Searching for family in Bolderaja 1830s
Hi;
I know this is long shot, but, I am searching for a man who immigrated to the United States in 1852, who was known thereafter as Joseph W. Davis. About all we know is that in a court case in the 1870s, on being questioned he said:
"“I was born between 1831 and 1832, in the small town situated on the river Dwina, not far from the city Riga, in Russia, at the mouth of the river Dwina. My parents names are not a great deal like mine, my father’s name in the Russian language was Jacob Davidovitch Youphes.”
A Latvian friend thinks that Youphes may be translatable to HIS last name Lofis, where the L is pronounced as I.
We have no idea where he came up with Davis as a surname.
We think the town he is referring to would be Bolderaja, but we could be wrong.
Any ideas?
Richard Wright
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I have another clue. Jacob says in a court case: "I started to learn my trade when I was 13 years of age, In Russia, I worked four years with one man and two years with another; and then I was journeyman for sometime in Riga."
Is there anywhere I can get a list or directory of tailors in Bolderaga or Riga in 1843 to 1852?
Richard
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Another clue - we have now confirmed that his last name was likely Jofis. That name appears on the Wall of Names in the Riga Ghetto Museum. It is likely all the family is gone.
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Have you checked Emigration and Immigration records? We are including the link to the Russia Genealogy Wiki page. There are lots of records here. https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Russia_Genealogy. Good luck to you, Richard. PaulaAnn
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