Michael / Meijer Philip / Peis Phillips

מאיר בן אורי - Meir son of Uri (Feiss) / MIchael Phillips

CAVEAT - although quite possibly the case, it is not yet proven beyond doubt that Meyer son of Philip / Feis in Amsterdam is the same man as Meir b. Feis / Uri Feiss (Michael Phillips) of London, who was married (in 1826) at the New Synagogue there, within the same years as two of Feis’s other children - Naphtali Hirtz b. Uri Feiss / Nathan Phillips (in 1824) and Elizabeth/Beletje/Bula b. Uri Feiss (in 1828). Records show Meir b. Feis of Amsterdam and Meir b. Uri Feis of London were born in approximately the same year, but certain proof that they were the same person still aludes us. It is notable, however, that no birth or other record appears to exist in London for another ‘Meir’ / ‘Michael’ Phillips of the same age.

Meyer Philip Peis Frankfort, birth 31 Dec 1795 Amsterdam, 'Circumcisions and Births in Amsterdam 1697-1811, by Jits v.Straten': on 28 Teveth 5556 [7 Jan 1796] - circumcision of Meyer ben Peis ben Hirts from Frankfurt in the great synagogue^ - in Jits van Straten's own published volume this is recorded as: - B 28 te 5556 Me'ir Fijs Hirts in de Grote Sjoel uit Frankfurt (28 Tevet 5556 / 9th January 1796, Meyer son of Feis son of Hirts, in the Great Synagogue - from Frankfurt).

It seems that Meyer moved to London, like his brothers Lazarus (Eliezer Lazer) Phillips, Nathan (Naphtali Hirtz) Phillips and Lewis (Yehuda Leib) Phillips, and his sister Elizabeth (Bula / Beletje) Phillips who married Ezekiel Abraham(s). He appears to be the same man as Meir / Michael Phillips – born c.1796/7 (based on 1841, 1851, 1861 & 1871 Censuses). His marriage is recorded in the Ketubot records of the New Synagogue, London: Meir son of Uri Feiss = Leah daughter of Abraham our Father, 23 Aug 1826; he signs his name Meir ben Feiss. Leah is noted as a convert, hence her father being referred to as 'Abraham our Father'^^. Leah & Michael had one child, a daughter, also called Leah.

Michael Phillips died 12th January 1885 and was buried in West Ham Jewish Cemetery where his headstone can be found, and his name inscribed in Hebrew as Meir ben Feiss. His death certificate records his age at death as 90 years, and his former profession as Pencil Maker. But the inscription on his headstone gives his age at death as 88 years - clearly one of these is incorrect, but a median figure of 89 would be spot on for Meir who was born in Amsterdam.

This is the same Michael Phillips / Meir’s grand-daughter, no doubt named after her grandmother: Leah Phillips (Leah b. Yitzhak Yehuda), daughter of Isaac Phillips (Yitzhak b. Meir) born 8th Dec 1854, at her grandparents and parents' home, 6 Gravel Lane, parish of St. Botolph, Aldgate, London^^^.

Sources:

^ [http://dutchjewry.org/genealogy/ashkenazi/10480.shtml]

^^ 1. The New Synagogue, London – Ketubot records, ref: BSNSK 105: [http://synagoguescribes.com/blog/] copyright Angela Shire). 2. also The Susser Archive: The New Synagogue Duplicate Ketubah Book, transcribed and translated by Rabbi Dr Bernard Susser.

For an explanation of the use of the term 'Abraham our Father' for converts see: [https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ask-the-expert-conversion-...]

^^^ Birth Records of The New Synagogue, London (1771, 1774-1896) - transcription by Harold & Miriam Lewin; page 578. Synagogue Scribes provide the same information, ref: NSB P027: [http://synagoguescribes.com/blog/] copyright Angela Shire), except with two differences: in the latter the address is given as '4' Gravel Lane rather than '6' - the address given in the Lewins' transcription is the correct one. In the Lewins' work, Leah's patronymic is given as 'Leah b. Yitzhak Yehuda' whereas in the Synagogue Scribes version it is given as Leah b. Isaac, without the 'Yehuda'. The style and spelling of names do differ between the two sources e.g. 'Isaac' and 'Yitzhak', but this is not of fundamental significance.