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Archiver > ALT-GENEALOGY > 2000-08 > 0965264648


From: Robert Heiling <>
Subject: Re: on Genealogy Warning
Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2000 18:04:08 -0700


borray wrote:

> >I think you have some more research to do.
> >
> >Bob
> >
> >
>
> Thanks for your clear answer Bob.
> The reason for the namechange is clear to me.
> That ancester wanted to become a member of the citycouncil,
> and exaxtly on the date he became a member he changed his name.

There must be a clue in that, but I can't think of what it might be at the
moment. Perhaps there are experts in Dutch government law for that period who
might have some tips. Changing the name did not change the person!

> The documents before, he used borray and after he used borra.
> Also outoff those days I have the laws that forbid the jews in that city to
> have those kind of public functions.

Then are you saying that he would have been identified as jewish (and
forbidden) if he had kept the surname "borray" , but was not so identified by
using the surname "borra"? That's doesn't make much sense at all, because the
people who knew he was jewish couldn't be fooled by such a name change. Perhaps
( and I'm only guessing) there was a family by the name of Borray which was
unpopular in town and he got around that problem by changing to Borra? (here
again, I'm only guessing).

> About the direct line to that man named jacob I have a familyregister
> with all the generations, complete with several documents/person,
> that's not my problem.

I should be so lucky!<g>

> My problem starts in 1600, but I cannot find in the 'Sephardic connection'
> of those days the name borray .
> I used copernic 2000 to find borray all over the world and I discovered
> a few in north-america and I heared from them that they came from south-
> america and I found a man in Israel with the name borray who told that
> the name came from Syria and was used by Jewish and some Arabic
> families.
> This is the point I stand now, do you have any suggestions?

Try some variations on town name spellings at:
http://shiva.pub.getty.edu/tgn_browser/ If they were Sephardim, then there
could be many possibilities. Websearches give a number of hits, but your
research will not be easy as you know already. If there is an alphabet change
as from the Syrian, then your difficulties are compounded. I can only suggest
the numerous translation & spelling variations from different languages &
countries for you to check out. Contact with other people of your suname (and
variations!) would appear to be your best chance.

Good luck!

Bob

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