Emmanuel Delbast Violina - the facts so far

[Chris Scott]

Chris

The Margaret Jane Hamilton born in 1868 at Ashton under Lyne looks like a good possibility, but doesn't appear to show up in later census returns. I see you have found a baptism for her; I assume your source didn't name her parents.

Hi Chris
Sadly the MJH mentioned above was the daughter of Alexander and Margaret Hamilton...

Chris S

Name: Margaret Jane Hamilton
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 28 May 1868
Christening Date: 28 Jun 1868
Christening Place: Ashton Under Lyne, Lancashire, England
Age at Christening: 0
Father's Name: Alexander Hamilton
Mother's Name: Margaret

[Chris Scott]

Just one litlle snippet for what it's worth - and it is guesswork at that (albeit informed guesswork)!
A friend of mine who is a history "buff", having looked at the info I had on Violina gave it as his opinion - bearing in mind the forenames of Violina and his father and his father's profession - that a very possible origin for the family is that they were Dutch Jews.

Chris

[Phil Carter]

Hello Chris,

I have heard of this before somewhere, I cannot for the life of me remember where. I have the vague, (very possibly wrong though) - recalling of a court case against this man in Holland. If was a good few years ago I heard this, and as I said I could be recalling something from somewhere else. Somewhere in that rememberance is the tobacco trade as well, but this is very vague I'm afraid and put no weight on it either.

It seems such an identifiable name. The "del" part perhaps pointing towards Iberia, as opposed to Bulgaria? Manuel Del Bast?

best wishes

Phil

[Chris Scott]

Hi Phil
Thanks for the message
I have been doing some searching on line and the results cloud the issue even more!
DELBAST - this is an existing surname and appears to be almost exclusively French or French Canadian
DEL BAST - this occurs in a place name "Col Del Bast" which is a vineyard or wine growing region in southern France
DALBAST - this seems a rare surname that is Turkish
Regards
Chris

[Phil Carter]

Hello Chris,

Many thanks for the message.

Del Baste is also Spanish or Portugese as well.

So we have a possible French/Canadian/Bulgarian/Spanish/Portugese/Dutch person who is possibly Jewish, married to a lady from the Manchester area with very possibly Scottish roots.

Why do I get this feeling this is very Kelly-like? hahahaha

I have been trying to remember that Dutch court connection, but can find no notes, I'm sorry to say. It was quite a few years ago when I saw this.

One thought about the name Violinia. On researching into some Jewish ancestry for someone around the time of the pogroms some years ago, I came across the name Fidelmann. This person was a concert violinist, who, after coming to England in 1916, his name was Fiddleman, much as we today come from "Smiths", "Taylors"..or even "Carters" for that matter. Just a thought? Yet his father was a jeweller...grrr. hahahaha

best wishes

Phil

best wishes

Phil