The Brandman Connection

Just a few years ago, I only knew my great-great-great grandmother's first name.  I knew that Rochel was married to Aryeh Leib Sanshuck, and that their daughter Zlata Tzipra was my great-great grandmother.

Leib & Rochel Sanshuck's Marriage Record; Krasnoye, Russian Empire; 1849

But then I found their marriage record.

Leib (son of Naftali) Sanshuck married Rochel (daughter of Yaakov) Brandman on November 9, 1849 in what is now Krasnoye, Ukraine--not far from Vinnitsa.  Knowing Rochel's father's name and their surname allowed me to look at the Brandmans in the town, all of whom seem to be descended from Yaakov.

One of the nice things about these Russian Empire metrical records is that the same information is in both Russian and Hebrew.  So if one is illegible, hopefully the other can be read.  And while the information in the two languages in usually identical, sometimes one has extra tidbits of information that the other doesn't.

Unfortunately much of what I found was Rochel's siblings dying young.

Dov-Ber Brandman Death, 1844

Rochel's brother Dov-Ber Brandman died at the age of sixteen.

Golda Brandman Death, 1852

Rochel's sister Golda died aged 22.  But her death record has a bit of extra information in the Herew entry.  The translation from the Hebrew version says, "Died the woman Golda daughter of Mr Yaakov son of Mr Leib Brandman."  So we now know Golda (and Rochel)'s grandfather--my great-great-great-great-great grandfather Leib Brandman.  (Note that "האשה," or "the woman" implies that Golda was married, but I have no indication of who her husband was.)

Rochel had another brother, Pinchas Leib.  Pinchas Leib lived longer than Dov-Ber and Golda, so I have records of the births of two of his children with his wife Freida:

Yisrael Brandman Birth, 1846

Yisrael Brandman was born in December 1846.  And he had at least one sister.

Tzipra Leah Brandman Birth, 1851

Tzipra Leah Brandman was born in September 1851.  And another record shows for whom she (as well as my great-great grandmother Zlata Tzipra) was named:

Tzipra Brandman Death, 1848

Tzipra Brandman wife of Yaakov Brandman died in 1848 of cholera.  She was my great-great-great-great grandmother.

I don't have a ton of context (yet) for the Brandmans' lives, but I have been able to put together much of the family.

Brandman Family of Krasnoye (as reconstructed from vital records)

Isn't it amazing how a few new records can help a family tree bloom?

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