I have just done an update mainly with the family photos. I have found and scanned several unpublished old photos and reorganised them. I've correctly identified all the faces I the photos. Do look at them in the ALBUMS and you can view them in several differnet ways.

Now if you click on a person all the photos asociated to them appear.

As and when I find more they will be added.

I would always welcome your input with events, photos, comments or anything you think useful.

Henry

We have found the marriage certificate and Kassuba of my paternal grandparents, Solomon Barnett and Kate Joel. Also the birth certificate of Rebecca Joel (1886) whose mother was Rosetta Joel née Levy (b 1851). Her father Israel Levy, who married a Francis Phillips, would have been born around the begining of the 1800's and was a direct descendant of the founders of Levys the Matzo Bakers (I believe originaly from Leeds) The company was founded in 1710 in the reign of Queen Anne. This, I am delighted to say, confirms what my father always said that we can trace our family back to the days of Queen Anne almost 300 years ago!

This also helped me solve the mystery of who and how many were the siblings of my grandparents, Solomon and Kate. Until my sister and I cleaned our grandparents stone in Willesden cemetary we had no idea that they had any.

THIS ARTICLE WAS CHANGED 20th February 2009

I have recently published a family tree on myheritage.com It is the Isaacs Joel Barnett Family tree. Barnato was a change of surname from Isaacs.

I have been looking through all the census available available online. I could not find Sidney, my father, Rachel, his sister or Solomon Barnett their father, nor could I find him on any of the earlier census. I have however found the date of Kate Joel's marriage to Solomon Barnett, (my grandparents) and hopefully can get further back on Solomon Barnett's side.

From the headstone, the date of birth for Solomon would be 1868 or 1869 depending if he was born before or after Jan 22nd 1934 (date of death)
and Kate would be 1883 or 1884 depending if she was born before or after March 29th 1941 (date of death).

It was always auntie Raie that said we were related to the famous Barney Barnato and I have done a bit of research.

Barney Barnato was in fact born Barnett Isaacs, his father was Isaac Isaacs and Barney had a brother Henry and three sisters, Sarah (related to Esther Rantzen), Elizabeth and Catherine. Catherine had married Joel Joel. That was in 1911. It was with Henry that he made a fortune in S Africa. Their uncle who kept a pub in Mile End Road the “The King of Prussia” gave Barney some capital to send him to South Africa to join his brother. Apparently a box of expensive cigars that were rotten! Also in South Africa was his nephew, Woolf Joel. Henry was actually staying with his uncle in the pub when the 1871 census was taken and left for SA the same year. Barney followed two years later.

Woolf Joel 1863 -1898 was the son of Joel Joel 1836 - 1895 and Catherine Isaacs 1840 – 1917. He is mentioned as Harry’s and Barney’s nephew on the commemoration plaque that was at the old Middlesex Hospital site.

Joel Joel's brother Coleman Joel was my Great, Great Grandfather OR my Great, Great Aunt was Barney Barnato's sister. Our connection is here, Raie said we never got any of the fortune as Coleman Joel came back from SA with no real money not liking the way the diamond trade was conducted.

My paternal grandfather Solomon was a Barnett and is not connected to the Isaacs, Solomon or Joel families. The confusion is the name Barnett common to both families. In ours a surname, in theirs a change of name using a first name “Barney” and adding “To” which became Barnato.