A Jacobs Family History
Simeon Henry Abraham

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Name Simeon Henry Abraham Birth 20 Nov 1854 St Pancras, London, England [1, 2]
Address: 32 Mornington Place, Hampstead Road, St Pancras - Fact Flags: Preferred
Gender Male *AKA Sydney Henry Braham Census 7 Apr 1861 Marylebone, London, England [3]
Age: 6y - Relation to Head of House: Son
As Braham
Census 2 Apr 1871 Clerkenwell, London, England [4]
Age: 17y Address: 34 Claremont Square, St James, Clerkenwell - Relation to Head of House: Son
Comm'l Clerk
As Sydney H Braham
Occupation 2 Apr 1871 Clerkenwell, London, England Commercial Clerk Age: 17y Court Case 28 Feb 1879 Morpeth, Northumberland, England [5]
- Sydney Henry charged with Assault on Morpeth Mayor
Census 3 Apr 1881 Grantham, Lincolnshire, England [6]
Age: 26y Address: Mid Lent Fair - Relation to Head of House: Head
Showman, Conjurer
As Sydney Braham
Court Case 17 Dec 1890 Burton-on-Trent, England [7]
- Sydney Henry, manager of Bostock's Menagerie, charged with cruelty to a horse.
Newpspaper Entry 16 Feb 1891 Bristol, Somerset, England [8]
- Interviewed as part of an article on Van Dwellers.
Manager of Bostock's No. 2 Menagerie at the time.
Census 5 Apr 1891 Milverton, Somerset, England [9]
Age: 36y Address: Dulton Field, Milverton, Somerset - Relation to Head of House: Head
Showman
as Sidney Braham
Occupation 5 Apr 1891 Milverton, Somerset, England Showman Age: 36y Miscellaneous 20 Feb 1896 Dalton Junction, County Durham, England [10]
- Present in a photograph taken at a menageries sale at Dalton Junction. From Hamlyn's Mangerie Magazine
Court Case 6 Jul 1896 Edinburgh, Scotland [11]
- In court case regarding an incident which occured 29 Apr 1895.
He was manager of E H Bostock's menagerie
Case was against Bostocks and it involved an elephant and a horse.
Case adjourned.
Miscellaneous 25 Sep 1897 Westport, Mayo, Ireland [12]
- Tuam Herald
Lion keeper in Braham's Menagerier injured
Miscellaneous 27 Aug 1898 Ashton under Lyne, Lancashire, England [13]
- Note in 'The Showman World' column of the The Era
Miscellaneous 9 Sep 1898 Meath, Ireland [14]
- Adverts for Braham's Great American Menagerie
List of animals
Miscellaneous 22 Nov 1898 Drumcondra, Ireland [15]
Miscellaneous 4 Nov 1899 Meath, Ireland [16]
- Advert for Braham's Menagerie
Newpspaper Entry 30 Dec 1899 Belfast, Northern Ireland [17]
- Brief entry in 'The Era' saying that Sidney Brahams Mammoth Menagerie was at the Christmas Carnival
Miscellaneous 21 May 1900 Dundee, Scotland [18]
Address: Greenmarket - Comment about the menagerie, immediately followed by comment from residents regarding the wild beast show near where they lived.
Newpspaper Entry 5 Jan 1901 Edinburgh, Scotland [19]
- Sydney Braham's premier menagerie
Census 31 Mar 1901 Kirkmabreck, Scotland [20]
Age: 46y Address: Adamson Square - Menagerie Proprieter
6 labourers incl Ezra McKenzie
Occupation 31 Mar 1901 Kirkmabreck, Scotland Menagerie Manager Age: 46y Court Case 29 Oct 1902 West Hartlepool, Durham, England [21]
Address: Market Yard, Lynn Street - Bankruptcy
Lists debts and assets
Census 2 Apr 1911 Radcliffe Bridge, Lancashire, England [22]
Age: 57y Address: Wakes Ground - Showman
Ancestor Count 19 Descendant Count 60 Reference Number BR 0042aP Reference Number BR-J _UID 7C4F7768C2534CA7B763C18BF4C503A67A20 Death 28 Aug 1913 Shanagary, Eire [23, 24, 25]
Age: 58y - Fact Flags: Preferred
Burial 30 Aug 1913 Cloyne, Eire [26]
Age: 58y Address: St. Colman's Cathedral Person ID I209 Jacobs Last Modified 25 Apr 2025
Father Lewis Michael Abraham, b. Abt 1828, Plymouth, Devon, England d. 27 Dec 1897, Walworth, London, England
(Age 69 years)
Mother Hannah Jacobs, b. Between 1823 and 1826, St James West, London, England d. 9 Jul 1870, Clerkenwell, London, England
(Age 47 years)
Marriage 18 Feb 1852 London, England [27]
Address: New Synagogue - Married in the New Synagogue according to the rites and ceremonies of the German & Polish Jews
Parish of Great St Helens, London
Looked in Jewish Chronicle Feb 1852 for marriage of Lewis M Abraham and Hannah Jacobs, but no BMDs at this time.
Family ID F105 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Elizabeth Ann McKenzie, b. 3 Jan 1855, Hoyland, Yorkshire, England d. May 1944, Wallasey, Cheshire, England
(Age 89 years)
Marriage 17 Jul 1879 Glasgow, Scotland [28]
Address: 62 Waterloo Street - He: 8 Broad St, Glasgow
She: Vinegar Hill, Camlachie, Glasgow - Marriage took place at 62 Waterloo St.
Children 1. Herbert Braham 2. Lewis de Francis Braham, b. 30 Jul 1880, Exhibition, Cattle Market, Kilmarnock, Scotland d. Abt 1881 (Age 0 years)
3. Sydney Henry Braham, b. 24 May 1881, Market Deeping, Lincolnshire, England d. 25 May 1881, Market Deeping, Lincolnshire, England
(Age 0 years)
4. Sydney Lewis Braham, b. 30 May 1882, Market Park, Kinross, Scotland d. 15 Jul 1961, Bridgend, Glamorgan, Wales
(Age 79 years)
5. Arthur Henry Braham, b. 16 Sep 1884, West Derby, Liverpool, Lancashire, England d. 21 May 1960, Wythenshawe, Manchester, Lancashire, England
(Age 75 years)
6. George Albert Braham, b. 29 Oct 1886, Leicester Area, England d. 20 May 1954, Wallasey, Cheshire, England
(Age 67 years)
7. Annie Braham, b. 26 Jan 1888, Westoe, South Shields, England d. 6 Nov 1948, New Brighton, Wallasey, Cheshire, England
(Age 60 years)
8. Edward Francis Braham, b. 11 Oct 1890, Dundee, Scotland d. Between Jan 1891 and Mar 1891, Norwich, Norfolk, England
(Age 0 years)
Family ID F63 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 8 Mar 2020
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Event Map = Link to Google Earth
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Photos HamlynsMenagerieMagazine
This copy of the photograph is from The National Archives and is not for publication on the website.
Reference: COPY 1/424/3
Description:
'Photograph entitled: 'Group of buyers at the sale of Bostock's Menagerie at Dalton Junction, 20th [February 1896]'.
Copyright owner of work: James Worthington, 34 Lansdown Place, Lewes. Trading as A M Bliss…Photo - Braham Family Group Photo - Sydney Henry Obit (1913)
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Notes - Born as Simeon Henry Abraham
1879 - Printer Compositor (Journeyman) - Marriage Certificate
1880 - Exhibitor - Lewis de Francis' Birth Certificate
1881 - Showman and Conjurer - Census
1882 - Travelling Exhibitor of Birds - Sidney Lewis' Birth Certificate
1890 - Menagerie Manager - Edward Francis' Birth Certificate
1897 - Believe he started own menagerie about this time - see 1902 Bankruptcy
Age 24 at Marriage
Was driving his wagon in Ireland when the shaft pin broke, he was thrown to the ground and the wagon went over him, killing him. - His History
On his marriage certificate:
he gives his father as Lewis Braham, Clothier
he names his mother as Annie Braham nee Stevens - deceased.
In the censuses (1881, 1891, 1901) he is pretty consistent:
DOB calculates out to 1855
Place of Birth: London (1881), London-Hampstead(1891), England (1901)
I have never been able to find a birth for him - either as Sydney H Braham or Abraham.
I can find no record of a Lewis (A)Braham marrying an Annie Stevens at the right time for his birth.
This leaves me very few possibilities:
1. He lied on his marriage certificate
2. The marriage cert was mis-transcribed - unlikely because I saw the original at Edinburgh
3. He was adopted by Lewis Braham & Annie Stevens - still unlikely because I haven't found Lewis and Annie marrying.
4. There is another family of Brahams:-
Lewis Michael Abraham married Hannah Jacobs in 1852
They had 4 children that I know of.
Simeon Henry was born in November 1854 in London
In 1871 Lewis Michael is now calling himself, and the children, Braham
He is a widower, so Hannah Jacobs has died by this time. (Between 1860 and 1871)
Simeon Henry is now listed as Sydney Henry
It is possible that:
a) Lewis remarried after Hannah's death, to Annie Stevens and Sydney adopted her as mother.
However, Lewis Michael is still listed as Widower.
b) Sydney Henry 'anglicised' his mother's maiden name
According to my mother:
The family name was changed from Abraham to Braham because Lewis married out of the faith. Hannah Jacobs sounds Jewish, Annie Stevens doesn't. [This now seems unlikely because when Hannah died she was called Braham, so the name change took place before July 1870]. [29] - Burial
He was buried on 30th August 1913
Cloyne Cemetary, Cloyne, Co Cork
Reverend Mr Duncan, Rector of Ballycotton - Marriage By Declaration
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In Scotland Marriage by Declaration was once quite common and remained legal and valid until 1939.
All that was required was that the couple declare their intentions before two witnesses.
The problem with Marriage by Declaration was that occasionally there were misunderstandings and deceptions that proved messy.
Issues of sobriety at the time of the declaration as well as possibility of misunderstandings about whether the declaration was of betrothal or actual marriage could put the relationship in doubt, lacking reliable witnesses.
Since the transaction was informal and unrecorded it could be difficult to prove the legitimacy of offspring and rights of inheritance if either party abandoned the relationship.
Eligibility to marry could be cast in doubt if a previous marriage was alleged but could not be proved.
The old practice of English couples running off to Gretna Green at the Scottish boarder to be married by the blacksmith, under the more expedient Scottish law presents an exciting and romantic scenario.
Gretna Green is still a very popular wedding destination but nowadays prior notice must be filed with the local registrar
- Born as Simeon Henry Abraham
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Sources - [S142] Birth Cert - Abraham, Simeon Henry, 1 Jan 1980.
- [S3242] BMD - Birth Index, 20 Jan 2017, 1854 OND St. Pancras 1b 25.
GRO Checked - [S167] 1861 Census - RG 9/0068 F113 P10 - Abraham, Lewis Michael, 1 Jan 1980.
- [S86] 1871 Census - RG 10/0392 F012 P17 - Braham, Lewis, 1 Jan 1980.
- [S1162] Sydney Henry Braham - Charged with assault on Morpeth Mayor, 2 Feb 2013.
- [S50] 1881 Census - RG 11/3231 F024 P42 - Braham, Sydney Henry, 1 Jan 1980.
- [S1166] Newspaper Cutting - Braham, Sydney - Charged with cruelty to a horse, 2 Feb 2013.
- [S1352] The Bristol Mercury - Sydney H Braham, 1 Feb 2016.
Article sent to me by Anthony Braham - Oct 2014 - [S97] 1891 Census - RG 12/1870 F067 P19 - Braham, Sydney, 1 Jan 1980.
- [S1217] Menagerie Sale, 26 Oct 2014.
Originbal information came from Anthony Braham - [S1159] Court Case - Sydney Braham - Elephant, 2 Feb 2013.
- [S1160] Newspaper Cutting - Braham, Sydney - Lion Keeper injured, 2 Feb 2013.
Cutting sent in by Anthony Braham - [S1172] Braham's Menagerie - The Era 1898, 2 Feb 2013.
- [S1163] Braham's Menagerie advert 1898, 2 Feb 2013.
Cutting sent in by Anthony Braham - 2013 - [S1165] Freemans Journal Tuesday November 22 1898, 2 Feb 2013.
Sent in by Anthony Braham - [S1164] Braham's Menagerie Advert, 2 Feb 2013.
Cutting from Anthony Braham - [S1540] Braham's Menagerie Notice - 1899, 9 Apr 2016.
- [S1170] Braham's Menagerie - Dundee Courier, 2 Feb 2013.
- [S4875] Newspaper Cutting - Braham's Menagerie 1901, 15 Aug 2022.
- [S282] 1901 Census - RD 873 Enum 005 P020 -Braham, Sydney H, 1 Jan 1980.
- [S1169] Newspaper Cutting - Braham, Sydney - Bankruptcy, 2 Feb 2013.
- [S712] 1911 Census - RG 14/23531 SN213 - Braham Sydney H, 1 Jan 1980.
- [S129] Obituary - Braham, Arthur Henry - BR 008, 1 Jan 1980.
- [S128] Obituary - Braham, Sydney Henry - BR 042, 1 Jan 1980.
- [S368] Newspaper Cutting - Sydney Henry Braham - Dying, Bef Jan 2020.
- [S1208] Tombstone - Sydney Henry Braham, 22 Sep 2013.
IN LOVING MEMORY
OF
SYDNEY HENRY BRAHAM
AGED 53
WHO DIED AUG 28TH 1913
TO LIVE IN HEARTS
WE LEAVE BEHIND
IS NOT TO DIE
Photos and details from Anthony & Peter Braham - [S141] Marriage Cert - Braham, Lewis Michael, 18 Oct 2014, 1852 JFM London City 1c 212 YES.
- [S74] Marriage Cert - Braham, Sydney Henry - BR 042, 18 Oct 2014.
Both aged 24 - [S127] Braham's Menagerie Letterhead.
- [S142] Birth Cert - Abraham, Simeon Henry, 1 Jan 1980.