Knowles Collection: blog, updated database

Todd Knowles, of the Knowles Collection database of British Isles Jewish records, was in Australia with Tracing the Tribe. We both presented at the excellent Australian National Conference on Jewish Genealogy in Melbourne this spring.

In real life, he's a reference consultant in the British Research unit at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. During his search, he's gathered records of the Jews in the British Isles, and he hopes people will share the stories of their own families.


The Collection now has a blog, making it easier for interested readers to learn about database updates.

Todd also has a research blog dedicated to his grandfather, where he posts the various records he has discovered about the family.

He's been trying - from a young age - to gather as much information as possible about his Jewish great-great-grandfather Morris David Rosenbaum (photo left), born in Fordon, Bavaria (Prussia), on July 11, 1831. He was the only son of David and Sarah (Barnass) Rosenbaum, and had six younger sisters: Fanny, Hannah, Lenah, Ernestina, Minna and Huldah.

Fortunately, for Todd, Morris kept a journal titled "The Life and Times of Morris D. Rosenbaum." Don't we all wish our ancestors had done that?

In this post, he details Morris' early life and arrival in the US. From New York, he went to Philadelphia, to New Orleans, eventually arriving in San Francisco after travelling through Cuba, Panama and Mexico.

When I discovered the new Knowles Collection blog, I left a comment for Todd and he's just emailed me with an update to the database.

Todd will also be presenting at JGSLA 2010, the 3oth IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, July 11-16, in Los Angeles.

In his email, he shared this news with me:

"...the Knowles Collection has continued to grow beyond my wildest dreams. It currently sits at 75,000 names. Sometime next week the collection will be updated and expanded.

So many people have asked to have their own families included that it will now be five databases: Jews of the British Isles; Jews of the Americas, Jews of Europe, Jews of the Caribbean and Jews of Africa and the Orient. The new total is roughly 115,000 names.

Some of this credit goes to you for the nice comments you have made in the past, I am grateful to you for those."

Thank you, Todd. Tracing the Tribe also appreciates your support over the years!