Bloom family

Kalonymus Bloom

Kalonymus Bloom, born in Poland around 1745 is the earliest known member of the Bloom family. At present, there is no further information on Kalonymus and his family, apart from his son, Solomon.

Solomon and Leah Bloom

Census and other records indicate that Solomon was born in Poland around 1786. At some time prior to 1828 in Poland he married Leah. Solomon, Leah and their daughter Ann emigrated to Merthyr Tydfil between 1826 and 1828.

Solomon worked as a pawnbroker, and it is likely that the Bloom family were part of the business Harris and Bloom pawnbrokers mentioned in Slaters 1858/1859. Three of the Bloom children married a spouse with the surname of Harris, but apparently from three different families. It is not clear which Harris family (or indeed families) were the Harris of Harris and Bloom.

They lived together in a number of locations in Merthyr Tydfil. At the time of the 1841 Census they lived at 166 Albert Street, and ten years later they lived at several houses in High Street (1851 Census).

Solomon and Leah’s children were:

• Ann, 1825 (Poland)
• Abraham, 1828
• Isaac David, 1831
• Jacob, 1832
• Sophia, 1836
• Maria, 1839

Deaths of Solomon and Leah

Solomon died at the age of 96, on the 28th March 1864, in Trevethin, Pontypool, Monmouthshire. His death certificate shows that he died of “natural decay” and his son Jacob Bloom was the witness. Solomon is buried in the Old Cardiff Cemetery.

Leah lived for another fifteen years. She died at the age of 85, on the 21st February 1879, at 29 Charles Street, St. John, Cardiff, Glamorganshire. Leah’s death certificate shows that her son-in-law, Simon Harris was the witness.

Ann Bloom and Ephraim Harris

Ann Bloom was born about 1826, while her parents were still living in Poland. On the 3rd November 1845, she married Ephraim Harris in Swansea. Ephraim Harris was born in Austria in 1819, and died on the 23rd February 1888, in Manchester. He worked as a watchmaker. Ann and Ephraim had 8 children: Cecile Hinda, Sarah, Isaac, Amelia, Riseman, Ray and two others for which the names and dates are unknown.

Abraham Bloom and Miriam King

Abraham was born in 1828, in Merthyr Tydfil. Abraham worked as a painter and glazier. On the 20th January 1850 he married Miriam King, in Merthyr Tydfil. Miriam, born in Bristol in 1831, was a milliner. Abraham and Miriam had a large family of ten children: Hinda, Amelia, Rebecca, Emanuel, Isabella, Barnett Lionel, Annie, Cecile, Soloman and Leonora. Abraham died in Newport, Monmouthshire on the 22nd March 1903, and Miriam also died there on the 2nd August 1908.

Isaac David Bloom and Hannah Harris

Isaac was born in Merthyr Tydfil in 1831. Isaac worked as a glazier. In 1857, he married Hannah Harris in Merthyr Tydfil. Hannah was born in London in 1837. They subsequently had three children: Selina, Esther and Emanuel Joseph. Miriam died on the 24th January 1899 in Newport, Monmouthshire and Isaac also died there on 7th March 1906.

Jacob Bloom and Leah Himes

Jacob was born in 1832 in Merthyr Tydfil. Jacob worked as a painter and glazier. On 16 February 1859 Leah married Jacob Bloom, in the house of Yantub Levi, Glebeland Street, Merthyr Tydfil, with the ceremony performed by Harris Isaacs.

Census records show that Leah was born approximately 1827 —1829 in Devon, Exeter. It appears that the Himes family shifted there from London and remained there for a number of years before returning to London again.

They had one child, Laura Sarah, whose birth certificate records as being born on the 26th July 1862, in St Mary, Cardiff. The family emigrated to Wellington, New Zealand in 1879. Leah died on the 25th May 1900 at Wellington, and Jacob died there on the 4th November 1918.

Sophia Bloom and Jacob Isaacs

Sophia was born in Merthyr Tydfil in 1836. She married Jacob Isaacs on the 26th May 1858 in Cardiff. Jacob was born in 1830, and worked as a pawnbroker. Sophia and Jacob had 4 children: Isidor, Eli, Sarah and Hinda. Sophia died on the 1st July 1888 in Stratford-on-Avon, and is buried in the Whiton Jewish Cemetery in Birmingham.

Maria Bloom and Simon Harris

Maria was born in Merthyr Tydfil in 1839. She married Simon Harris on the 4th August 1858 in Merthyr Tydfil. Born in Germany in 1828, Simon worked as a pawnbroker. Maria and Simon had 6 children: Sara, Solomon, Emanuel, Rebecca, Abraham and David.

Later Generations and Further Bloom Family Information

There are further pages containing more about the New Zealand descendants of Jacob and Leah Bloom. Their daughter, Laura married John Foley. Laura ran a dance studio, and became well known as “Madame Foley”. John and Laura had five children, including Gertrude who married George Klee.

Many Bloom descendants remained in the United Kingdom, while others emigrated to South Africa and the United States.