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Hi Joneey & Chris Ho
Just want thank you both for one particular bit of info. You wrote about probate after Lewis M's death & give one of his addresses as 33 Bell St. This address rang bells with me. I looked at my Mother's birth certificate & it stated that this was the address that my grandmother was living at at the time of the birth which took place a few months before Lewis's death!
This indicates that Benjamin's family were more involved that I previously believed and confirms this is definitely the correct branch of the Mordecai family.
Your help is much appreciated.
Pam

Hi MC,

You are correct, isn't life complicated. :-S

Thank you all for this really great information, it has certainly given me something to work on!

To answer MarieCeleste's question - until she was in her 50's my Mother believed that her mothers husband was her real father. But when my grandmother died my mother found papers that showed that he had given her his name when she was very little. There was also information about her real father but her birth certificate was blank in that section.
My mother kept this information to herself until shortly before she died in her 90's and so too late for me to get much info from living relatives.
Thanks for all the help!
Pam

Jonesey, I'm pretty sure that the Annie going to USA in 1913 was a different person. Charles William Mordecai was her husband (Welsh, b 1863) and I've found them together in Connecticut on US census 1900, 1910, 1920 & 1930

Lewis (Louis) and Annie first arrived in Boston in November 1887:

Name: Louis Mordaci
Arrival Date: 27 Nov 1887
Age: 25
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1862
Gender: Male
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England and Queenstown, Ireland
Ship Name: Cephalonia
Port of Arrival: Boston, Massachusetts

Annie, Elizabeth (Bessie) and Benjamin came back to England via Boston in 1896.

Name: Mrs Anne Mordicand
Birth Date: abt 1862
Age: 31
Port of Departure: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Arrival Date: 10 Oct 1893
Port of Arrival: Liverpool, England
Ship Name: Bothnia
Search Ship Database: View the 'Bothnia' in the 'Passenger Ships and Images' database
Shipping Line: No owner or agent listed
Official Number: 86215

Benjamin's mother Annie went to America in 1913. She arrived in New York but was making for the home of a Charles William Mordecai in New Haven, Connecticut.

Name: Annie Mordecai
Arrival Date: 19 Sep 1913
Birth Year: abt 1865
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Lusitania

Pamela,

As Benjamin's father had become a naturalised American citizen in 1893 then the British Naturalisation record of a Benjamin Mordecai in 1946 that Chris Ho found earlier is very likely to be your Man:


Home Office: Immigration and Nationality Departmen... HO 334/162/18231
Naturalisation Certificate: Benjamin Mordecai. From the United States of America. Resident in London. Certificate AZ18231 issued 29 May 1946. . Naturalisation Certificate: Benjamin Mordecai. From the United States of America. Resident in London. Certificate
Date: 1946

(above from below link)

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

This chap's family have a fruit business in Edgeware Road:

World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
Name: Benjamin Mordecai
City: Cambridge
County: Middlesex
State: Massachusetts
Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts;USA
Birth Date: 1 Mar 1892
FHL Roll Number: 1685071
DraftBoard: 2

The quality of the document is very poor. From what I can make out he was single and a fruit buyer/manager.

He was employed by his mother and Mr R D Banks ?? of 550 Harrow Road, Paddington, London.

There's an address of 395b Edgeware Road, Paddington, London - may have been his last address.

Looks like he was trying to claim exemption from the draft by saying his mother and his paralysed child sister were dependant on him.

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
about Lewis Mordecai
Name: Lewis Mordecai
Probate Date: 20 Nov 1913
Death Date: 24 Oct 1913
Death Place: Middlesex, England
Registry: London, England

(of 395a, Edgware Road and of 33, Bell Street, Edgware Road. Died University College Hospital, Middlesex. Admin with Will to Annie Mordecai widow. Effects £170 10s)

Not sure about Births in USA...

Chris :)

Hello Pam, I don't think that Lewis' wife was American as she is shown as English on the 1901 & 1911 census. Not seeing an obvious marriage in England so they could possibly have wed in US.

Does it give any father's information on your mum's birth certificate, or is that part blank?

Benjamin's father Lewis Mordecai was naturalised as an American citizen in 1893:

Name: Lewis Mordecai
Birth Date: 8 Jan 1861
Birth Place: England
Age at event: 32
Court District: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont
Date of Action: 27 Feb 1893

He then returned to the UK in 1893 via Australia:

Name: Mr Lewis Mordecai
Birth Date: abt 1861
Age: 32
Occupation: Cigar maker
Port of Departure: Sydney, Australia
Arrival Date: 14 Nov 1893
Port of Arrival: Southampton, England
Ship Name: Berlin

1901:
Name: Lewis Mordecai
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1861
Relation: Head
Spouse's Name: Annie Mordecai
Gender: Male
Where born: England
Civil parish: Islington
Ecclesiastical parish: St Mary
County/Island: London
Country: England
Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Education:

Employment status:

View image
Registration district: Islington
Sub-registration district: Islington, South-East
ED, institution, or vessel: 60
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 49
Piece: 193
Folio: 139
Page Number: 39
Household Members:
Name Age
Lewis Mordecai 40
Annie Mordecai 41
Bessie Mordecai 10
Sophia Mordecai 6
Kate Mordecai 5
Arthur Mordecai 3
Annie Piggott 18

Lewis died in 1913

Name: Lewis Mordecai
Probate Date: 20 Nov 1913
Death Date: 24 Oct 1913
Death Place: Middlesex, England
Registry: London, England
Effects: £170/10/-
Probate (With will) granted to his wife Annie
Address: 395a Edgware Rd and 33 Bell St

Lewis Mordecai and Annie Lazarus were married in London in 1887

Name: Annie Lazarus
Date of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1887
Registration district: London City
Inferred County: London
Volume Number: 1c
Page Number: 121

Chris
Thanks, I think that is the right family because Ben had a brother called Arthur. I can't find anything about Lewis's wife Annie. I wonder if she is American & they got married in America - that would explain why the first 2 children were born in the USA. Anyone any idea on how to follow this up?
Pam

1901

MORDECAI, Lewis Head Married M 40 1861 Fruiterer
England
MORDECAI, Annie Wife Married F 41 1860
England
MORDECAI, Bessie Daughter Single F 10 1891
America Brit
MORDECAI, Sophia Daughter Single F 5 1896
England
MORDECAI, Kate Daughter Single F 5 1896
England
MORDECAI, Arthur Son Single M 3 1898
England
PIGGOTT, Annie Servant Single F 18 1883 Domestic Servant
England
Piece: 193
Folio: 139
Page: 39
Registration District: Islington
Civil Parish: Islington
Municipal Borough:
Address: 106a, Upper Street, Islington
County: London

Chris :)

I think that he was the Benjamin who was born in America because of the 'fruiterer' occupation. I have been told his family had a green grocers on the Edgware Road. The 1911 census does list the Ben born in America as living with his family on the Edgware road. so I am pretty sure that is him.

Thanks for all the suggestions - I am still following up some of the info that was posted.
Pam

Here's another thread posted by another member that relates to this family -

http://www.genesreunited.co.uk/boards.page/board/ancestors/thread/986139

Pamela,

If your Benjamin was the one born in Islington here is an extract from his Army Service Records:

Bejamin Mordecai.

Aged 21 years and 4 months on 16/11/1915 in Stratford, London. He was a Stock keeper living at 38 Eric St, Mile End, London.

He was 5' 6" tall, his chest was 36" when fully expanded. He had a sallow complexion, brown hair and had a mole on his left cheek. He gave his next of kin as his father George Mordecai living at 42 Diggon St, Stepney.

Initially he was inducted into the KRR but in February 1917 he was transferred to the Royal West Kent Regiment and served in India and the UEF ?. He was discharged as not being physically fit for war service on 25/6/1919. His address was the same as at the time of his enlistment. He was a private throughout his time in service.

He was awarded the British War and Victory medals which were sent to him in 1921. On discharge he was awarded a pension of 11/- per week. His conduct record appears good but on 23/11/1917 he was sentenced to be confined to barracks to 5 days for urinating in the ranks.

??

George Mordecai
England and Wales Census, 1911
birth: London City E C,? London
census: 1911 Mile End Old Town,? ,? London,? England


name: George Mordecai
event: Census
event date: 1911
gender: Male
age: 49
birthplace: London City E C, London
record type: Household
registration district: Mile End Old Town
sub-district: Mile End Old Town South Western
parish: Mile End Old Town
county: London

???

George Mordecai
England and Wales Census, 1901
birth: 1861 Islington,? London
census: 31 Mar 1901 Mile End Old Town,? London,? Middlesex,? England


name: George Mordecai
event: Census
event date: 31 Mar 1901
gender: Male
age: 40
relationship to head of household: Head
birthplace: Islington, London
record type: Household
registration district: Mile End Old Town
sub-district: Mile End Old Town Eastern
ecclesiastical parish: Stepney St Benet
civil parish: Mile End Old Town
county: London, Middlesex

George Walter Mordecai
England and Wales Census, 1871
birth: 1861 *as St Minories
residence: 1871 St George,? London,? Surrey,? England
parents: Henry Mordecai,? Eliza Mordecai


name: George Walter Mordecai
event: Census
event date: 1871
gender: Male
age: 10
relationship to head of household: Son
birthplace: *as St Minories
record type: Household
registration district: St Saviour Southwark
sub-district: London Road
event parish: St George
county: London, Surrey

Thank you to everyone for the above information. There are a few things that I didn't know and this has been really helpful.

Still love to know more about this person and the Mordecai family so if anyone can help I would appreciate it.
Pam

(could well be another Benjamin Jonesey, can see what you mean)

Chris :)

Chris,

Although the Benjamin Mordecai found by Adeline was born in the USA according to the 1911 census his father and mother were both born in England. Under those circumstances Benjamin would be a British Subject. It should not therefore have been necessary for him to apply for naturalisation.

Perhaps the chap who was granted a Certificate of Naturalisation in 1946 was another Benjamin Mordecai entirely.