Israel Meller

Israel Cline naturalised in 1904 at the same time as David Meller, the husband of his older sister Sarah, with whom he has always lived in England. I surmise that he regarded them as 'parents', which explains why he not only adopted the name Meller, but that he claims on his application for naturalisation that his own parents were the same as David's, ie, Joseph and Betsy from Riga.

He married in 1905, when he was aged 25, a fancy goods salesman, of 12 Bell St Cheetham. Gives father's name as Louis Meller - a general dealer - who is this? Barnet, his brother, was his witness, with Annie Fink's brother, Samuel.

In 1911 I can find no trace of them in the census - perhaps they were away?

Notification of his death was by his brother in law, M. Fink, then living at 59 Cluny St, Cheetham.

According to Richard Glass, Israel's grandson, Israel was the baby of the Cline siblings.

If I have it right and his mother Rachel died in 1888, he was only 8 years old. Who then looked after him? There was a rumour that there was a step-mother he didn't like. Perhaps then he came to stay with Sarah, his sister?