Joseph Cohen (abt. 1877)

Born about 9 Jul 1877 in Antopol, Belarus

Descendants

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Joseph was a Tailor

Biography

Joseph was born in 1877 to Hyman & Sarah Cohen. His birthplace was Antopol, Russia (modern day Belarus). His wife, Fannie, was from Minsk. There is indication that they married around 1897 and initially had two children:

1. Frederick (b. 1897)
2. Charles (b. 1901)

They likely moved south to Briceni, Bessarabia, Russia (modern day Moldova/Ukraine) before heading further south to depart for England from the port of Constanța on the Black Sea, about 1901. They settled in Kensington where they were living with two of his brothers, Charles and David. Joseph and his brothers were tailors and they may have worked together under Joseph. He filed for UK naturalization in 1904 while living at 5 Convent Garden in Kensington; however, the family immigrated to Ontario, Canada, two years later. Fannie gave birth to a daughter shortly thereafter:

1. Ethel (b. 1908)

The family moved briefly to the Bronx, NY, where Joseph established a tailor shop, but they were back in Ontario beginning about 1911. They were living at 191 Baldwin Street in 1913 and at 157 Lippincott Street in 1918. He continued working as a tailor throughout this time.

In 1923 Joseph and Fannie moved back to the States, settling in Brooklyn, NY. They filed Declarations of Intent to become naturalized US citizens in the following years. He was described as having a fair complexion, 5'10" tall, 150 lbs, with light brown hair and blue eyes. She had a fair complexion, 5'4" tall, 109 lbs, with brown hair and blue eyes. He was working as a porter and she was listed as a housewife. However, by 1931 they were once again living on Lippincott Street in Toronto, and Ethel was living with them.

Sometime between 1935-1940 they moved to 92 Senior St. in New Brunswick, NJ. Joseph was working as a cutter in a dress factory and Fannie was a seamstress. In 1942 he listed his employer as "Cohen Brothers and Glasman" at 125 30 Street, New York City, NY. He was described as 5'8" tall and 175 lbs with black hair, gray eyes and a ruddy complexion

Fanny passed away sometime between 1942-1950. Joseph moved to 259 Peshine Ave in Newark, NJ. He was the proprietor of a retail clothing store.

Research notes

Birthplace. Joseph lists his birthplace as "Brochan" and indicates it was his last foreign residence on his US DoI. He later spelled it "Brichan, Russia" on his 1942 WWII draft card. Fannie's DoI spells it "Berchein". They are likely referring to Briceni, Bessarabia (Moldova). However, there is no mention of Bessarabia in his UK Naturalization record, and instead Antopol is indicated as his birthplace. This latter suggestion is supported by his son's 1918 WWI draft registration card. This fits with them leaving Antopol and moving south to Briceni, which is directly on the way to Constanța (see below).

Spouse. Joseph's wife is consistently listed as "Fannie", but her family's surname appears as "Grebove" on Ethel's 1932 wedding record, as "Greenberg" on Fred's 1923 marriage record, and as "Rosenberg" on Charlie's 1929 wedding record.

Coming to America. Additional uncertainties arise from Joseph's and Fannie's 1923 US Declaration of Intentions to become naturalized citizens. First, they state they are living together but give two different addresses. They also state that their last foreign residence was Brochan/Berchein, Bessarabia, Russia, but it should be Canada (and before that England). They say they embarked on a vessel named "Canada", which is presumably SS Canada of the Dominion Line, but there is no indication that that ship ever sailed to Rhode Island. I suspect that they emigrated from Liverpool to Quebec between 1904-1909 on the SS Canada. They also state that they emigrated to the US from "Constance, Rumania": presumably Constanța, Romania. This would make sense if this is when they went to England, since Constanța is a port on the Black Sea and they would have traveled through Briceni to get there. They then could have sailed to England via the Bosporus Strait, Mediterranean, and the Strait of Gibraltar.

Brothers. What happened to his brothers? Did they travel to the US? This could be a record of his brother Charles, which would suggest the family moved from Antopol to Minsk, which would explain how Joseph met Fanny. But more is needed to back this up. There are some additional records that could also be his [1] [2].

Children. There is a family accounting of another daughter: Lila Cohen (b. abt. 1910). However, she is conspicuously absent from the family's entries in the 1911 & 1921 Canadian census records. Was Lila Joseph's daughter or perhaps a niece?

Misc. Joseph's 1925 DoI is the only instance where we see indication of an occupation outside of his training as a tailor. It also indicates that Joseph moved between Canada & NY multiple times. This raises the question if this was a different Joseph Cohen. A comparison of the 1925 DoI and the 1942 WWII draft card helped dispel this possibility. At first glance, the signatures do not match, but a closer look at the 1925 DoI shows he originally signed it J. Cohen, and this faded signature is a match to the 1942 draft card.

There is an entry for Joseph & Fanny Cohen in the 1905 NY State census. They are of the correct age and are from Russia. So this looks like them, but Joseph's 1909 border crossing stated he had never been to the US before and, more notably, this census lists their children as: Mamie (age 7), Hymen (age 5), Rose (age 2), and Kate (age 4 months). Living with them is a sister named Lily (age 17). Although Lily is listed as a tailor, Joseph was listed as a peddler. So I don't think this is them, but it is important to note that there are two Joseph & Fanny Cohen's in NY of the same ages at the same time [3].

Sources

• 1901 UK census lists Joseph Cohen (age 26), his wife Fanny (age 25), two children (Fred, age 3, and Charles, age 10 months), his brother Charles (age 20, single), and his brother David (age 18, single) living in Kensington, England. He and his brothers were tailors, but he was listed as an employer whereas his brothers were listed as workers [4].
• 1904 UK naturalization record states he was an alien residing at 5 Convent Garden, in Kensington, working as a tailor at age 29. He was a Russian that had been living in Antopol prior to his immigration. His parents were Hyman & Sarah Cohen (also both Russian). He was married with two children (Frederick, age 7 & Charles, age 4). His wife's name was not indicated [5].
• 1909 border crossing of Joseph Cohen from Canada to US on the ship "Virginian" (presumably the R.M.S. Virginian) that departed from Quebec and arrived Niagara Falls, NY (departed 25 May 1909; arrived 24 Jun 1909 [6]). He was born in Antopol, Russia. Age 34, 5'7" tall, fair complexion, brown hair and brown eyes, 160 lbs. He could read and write. Occupation tailor, race Hebrew, nationality Canada, last permanent residence Toronto, Ont. Wife was Fanny living at 2022 Trinity Square in Toronto. Never had been to US before and was headed to NYC to see his brother, "Davis" at 210 Delancey Street [7].
• 1910 US census lists Joseph Cohen (age 34), Fannie (age 34), and 3 children: Frederick (age 11), Charles (age 9), and Ethel (age 2). They were renting a house in the Bronx, NY. They had been married 13 years and immigrated in 1909. They both listed themselves as Russian-Yiddish born, and listed all four parents as Russian-Yiddish born as well. They both could speak, read, and write in English. He was a tailor who owned his own shop [8].
• 1911 Canadian census lists Joseph Cohen (age 35; b. March 1876) with Fannie (age 34; b. May 1877) and 3 children: Fredie (age 14; b. May 1897), Charlie (age 11; b. May 1900), and Ethel (age 3; b. May 1908). They were living in Toronto. They both listed themselves as Jewish-Polish born in Russia-Poland. He was a tailor [9].
• 1913 record of his son's border crossing to US indicates that Joseph was living at 191 Baldwin Street [10].
• 1918 WWI draft registration card for his son lists his father as "Joseph Kahn" born in Antopol and currently living at 151 Lippincott Street in Toronto, Canada [11].
• 1921 Canadian census lists him (age 44; tailor), Fanny (age 44), and 3 children: Fred (age 24; music student), Charlie (age 21; clerk), and Ethel (age 13; student). They were living at 157 Lippincott Street in Toronto. He, and both parents, were listed born in Poland, while Fanny and her parents were born in Russia. They were all listed as Jewish [12].
• 1925 US Declaration of Intention indicates he was age 47 with a fair complexion, 5'10" tall, 150 lbs, light brown hair, blue eyes, and no distinctive marks. He was working as a porter, living at 261 S 2nd Street, Brooklyn. He was born in "Brochan", Bessarabia, Russia, but emigrated from Constance, Romania, on the vessel "Canada". He was married to Fannie, who was born in Minsk, Russia. He arrived in the port of Providence, RI, on 01 Oct 1923 [13]. His wife filed a declaration at the same time [14].
• 1931 Canadian census list Joseph Cohen (age 55) living with Fannie (age 55) and Ethel (age 22) in a rented home on 107 Lippincott Street (?) in Toronto. All three are listed as Jewish. He and Fannie listed their birthplaces, as well as the birthplace of all of their parents, as Russia. He was working as a tailor in a clothing factory [15].
• 1940 US census lists him (age 62) & Fanny (age 62) living at 92 Senior St. in New Brunswick, NJ. They were also noted as living in Brooklyn in 1935. Birthplace for both was Russia. He was working as a cutter in a dress factory and she was a seamstress [16]. 92 Senior St was available to rent in Jul 1940 [17]. Joseph was still living at 92 Senior St. in Feb 1943 [18], but by Aug 1943 the apartment was again up for rent [19].
• 1942 WWII draft registration card for Joseph Cohen (age 64, b. 15 Jun 1877 in Brichan, Russia. Contact was Mrs. Fanny Cohen. He wrote their address as 92 Senior St, New Brunswick, NJ, but sometime later that was crossed out and written on top of the card was: 736 Georgia Ave, Brooklyn, NY. His employer was "Cohen Brothers and Glasman" at 125 30 Street, New York City, NY. He was 5'8" tall and 175 lbs with black hair, gray eyes and a ruddy complexion [20].
• 1950 US census lists him (age 72; b. Russia; widow) living at 259 Peshine Ave. in Newark, NJ. He was the proprietor of a "Retail House to House Clothing Sales Co" [21].

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Mark Cohen, who discovered Joseph's UK naturalization record.