Looking for Woodham(s) family, England
darianzam
I am trying to make a connection with a branch of the family that settled in England, which I don't seem to be able to find out anything much about, so I suspect they changed their name.
My great-uncle Myer's son Isaac Louis Slatopolsky (1904-1980), known as Issie, left Glasgow where my Ukrainian family were settled, and married Catherine Violet Woodhams at Paddington, London in 1929. Catherine's parents were Arthur John Woodham, and Mary Catherine nee Croot. The couple were living in Ely, Cambridgeshire at the end of the 1940s.
They had two sons that I know of; Frederick John, and Louis M., born 1932, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.
Frederick adopted his mother's name and married Queenie Eileen Winfield (1928-1973) so the branch descended from him as Woodhams. I should point out the s is often left off the end in documentation meaning that the name Woodham is often used.
Something interesting I found whilst writing this is that Frederick John was born three years before Issie and Catherine married, and his birth was registered as Frederick J. Woodhams. This indicates he was born out of wedlock. I also noticed that Catherine's sister Kathleen Marjorie Woodhams had a child Frederic John born 1926 with an unknown partner. It's possible, especially as the mother's first name is not mentioned in the birth entry - that it was Kathleen's illegitimate child and that Issie and Catherine took him in and treated him as a son.
Whether Louis changed his name to Woodham - or something else perhaps - I don't know, but it's likely as almost all my family did so they sounded less Jewish. It was a common practice to have a gentile name or just outright change your name to something Western sounding.
Both (half?) brothers had a number of children as well as grandchildren. It's really Louis's side I am more interested in since I have no information at all, as well as he is the legitimate blood line.
There is a tree set up on Mundia for this branch, and most of it is private; contacting the owner has led to no response.
I've included all the surnames surrounding the Woodhams branch.
by darianzam
Profile | 
Research |
Contact | Subscribe | Block this user on 2014-06-26 07:08:03
Social historian, writer, artist.
Comments
Woodhams on 2014-08-28 06:13:57Hi, my name is Ian Woodhams and I'm Frederick John Woodhams's youngest Son. We have tried to research the family tree but have always come unstuck due to the Father of Frederick John (known as just John) not being known. We did find out that Kathleen died a few days after giving birth to my Dad aged just 17 and she was a clerk at London Brick Company and living at 4 Oundle Road, Peterborough. Issie and Catherine were living at Fleet, Holbeach, Lincolnshire whilst I was growing up.
Woodhams on 2014-08-28 06:17:18Hi, my name is Ian Woodhams and I'm Frederick John Woodhams's youngest Son. We have tried to research the family tree but have always come unstuck due to the Father of Frederick John (known as just John) not being known. We did find out that Kathleen died a few days after giving birth to my Dad aged just 17 and she was a clerk at London Brick Company and living at 4 Oundle Road, Peterborough. Issie and Catherine were living at Fleet, Holbeach, Lincolnshire whilst I was growing up.
darianzam on 2014-08-28 08:06:48Hello Ian, thanks so much for getting in touch. Another successful story from Family Tree Circles!
What a sad story about your grandmother. So I guess I was right that he was taken in by your aunt and uncle. I don't think you will find the information. It was in most cases meant to remain unknown. We have had the same problem elsewhere in the family tree in that it is impossible to find out, especially when people have passed on and taken the information to the grave. Most have the idea that everyone was much more prissy back in those days but having children out of wedlock was far more common back then than people think.
I have since found some information on you and your brothers and sisters, but that's all the progress I made.
My connection is Myer's brother Morrie (Maurice)married my great aunt Hasia. Everyone called her either Cassie or Chessie. There were a number of Issies in the family which gets a bit confusing. Isaac was a name passed down for generations.
I'm interested in anything you recall of the Slatopolskys at all. I am guessing they changed their name perhaps to Slater?
Look forward to hearing more.
darianzam on 2014-09-21 04:28:11Ian I have a picture that may be of Max (Myer) Slatopolsky, I'd like to send you, and see if you recognise that face.
darianzam on 2017-01-15 11:23:19Hi Ian, it would be great if you could get back in touch with me as I still have some questions about the family, such as what happened to Issie's son Louis. You can email me darianzamdesign at gmail dot com