Rebecca (Barofski) Diamond (abt. 1878 - 1941)

Born about 1878 in Odessa, Kherson, Russian Empire

Wife of Josef (Doerner) Diamond — married 1895 in Leeds, Yorkshire, England

Descendants

Died 1 Dec 1941 at about age 63 in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Rebecca (Barofski) Diamond has Jewish Roots.

Rebeka was born about 1878 in Odessa, daughter of Joseph Barovsky and Tamara.

She escaped from Tsarist Russia, swimming across frozen rivers and trudging through snow laden forests of pine and birch to escape the frightful Tsarist anti-semitic policies. He father hid her, her mother & sisters in the cellar to escape from being raped by the marauding drunken Cossack soldiers.

She settled in Leeds, England, a refuge for many Russian & Polish emigrant Jews at the time.

Austrian Josef Doerner married Rebecca Barofsky around 1896, in Leeds, England. Russian born Rebecca was 10 years younger than Josef. Josef was from a wealthy Jewish family in Vienna and when he took his young Russian bride to meet his family they were upset as, in their terms, He had married beneath him. Josef and his young bride left Vienna and he never saw or spoke of his family again.

Josef Doerner emigrated from England and arrived in New Zealand in 1899, where the Immigration Officer mistook the name and it was anglicised to Joseph Diamond. He sent for his wife, nine month old daughter and 2 1/2 year old son and they arrived in New Zealand in 1900. Fearing earthquakes they packed up and arrived in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia at the turn of the Century. Joseph bought a large holding in Parramatta where twin daughters Elizabeth and an unnamed girl were born, who died at birth, as well as another daughter, Dossie, in 1903. Tragically a disease wiped out their crop and they had to walk off the property, moving to Sydney where they opened a second-hand anything shop "Johnny All Sorts.

Daughter Annie was born in 1905 in Sydney, New South Wales.^[1]

Children -

David Diamond (1897–1989)

Millie Diamond (1899–1969)

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Diamond (1901–1927)

Unnamed female Diamond (1901–1901)

Dorothy "Dossie" Diamond (1903–1986)

Annie Diamond (1905– )

Walter Diamond (1911– )

Jonah "Jack" Diamond (1911– )

Jessie Diamond (1914–2007)

In 1906 they decided to move to Tasmania for the cooler climate but upon arriving they discovered there were virtually no Jewish people there and moved to Melbourne. Joseph bought a de-licenced hotel on the corner of Little Lonsdale and King Streets. The upstairs was turned into a home. Downstairs the two bars were converted into two shops, the one of the corner a second-hand anything shop and the other a new men's wear establishment.

The Diamond family lived at 282 King St, Melbourne, Victoria. ^[2] Joseph was a shopkeeper and listed as a prawnbroker in the Wills & Estates Notice.

In 1922 to 1931, widow Rebecca was listed as a pawnbroker at 280 King St, Melbourne. ^[3]

In 1931 Rebecca (mercer) lived at 107 Mitford St, St Kilda, Victoria with her son, Walter (draper).^[4]

She passed away in 1941, aged 63 ^[5][6] and was buried at the Fawkner Cemetery.^[7][8]

The Age Family Notices ^[9]

DIAMOND.— On December 1, at a private hospital. Rebecca, wife of the late Joseph Diamond, beloved mother of David, Minnie (Mrs. Greenberg). Elizabeth (deceased). Dorothy (Mrs. Segal), Anne (Mrs Brand), Walter. Yoina, Jessie (Mrs. Dabscheck), aged 63 years. No flowers, by request. Mlnyan at 107 Mitford-street, Elwood, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday am Sunday evenings, at 7.30 o'clock. May her dear soul rest in peace.

Sources

1. ↑ Australia Birth Index- Registration Number 19642/1905
2. ↑ Australian Electoral Rolls; 1909 / 1912 / 1917 / 1919
3. ↑ Victoria, Australian Directory
4. ↑ Australian Electoral Rolls; 1931
5. ↑ Australia Death Index
6. ↑ Victoria, Australia, Wills and Probate Records
7. ↑ JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry (JOWBR)
8. ↑ Find A Grave
9. ↑ The Age (Melbourne) Tuesday 2 December 1941 p 1 Family Notices

• Ancestry Family Trees
• Grandson Joe Greenberg's autobiography