; Brett, Everett, Clark, Allum - Herts/Essex
            Also interested in Proctor, Woodruff

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            • #7
              Yes have identified some of the shops but need to know what Jewish Families were working or owned the shops, especially drapers in the 1960's. I have already looked in to Super Linens, but could do with knowing who owned it in 1959. Langer's were next door to Super Linens and there was supposedly a men's shop on the other side of Super Linens, I don't know who owned that, and can't find any details about it. All these shops were in South Oxhey. I'm not sure if he just worked in one of these, or owned the shop. All my mum would tell me is that he was Jewish and about 50 years old at the time. If your friend remembers anything, please could you let me know? I would very much appreciate it. Also if my mum wasn't telling me the truth then it could be any of the shops in South Oxhey.

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              • #8
                Photo Family

                I have downloaded my results from Ancestry to all the sites that I can. My highest results are still in Ancestry. I have separated dna matches in to maternal and paternal sides, and have come to the conclusion that I now need an specialist or someone in Leeds who knows about the Jewish people coming over from Lithuania from about 1900 to 1911.

                Yes would be good to know what sites she is on.

                Thankyou for the other info.

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