Jacob Cohen was born in Kalisz, Poland, in 1850. He was Ari’s 4x great-grandfather. From his marriage certificate, we know that his father was called Moses. We don’t know the name of his mother. Jacob was a widower when he married Milly Gross on13 August 1889 at the Great Synagogue in London. His residence was given as 8 East Mount Street, and his occupation was tailor. We do not know any details of his first wife, or if he had any children with her. The marriage authorisation from the synagogue states that he has no brothers. His Hebrew name is given as Yehuda ben Moshe HaCohen.
The 1891 census shows Jacob with his wife and daughter Rachel living at 24 Green Dragon Yard in Whitechapel. Included in the census record are a married lodger, Fanny Michaels (a tailoress from Poland), and her two daughters, Rebecca (6) and Rachel (4), as well as Jacob and Millie’s two-week-old son, Morris.
They were at the same address in 1901. By this time, three more children had been born. Annie Rosa (born in 1893) died as a baby but Jacob (16) and Solomon (14) are listed and are at school. At the same address are two other families.
Jacob died at 24 Green Dragon Yard on 30 January 1907, at the age of 57. His occupation was given as master tailor, and cause of death was exhaustion and pulmonary tuberculosis.
He was buried at Edmonton Cemetery.
The Hebrew reads: Here lies Yehuda son of Moshe HaCohen Died 15 Shevat 5667 May his soul be bound up in the bond of (everlasting) life.
Ari, this is how you are related to Jacob:
