Volovitsch/Wolowitsch Family
 

The following scans of the passport of David Wolowitsch, son of Chaim , who travelled from Uzpaliai to England in 1904 were contributed by David's grandson Barry Wallis.




The passport allows Russian subject Uzpaliai meshchanin (townsperson) David Volovich and servant Nakhman Kuper to cross the border. Dated May 20, 1904 and signed by the governor of Courland.



This coupon was given by the Courland governor on May 20, 1904 to Uzpaliai meshchanin (townsperson) David Volovich and servant Nakhman Kuper. The stamp dated May 29 shows when they crossed the border.

 

(Thanks to Alan Shuchat and Jewishgen's Viewmate for the translations.)

Photos of the Wolowitsch Family
David Wallis, nee Wolowitsch, was born in 1877 in Uzpaliai, son of Chaim and died in Sheffield, England in 1918, during the influenza epidemic.  His second wife was Taube Iofe, born in 1878 in Kupiskis, daughter of Shimel Iofe.  David and Taube were married in Kupiskis on February 1, 1902.

We don't know the name of David's first wife but they did have a daughter Janie, born in about 1895.  She left Sheffield in 1914 to go to Cape Town, South Africa, where she married Israel Scholnick. Janie died in 1976 and Israel, probably, in 1957.

Simon Wallis was born in Kupiskis in 1903; Reuben Wallis was born c 1907 in Sheffield, England and died there c 1968; Bertha was born in Sheffield c. 1908 and died at the young age of 45.


In the words of Barry Wallis, the grandson of David:

Re the photo of my grandfather David and his children. The little boy sitting down and aged about 2, is my uncle Reuben who lived in Sheffield and who never married; he died aged at 61yrs, having been involved with property and antiques, an entrepreneur. His baby sister Bertha, passed away at the young age of 45, having married, but not having any children. She lived in Sheffield.
My father Abi was not yet born when the photo was taken, a twin to Maurice in 1916; there were 2 other brothers, Samuel and Bernard, who also married. The "boys", with the exception of Reuben were all involved in a small way in the shoe retail business. There was also another sister Rachel who married and lived in Leeds, nr Sheffield.
Certainly the children grew up initially only speaking Yiddish until going to school. David Wallis was a traveling salesman who passed away at the age of 42 in the Spanish flu epidemic, leaving his wife to bring up the children in very challenging financial times indeed. She had a small drapery shop where they all lived,and where had to sleep several to each bed!

 




The Wolowitsch, now Wallis, family in about 1909 in Sheffield, England

Back row, l to r:  Janie Miriam Wallis, David Wallis

Front row, l to r:  Simon Wallis, Reuben Wallis, Taube Wallis, Bertha Wallis

 

Back to Main Family Page

Back to Main Page