Photo 02-06-01

Jane (Chaya) Marks and her son Sam

Liverpool, c.1914

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Sam Marks class photo

(he is on the far left-hand end of the second row up)

Chalkboard inscription appears to read:

"The Rathbone

Council School

_____ Dept

_____ V"

Liverpool, c.1914

Sarah Rebecca (aka Ruby) Marks class photo

(she is in the very centre of the front row, fifth from each end)

Liverpool, c.1914

Photo 02-06-04

Sarah Rebecca (aka Ruby) Marks

Liverpool, c.1920

Ruby was born in Manchester on the first day of 1909, but was brought up in Liverpool.

She never married, and died there in 1989.

Photo 02-06-05

Myer Marks (né Tarakhovskii) and his wife Jane (Chaya)

Liverpool, c.1920

Both are believed to have been born in the Ukraine, although it is not known where they married. They had three children in Manchester before 1910 and moved to Liverpool shortly afterwards. Their total secrecy about their past in Russia is what gave rise to my interest in tracing my family history. Myer died in 1957, Jane in 1968.

Photo 02-06-06

Myer Marks (né Tarakhovskii) and his son Sam

(perhaps taken for Sam's Bar Mitzvah, 31 July 1920)

Liverpool, c.1920

Inscription reads: "Meyer & Samuel, April 11"

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My beloved grandfather, Sam Marks

Liverpool, c.1914

Inscription on reverse reads: "Mr Marks / 41 Fairclough Lane /

as Photo / Collar - Straight"

Liverpool, c.1918

Reverse bears the numbers 5671 and 6, along with the word "Tarakosky" in Hebrew script

Probably taken in Liverpool, c.1925

Sam was born in Manchester in 1907, but brought up in Liverpool. He was a talented violinist and played in the

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra before moving to London, where he played the violin, viola, clarinet and

tenor saxophone all professionally. He died in 1975.

Photo 02-06-10

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Jane (Chaya) Marks studio portrait

Liverpool, c.1930

Jane (Chaya) Marks

Liverpool, 10 January 1931

(date stamp on reverse)

Jane was born in the Ukraine, but had her family in Manchester before 1910.

They moved to Liverpool shortly afterwards, where Jane later died, in 1968.

Photo 02-06-12

My grandparents, Marie Goldberg and Sam Marks, on their wedding day

London, 28 October 1934

Sam was born in Manchester in 1907, but brought up in Liverpool. He was a talented violinist and played in the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra before moving to London, where he played the violin, viola, clarinet and tenor saxophone all professionally. He died in 1975; Marie died in 1999.

Photo 02-06-13

Sam Marks, aboard the RMS Caronia

The Caribbean, March/April 1949

The RMS Caronia was built in 1947 by the Cunard shipping line primarily as a cruise ship, but also as a passenger vessel on the Southampton to New York line. Usually, she was painted light green and earned the nickname "The Green Goddess" by the people of Liverpool, whose trams were known by the same soubriquet.

The Caronia left Southampton on her maiden voyage on 4 January 1949 and would make the transatlantic crossing twice more that year, before beginning service as cruise ship. Her first engagement in this role was a set of three tours of the Caribbean from New York. On the first tour, one of the ship's orchestra was dismissed from service, possibly as a punishment for bad behaviour of some kind. Sam was contacted in London and invited to replace the dismissed man.

Sam sailed to New York on the RMS Queen Mary. He joined up with the Caronia and this photo was taken on the ship's second tour, Sam's first. As can be seen, he was very heavily sun-tanned. A short time later, perhaps between the ship's second and third tours, Sam boarded a bus in New York. The conductor said to him, "Niggers at the back please", prompting Sam to provide photographic documentation that he was actually Caucasian!

Read more about the RMS Caronia on Wikipedia

See Sam's ship manifest showing him arriving in New York on the Queen Mary, 14 March 1949

There may be some confusion over these manifests, as this one may relate to the arrival of the Caronia

See Sam's ship manifest showing him leaving New York on the Caronia, 17 March 1949

If I have interpreted this document correctly, the ship had arrived in New York from Havana on 14 March

See Sam's ship manifest showing him arriving in New York on the Caronia, 31 March 1949

The ship had sailed from Havana on 29 March. Of this, there is no question

Photo 02-06-14

(left to right)

Jane (Chaya) Marks

Sarah Rebecca (aka Ruby) Marks

Myer Marks (né Tarakhovskii)

Norman Marks (in his grandfather's arms)

Marie Marks (née Goldberg)

Outside Myer and Jane's house, 41 Fairclough Lane, Liverpool, c.1938

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Myer Marks (né Tarakhovskii)

Liverpool, 24 June 1938

(date stamp on reverse)

Stapely Home for Aged Jews, Liverpool, 1950s

Myer was born in the Ukraine, but had his family in Manchester before 1910.

They moved to Liverpool shortly afterwards, where Myer later died, in 1957.

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Jane (Chaya) Marks

14 Allerton Drive, Liverpool, 1960s