Susannah Weill and family | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Susannah Weill and family

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Submitted by Joanna on Tue, 2016-02-09 03:23

I would appreciate any information that can be provided on Susannah (aka Susie) Weill and her family (Rosie and Albert Weill). Susannah married my first cousin Alexander Hutton Potts in December 1928 but I have not been able to uncover anything about the Weill family other than a newspaper clipping regarding the death of Albert Weill. The names of 2 sons are mentioned in the article but only use their initials rather than their full names. Also, I would like to know Rosie's maiden name. Thanks for any assistance.

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Submitted by moddsey on Tue, 2016-02-09 06:30.

I would suggest that you enter HKGRO as seen here and type in the surnames. Some of the information requested is available. 

Submitted by Joanna on Tue, 2016-02-09 06:42.

Thanks for the tip and link. I have reviewed the juror's lists as entered on this website but checked the HKGRO site. I also found some Wallace names. My great grandfather is Frederick Hopper Wallace (father of my grandmother Esme [Dolly] Wallace) so I am curious as to whether these Wallaces are relations.

Submitted by David on Tue, 2016-02-09 18:16.

Here are some tips on searching for family information: http://gwulo.com/node/9374

We've currently got pages for three members of the Weill family, Susannah, Rosie, and Vera. Please could you let us know how they were related to each other and I'll add the connections to their pages.

Regards, David

Submitted by Joanna on Mon, 2016-08-01 01:27.

Susannah Weill is my 1st cousin once removed by marriage to my 1st cousin once removed Alexander Hutton Potts (son of Alexander Cumming Hutton Potts - my great uncle, in turn son of my great grandfather Lipton Hutton Potts). Any information which readers could provide on these two families would be greatly appreciated. I have viewed and gleaned all the information generously provided by Gwulo but have not yet uncovered anything new from any other source.

Submitted by annelisec on Tue, 2016-08-02 11:36.

I have put a tree as I understand it on Geni.com

https://www.geni.com/people/Lipton-Hutton-Potts/6000000022050784660

Also, follow this link to the Carl Smith archives and type in Weill

http://www.grs.gov.hk/PRO/srch/english/sys_carlsmith.jsp?language=english

And this book:

https://books.google.com/books?id=nw1bTZV4BaAC&lpg=PA66&ots=r4-PDZFr58&d...

If you can tell us where you have already looked, that would be helpful.

 

Submitted by Joanna on Wed, 2016-08-03 01:00.

Annelise, thank you very much for your reply. I have the book "The Quest of Noel Croucher: Hong Kong's Quiet Philantropist", that is the book through which I was, finally, able to discover (3 years ago) my grandfather's first names, (my father NEVER spoke about his father) and provided me with the information with which I was able to create my family tree. I started my tree on Geni and it was there that you attached the photograph of George Frederick Cumming Hutton Potts and where you and I initally made contact, therefore the tree you have created should be linked with mine (Joanna Daphne Hutton Potts). I would very much like to contact the author Vaudine England and learn from her about her research into my grandfather.

For me, unfortunately, a trip to Hong Kong is not financially feasible, and I have, therefore, been limited to conducting all my research via the internet.

I checked the other website you provided but an uncertain as to how to proceed with that information.

As for the Weills, most of the information I have was gleaned from the book "Noel Croucher" and this website. I have used "Google" and found digitized copies of the Hong Kong Directories which list Albert Weill as working at Levy Hermandos & Co., also I was able to find a couple of newspaper clipping of Albert's obituary. I have not been able to find any other information of Susannah - no birth record, nor record of her marriage to Alexander. I do have her death record. The Ancestry website has absolutely no information on her. I don't know if there are any Hutton Potts still living in Hong Kong whom I might contact who know anything about her.

 

Submitted by annelisec on Thu, 2016-08-04 11:24.

For the Carl Smith cards, you write to them and pay a fee to get copies of the whole card.

I currently have an scmp day pass so I typed in Rosie Weill There was a notice saying that she was going to be using her own name as proprietor of the jewelry store she ran after her husband died, and May 4th 1935 shows a notice of her intention to become a naturalized citizen. This is perhaps where the Carl Smith cards got the name Donenburg as her maiden name. And also I notice that her daughters were going to be executors of her estate.

Submitted by brian edgar on Thu, 2016-08-04 15:32.

Hi, Joanna.

There are a number of passages about the Weill family in Emily Hahn's China To Me:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00J90C48S/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=...

There's an interview with Alex Potts here:

https://mmis.hkpl.gov.hk/coverpage/-/coverpage/view?_coverpage_WAR_mmisp...

 

I'll see if there's anything else in my notes.

Submitted by brian edgar on Thu, 2016-08-04 15:45.

Co-incidentally I was searching the online HK press for something else and this came up:

https://mmis.hkpl.gov.hk/coverpage/-/coverpage/view?_coverpage_WAR_mmisp...

Submitted by mark sommerfield on Fri, 2017-07-21 10:15.

Hello Joanna - The Weills are my cousins.  My great grandfather Samuel Dunn was Rosie Weill's sister.  Sam changed his name from Donnenberg to Dunn in India during WWI to sound less German.  Rosie's daughter Sophie Weill married Harry O'Dell.  I think most of the O'Dells are in the states now.  Check here https://jhshk.org/community/the-jewish-cemetery/burial-list/ for more information.  A lot of the family is there.

Submitted by ginsburg10 on Mon, 2018-07-23 07:32.

Hi,

I came across your post in a circuitous way. I wrote an article on my Singapore family (link below). In a photo with Albert Einstein there are a Mr. and Mrs. Weill. I was contacted by a Hong Kong historian writing a book on Harry O'Dell inquiring whether the Weill's in my published photo were related to the Hong Kong Weill's in the film footage I posted on the Sino-Judaic Institute's Points East website. I was researching on the web to answer his question and found that in Singapore there was a jewelry shop: 

MESSRS. WEILL & ZERNER –JEWELRY SHOP IN SINGAPORE-  was formed in 1903 by M. Zerner and Alfred Montor in Singapore.

 

WEILL Montor Ltd., 37, THE ARCADE, SINGAPORE. Thone 6046.

Alfred Montor and his wife are in the photo with Einstein, so I am guessing the Weill's in the photo are the friends/business partners of the Singapore jewelry shop. Since the Weill's of Hong Kong owned the Sennet Frères jewelry shop in Hong Kong, perhaps they are related to the Singapore Weill's?

My search then led me to this discussion group and your posts requesting information on Susannah Weill.

Below is the inquiry I posted on the Sino-Judaic Institute website with the links to the film footage. Since you are related to the Weill's, I hope this is of interest to you!

Please Help in This Research: 

RE: 1930’S HONG KONG--WEILL FAMILY, HARRY ODELL, TIES TO FRANKEL/CLUMECK FAMILY AND LESTER GOODMAN IN SINGAPORE

Dear Sino-Judaic Institute,

I have researched and written about my Jewish family history in Singapore. My cover story in "Asian Jewish Life" attracted attention because I included a family portrait of Albert Einstein posing with my family at Menasseh Meyer's estate on his fundraising tour for the Hebrew University. Here is the link: http://www.asianjewishlife.org/pages/articles/AJL_Issue_15_Oct2014/

AJL_Issue15_CoverStory_Worlds_Apart_in_Singapore.html

A marvelous and unexpected result of the public attention has been to be connected with archival film footage I never knew existed. The British Huntley Archives has film footage of my family from 1931-2 on their Siglap Estate. Recently, I was referred to new footage of a boat leaving Singapore for Hong Kong. One title card reads "Repulse Bay with the Weills". I have been searching for the connection between the Weill family and my family. When I learned that Sophie Weill married Harry Odell, I wondered if perhaps Harry Odell is the filmmaker, since he founded a film company (and theater) in Hong Kong. The film is more professional than an amateur home movie.

So far, the two people we have possibly identified in the Hong Kong film from my family are: Lester Goodman and Ned (Nathaniel) Clumeck. 

I am hoping to find descendants or friends of the Weill/Odell families or historians who have any insight into the film footage and/or possible connection to my Singapore family.

Please email me directly with any leads: ginsburg10@gmail.com.

Thanks so much. Lisa Ginsburg 

Below are the links to relevant HUNTLEY FILM ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE:

  1. Boat trip to Repulse Bay, Hong Kong to visit the Weill family, 1930’s.

http://www.huntleyarchives.com/film/6357

  1. Frankel/Clumeck family on their Siglap Estate, Singapore, 1931-2 (approx.)

http://www.huntleyarchives.com/film/97286

  1. Scenic footage of arrival in Singapore harbor, 

including "Lester Looking Warm" (possibly Lester Goodman), 1920’s?

http://www.huntleyarchives.com/film/97281

_________________________________________________________________________________

The historian has answered my question regarding the connection between Lester Goodman and Harry Odell--they were both managers of Getz Brothers. Lester was Asst. Manager in San Francisco and Harry was Manager in Hong Kong. I still don't know the connection between the Weill's and my great uncle Nathaniel Clumeck (later in the Singapore RAF fighting the Japanese) who I also think appears in the film. The historian also informed me that Harry O'Dell was not the filmmaker, the timeline would be wrong for that. So, I do not know who shot this family film.

I am happy to the Hong Kong historian's email/contact with you if you would like to send me your email address. Mine is: ginsburg10@gmail.com

Kind regards,

Lisa Ginsburg

 

Submitted by ginsburg10 on Mon, 2018-07-23 07:45.

Hi Joanna,

I forgot to mention in my last post that the name of the Singapore Mr. Weill in the photo with Einstein is Charles. I have no proof that Charles Weill is related to the Hong Kong Weill's but they were both in the jewelry business.

Best,

Lisa Ginsburg