Hi, I'm researching my fathers line and would love to get more information.

His name was Albert Henry Jacobs 1930 - 2013 born London, 

my grandfather was Albert Henry Jacobs 1983 - 1857 born & died in London..

My gr-grandfather was Johannes Hendricus Jacobs. Born 14th Aug 1840 in Zevenaar. He died 28th July 1921 in Charlton, London.

He came to England around 1870, I can't find him in the 1871 census so not sure if he was in England then. 

He married my great grandmother Annie Searles in 1872, in Soho, London. Then lived in London the rest of his life.

Johannes changed his name to Henry Jacobs, he and Annie had 6 children, although only three made it to adulthood. The youngest child Albert Henry Jacobs was my granddad.

Johannes parents were Johann Friedrich/Frederik Jacobs (various spellings) born 11th Dec 1806 in Zevenaar, died 20th Feb 1863 in Zevenaar. and Johanna Louisa Breitenbach. They married 1838 in Zevenaar.

My gr-gr-gr-grandfather was Johann Abraham Jacobs. born 27 June 1770 in Zevenaar. He died 8th March 1854 in Zevenaar. 

He married Johanna Louisa Breitenbach on 6th July 1795 in Zevenaar.

This is as far as I have got. 

There was a rumour in the family that our Jacobs line was Jewish at one time, I'm now wondering if it was Johann Abraham who was Jewish? I would love to find out if he was Jewish, I can't seem to get anything further back than him.

Going down my line, I have a lot of information on the children, grandchildren etc.

According to my dad, my Grandfather, although born & died in London, used to spend a lot of his time from when he was a small boy to after he married, going back and forth from London to Rotterdam, I have photo's of him in Rotterdam and on the boat going over. So so he must have had relatives in Rotterdam.

So basically, I need any help on Johann Abraham's parents or further back, and if he was Jewish or not. Also I would love to find any living relatives.

Thank you

Sandra

Johanna Louisa Breitenbach, dochter van Johannes Abraham Breitenbach en Christina Gertruij Pas, overleed in Zevenaar op 16.8.1836 - zij is op 13.3.1774 in Zevenaar geboren.

Johann Abraham was Jewish when he was born and later converted to Christianity. He was baptized in Zevenaar on May 17, 1795 (25 years old). Johann Abraham was a butcher. His father's name was Jacob. Johann Abraham and Johanna Louisa had 7 children. Zevenaar, kerkelijke documenten

His baptism. It says that he was 25 years old, that he was previously Jewish and that his name until then was Abraham Jakobs.

EDIT two minutes late...

https://gw.geneanet.org/mariojvisscher?lang=nl&pz=louise+theodore+albertine+amalie&nz=de+lange+boom&p=johann+abraham&n=jakobs

says 

He converted in 1795 to Christianity, being Jewish, and was baptised at the age of 25.
I think, by this occasion the name Johannes was added.

It is also the end of the line. It is in my humble opinion impossible to search for a jewish butcher just called Abraham Jacobs.

Johann Friedrich Jakobs was baptized in Zevenaar on Dec. 22, 1806 [here]. He married in Zevenaar on Aug. 4, 1838 to Friedrika Wilhelmina Meussen [here]. They had 10 children (all born in Zevenaar between 1838 and 1859).

The english word butcher has two meanings in 18th century Dutch, slachter and slager

Roughly speaking a slachter travelled around along farms to professionally kill cattle and cut it into usable pieces.
A slager most of the time had a shop, where he sold meat, that he bought himself from farmers.

Abraham Jacobs initially was a slachter, which means, that he travelled daily, and perhaps was born somewhere else in Europe,

i.e. Germany, Poland, etc.

By way of concise summary:

______________________________________________________________________

Jacob                                                                        great-great-great-great-grandfather

______________________________________________________________________

JACOBS, Johann Abraham                                    great-great-great-grandfather

= JAKOBS, Abraham

27-6-1770 Zevenaar  -  8-3-1854 Zevenaar

Occupation: butcher 

17-5-1795, Zevenaar: baptism; conversion Jewish -> Christian

6-7-1795, Zevenaar: X  BREITENBACH, Johanna Louisa  (Zevenaar 13-3-1774 - 16-8-1836 Zevenaar)

(7 children)

________________________________________________________________

JACOBS, Johann Frederik                                             great-great-grandfather

= JAKOBS, Johann Friedrich

Zevenaar 11-12-1806 (birth), 22-12-1806 (bapt.)  -  20-2-1863 Zevenaar

4-8-1838, Zevenaar:  X MEUSSEN, Friedrika Wilhelmina 

(10 children, 1838-1859)

___________________________________________________________

JACOBS, Johannes Hendricus                                      great-grandfather

= JACOBS, Henry

Zevenaar 14-8-1840  -  28-7-1921 Charlton, London

1870 ca., UK : immigration

1872, Soho, London: X SEARLES, Annie  

(6 children)

___________________________________________________________

JACOBS, Albert Henry                                             grandfather

London 1883  -  1957 ? 

Relatives: in Rotterdam

___________________________________________________________

JACOBS, Albert Henry                                             father                      

London 1930  -  2013 

___________________________________________________________

Information on Jewish people in Zevenaar from the 17th century: https://jck.nl/joodse-gemeenten/zevenaar, and https://levenindeliemers.nl/verhalen/110-vijfhonderd-jaar-joodse-gemeenschap-in-de-liemers

Memories van Successie, Kantoor Zevenaar, d.d. 1854-03-08 (scan 49)

1) Henriette Jacobs, widow of Abram Verbruggen, living in Wageningen.
2) Willem Christoffel Jacobs, slager (butcher), Zevenaar
3) Frederik Jacobs, slager (butcher), Zevenaar
4) Carel Poortman, being married with Louise Jacobs, Zevenaar

children and heirs of Abraham Jacobs.

Signatures:

Wow! Amazing, thank you all so much for the information,

Thank you also the explanation as to the different meaning of  Slachter and Slager.

It is a massive brick wall that has been broken down for me. 

I am so pleased to actually see the document when Johann Abraham was baptised into Christianity. Which proves the family stories of there being Jewish in our Jacobs Line.

I have the marriage for Johann Abraham Jacobs & Johanna Louisa Breitenbach, I also have 7 children for them, and I have all their childrens descendants.

I was Baptised Church of England, as was my father, as was his father. I can't seem to find the baptism of my g-grandfather Johannes Hendricus Jacobs, so not sure what religion he was baptised in to, I assume it was Dutch Reformed and Civil Congregation?

Thank you all again, for the amazing information. I really appreciate it.

Johannes Hen(d)ricus Jacobs was probably baptised Dutch reformed (Nederlands hervormd) as were his siblings, but his mother was baptised Roman Catholic, as the Bevolkingsregisters/Population registers from e.g. Rotterdam show (were his mother later lived with a sister and brother of Johannes H. Jacobs).