Re: Albert Heymanse Roosa the Jew
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In reply to:
Re: Albert Heymanse Roosa the Jew
Larry D. H. 8/07/00
The "rabbinical" comment came from the late Sullivan Co., NY historian, Bert S. Feldman, who died early last year and left no notes on the matter that I know of.He claimed in an article that the ROOSAs of New Netherlands were a "rabbinical family". Two other historians, commenting on the purchase of some land in NY from the Indians, named one of the purchasers as "Arien ROOSA, a Portugese Jew".I've tried to get hold of one of those historians, without success.A Dutch ROOSA family genealogist noted a very early family "legend" that the family fled from Spain to the Netherlands in the early 1500's (1530, according to the deceased father of one ROOSA correspondent of mine -- who also claimed a "Portugese" connection), but that Dutch family historian chose offhand to disregard the family "legend", preferring to think his ancestors were "hard-working" Dutchmen (At one point, the Jews in the Low Countries were accused by the courts of not being engaged in any useful occupations).A helpful young Dutchman did look up some court records in the Teil region from the 1500's, and a connection of patronymics could be conjectured: Heyman ROOSA (b. ABT 1588, the immigrant) < Guysbert (b. ABT 1560) < Goert (b. ABT 1530) < Heimen (b. ABT 1500) -- but please note that this is just conjecture; no wills are involved, etc., which would establish for sure who was the son of whom.At any rate, the name "Heymnan" doesn't seem to appear there until after ABT 1540, corresponding well with the "1530" estimate of the time the ROOSAs were to have arrived.
On the other hand, "Heyman" does seem to be a very common Dutch name -- gentile as well as Jewish -- and I have no way of knowing whether or not some "Jewish" connection could be found.Also, some in the family have objected that Heyman's brother (as I recall) Abraham, as well as his uncle Arien de Jongh, were burgomasters, that his father Guysbert was a ward in the DRC in Herwijnen and that he himself was a member of the DRC consistory in Esopus, saying that Jews would have been barred from these positions.I personally don't believe that is true, since even the "church" positions were strictly civil appointments based on favors done to the Lord or Governor -- and certainly open to men of wealth such as the ROOSAs, who are able to make doors for themselves (Benjamin Disraeli seemed to do just fine in this regard).
So the mystery remains, though I don't plan any heroic efforts to solve it.Shalom chaver :-)
More Replies:
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Re: Albert Heymanse Roosa the Jew
Sharilyn Whitaker 5/19/03
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Re: Albert Heymanse Roosa the Jew
Quirt Lowe 5/29/02
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Re: Albert Heymanse Roosa the Jew
11/20/00
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Re: Albert Heymanse Roosa the Jew
11/20/00
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Re: Albert Heymanse Roosa the Jew
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Re: Albert Heymanse Roosa the Jew
Larry D. H. 8/08/00