Escape from persecution - from Belarus to Cumnock

By Kay McMeekin with help from Michael Sloane and Judith Kaplan (Updated July 2024)

The Sloane family has been trading in Cumnock since at least 1891! This is their story.

1914

Joel in centre, William in uniform, Bessie standing, Mary seated, Solomon seated front middle and Hyman seated right

Joel Dunitz’s family lived in Slonim, in the province of Grodno, Belarus until about 1888. He was one of 4 brothers. They left because of the anti-Semitic pogroms.  The pogroms were are their worst in 1881-2 so they possibly left before that.

Grandson Michael Sloane thinks they arrived in Leith in 1888. Whether that was planned or whether they thought they were going to New York is unknown.  There are apocryphal tales of immigrants being  landed in Scotland instead of New York.  Joel changed his surname to Slonimsky after their home town as only one family member was allowed to leave. His brothers left under different names.

By 1891 Joel Slonimsky was in Kilnholm Place and working as a travelling draper. He went round the doors with a suitcase and the goods could be paid for by instalments. He was a  "credit draper".

He married Lena Dunitz, his niece, in Protski in Poland in January 1894. Protski is a fair distance from Slonim.  He must have gone back for her. Their son Wolf, later know as William and Michael’s father, was born in Glasgow in November 1894 in Glasgow although Joel’s address was given as Tower st, Cumnock.

Bessie was born in 1895. She married Solomon Zeff a tailor and lived in London.  

In 1901 Joel and Lena were in Tower street

Haym or Hyman was born in 1902. He died in Glasgow in 1969.

Queenie Leah was born  in 1905. She died a few days before her 2nd birthday

Mary was born in 1906

Solomon (Solly) was born in 1908 and  became a doctor in New Cumnock. He was also known as Oliver Stone. He ended up in London. Sadly Joel's wife Lena died in 1909 in Glasgow Royal Infirmary when Solomon was less than 2 years old. She is buried in the Western Necropolis where there had been Jewish burials since 1889.

In 1906, Joel had a partner Mr Michaelson and they had a shop in Barrhill Road with a wide selection of goods. In July 1914 they opened a shop at 18 Ayr Road.  I don't know who Michaelson is. There was a Simon Michaelson, a commercial traveller in drapery, living in Cathcart Glasgow at the time but I can find nothing to link them.

In 1911 widowed Joel 43 and his children and servant Mary Agnew 26 lived in 49 Barrhill Road. Joel was a general dealer.

1906

1914

In the 1921 census Joel 55 is still in Barrhill Road with his children plus a niece Rachael Davidson and her infant son Jack. Rachael  is indeed a niece, daughter of Joel's  brother Israel Brodie. Remember the brothers adopted new names!

1921 census

Joel, a speaker of Russian, Belarusian and Yiddish, was friends with Cumnock socialist Keir Hardie and seemingly taught him some Russian.

William Sloane served in WW1, as a Lance Corporal in the AOC. He married twice and had a daughter Moyra Lena and a son Michael.

1915

By 1930 Mr Michaelson is out of the picture and Joel and his sons are now selling records and gramophones and wireless radios.

Gramophone needle tin

Joel Slonimsky died at 22 Latta Crescent, Cumnock in 1943. The children changed their name to Sloane after Joel died and they moved to Giffnock in 1946 where there was an established Jewish community and a synagogue. They kept their business interests in Cumnock. 

 

1955

William's son Michael, now in his eighties. still keeps his shop in Glaisnock street and delivers to his customers.

They swapped premises with Breckenridge and Henderson about 1957 and moved to 61 Glaisnock Street and Breckenridge and Henderson moved to 18 Ayr Road.

The four Dunitz brothers from Judith Kaplan.

L to R Jacob, Joel, Israel, Isaac Noah

Michael at his shop in Glaisnock Street, May 2024

Photos by Morag Gordon