Gitel and Isaac Coppel: family tree

Gitel Jette Levi (1778-1839) was only 14 years old when she had her first child, David. Her husband, Beer Behrend, suddenly died in 1803 leaving her to look after their seven children. In 1805 she married her second husband, Isaac Coppel, who lived with his mother, Bräune Coppel, in Hanover. He was respected for his social work throughout Hanover and particularly in the Jewish community of the suburb of Linden. They had five more children. Isaac and Gitel decided to send their 15 year old son, David, through the Napoleonic trade blockade between Britian and continental Europe to England to prevent his enrolment in the Napoleonic army. David initially lived in London's East-end and in 1812 joined a ships agency firm in Liverpool, first as an employee and in 1825 as a partner. He helped three more sons of Gitel and Isaac to establish themselves as dentists in England. Amongst them was Louis who worked in Manchester and in 1853 returned to Germany to live in Göttingen with his youngest daughter, Juliet Benfey. David's second son, Henry, studied medicine and practised in London. He was medical adviser and member of the managing committee of the Jewish Norwood Orphanage and published articles on education of working class youths in England.

1 folder- family tree

Donated July 2008

Donor: Mr Meyer