Jewish Bloomers?

                                                                                                                                                                      Nov 2010

Jewish Bloomers?

Recently several articles have appeared on various web pages alleging a Jewish origin or heritage of the Bloomer family. Two of these articles have made very specific references to particular individuals known to be descendants of Robert Bloomer of Rye, New York. These articles seem to center on a James Bloomer, a Loyalist, who allegedly returned to England shortly after the American Revolution.  One article mentioned John Bloomer son of John and Bethia Fowler and his marriage.  This is my direct line, and to date, I have not located any documentation on the complicated family connections alleged in this article. While any research is welcome, separating fact from fiction and documenting old records has been a major obstacle. The allegation that Bloomers were Crypto Jews is also lacking documentation. 

There is no special interest other than historical facts concerning the Bloomers of America and any researcher should provide source information with their theories and conclusions.  While I have no specific information on the Bloomers before 1650 and their English heritage, many religious facts concerning the 17^th Century are recorded in textbooks. (Google “Bloomer/Barzillai Connection”). There are personal letters written in the early 20th Century by well placed NYC Bloomer stating their business interests would be best served with a jewish heritage.   

The given name James (Bloomer), which seems to be the link to England in these articles, was used sparingly during the first two few generations in America.  The first reference to a James Bloomer was on a 1772 mortgage of Gilbert Bloomer. A James Bloomer captained the sloop Diligence in 1800. Several James Bloomers lived in Ulster County, NY and one probated his will in 1817. In 1818 a James Bloomer “merchant” appeared as a member of the New York City volunteer fire department.  A James Bloomer received bounty land for service during the war of 1812.  During the early part of the 19^th Century a James Bloomer appears as a dock builder in Longworth NYC Directory. There are several long lists of American Loyalists and Loyalists whose property was confiscated during and after the American Revoluation. The names James Bloomer does not appear in any of these Revolutionary War lists.

During the 17^th Century Europe was aflame with religious upheavals. Spain in particular waged war with Western Europe as part of the Counter Reformation and expelled Jewish populations from Portugal as well as Spain. The Spanish Inquisition drove the Jews of Europe into hiding or exile. So, if there were “crypto Jews” in Western Europe it is not surprising that England became a shelter.  Religious tolerance during the Reformation and Counter Reformation was centered in Holland and England. It would seem that any person attempting to hide their religious identity during the 17^th Century would be extremely difficult to document.  However, this did happen and there were crypto Catholics as well as crypto Jewish groups in England.  [1]  

Since the Babylonia captivity Jewish people have tended to congregate in distinctive community groups. The tradition of establishing a Jewish Quarter in cities was practice throughout Europe as well as the New World. Thomas Dongan, governor of New York from 1683-1688 received a petition from the Jewish community to establish a Jewish cemetery and had specific instruction from King James to be tolerant toward all religious. What was the need to hide Jewish religious affiliations in America especially in tolerant New York?    

King James II, Instructions to Governor Thomas Dongan

1682Stokes 1:166

You shall permit all persons of what Religion soever quietly to inhabit within your Government without giving them any disturbance or disquiet whatsoever for or by reason of their differing Opinions in matters of Religion, Provided they give no disturbance to ye public peace, nor do molest or disquiet others in ye free Exercise of their Religion.

During 40 years of research I have not observed any connection to the Jewish religion by the Bloomers. From the first generation of Bloomers in American there is a strong association with the Presbyterian Church as active members. [2]  Early Bloomer colonial marriages are recorded in a variety of Christian churches and more than a dozen Bloomers were Christian ministers.  A reveling record was kept by, The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts for religious education in Rye.  Baird mentioned this record in his History of Rye and White Plains p. 172, however, Baird did not list the students by name. In 1913 records were compiled listing the first young student of Rye. In 1714 the Rye student had been enumerated and their proficiency at various religious tenants were mentioned.  The list of names included John Bloomer, Gilbert Bloomer, Joseph Bloomer, Jemina Bloomer, and a host of familiar family names of Rye. (Theal, Purdy, Merritt, Horton, Hight, and Kniffen) [3] Letters were quoted requesting Bibles and other religious books for the education of these Rye children.  This and other similar organizations were founded on Protestant  and Church of England tenants.

Joshua Bloomer, son of Gilbert Bloomer was a graduate of Kings College in 1758, returned to England to study for the ministry and was the Anglican Rector of Jamaica, Long Island during the American Revolution. The second marriage of William Bloomer to Sarah Sprague was found in 1815 Quaker records. William Bloomer (1808-1850), son of Jacob and Catherine Holmes was a Methodist minister.  The family records of Captain Robert Bloomer were recorded in a King James Bible printed in 1762 and other Bloomers recorded their family records in King James Bibles.  Anderson Bloomer, son of Monmouth Bloomer and Ann Gidney was a New York City Methodist.  Monmouth and Ann were married in Christ’s Church at Rye in 1791.  Reverend Hosea Ball, a Presbyterian preacher conducted a marriage in the home of Steven Bloomer in 1824. Steven was a resident of Monroe, New York. Reuben Holmes Bloomer was a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church from 1830 in Delaware and Orange Counties, New York.

Abraham Bloomer (1736-1822) was the first Bloomer to appear in Pennsylvania records and at various times his name was recorded as Blumer as well as Bloomer. Abraham was born in Germany and while in Europe he served a distinguished carrier in the service of various Western Europeans countries as a minister of the Reformed Church, came to American and continued his ministry.  Abraham spoke several languages and was an excellent scholar.  Despite his European success he immigrated to America in January of 1771 and spent his first months in New York City.  After, he moved on to Pennsylvania.  By 1778 he was living in Lehigh County and lived there the remainder of his days.  He was responsible for a large family and many of his descendants served in the military after the American Revolution. Other Pennsylvania Bloomers are credited with Irish descent.[4]  These Bloomers came to America with little money and left few civil records to trace their ancestry. They were primarily Catholic as were the crypto Jews of 17^th Century Europe.

There was a group of Bloomers from Maryland in the late 1600s, a group living in Barbados, and another from North Carolina with descendants living in Virginia in 1800. Their connection to Robert Bloomer is unknown.  

Stephen Bloomer Balch (1747-1833), born in Maryland, was a Presbyterian minister and educator in Georgetown. He was educated in New Jersey and served in the American Revolution.  He was ordained as a minister in 1779 and established the Georgetown Presbyterian Church in 1780.

  

 The Bloomers of Bergen County, New Jersey were Christians and associated with William Miller and his Millerite movement during the 1840s. Cemetery records reflect the same Christian affiliation for Bloomer family members in colonial New York.

If the authors of these articles could provide documentation, they might be taken more seriously. Without documentation the specific statements about individual relationships are difficult to accept. Proving relationships between people who retained the same name is difficult enough. An attempt to hide ones identity in Colonial America or discover that new identity three hundred years later seems almost impossible. 

Conclusion

The 15^th and 16^th Centuries were a difficult religious time for non-Catholics in Western Europe. Spain was using her New World wealth to form armies and navies to suppress the Protestant Reformation.  The Spanish Armada sailed toward England with the intent of suppressing the heretic Elizabeth I, and reestablishing the Catholic faith in England. America became a hope and dream for many religious groups. Thoughts of a land of tolerance and freedom has always attracted people to America. America became a melting pot for many ethic Europeans and many religions groups.

 Huguenots, Puritans, Catholics, Jews, Anglicans, and other Protestant religious flocked to American. The fact that one group intermarried with another should be no surprise; it makes America what it is, and what it has become. America has offered her hopes, dreams, and freedoms to everyone. What we are is what America has made us. Religious tolerance is offered to all, and America has opened her arms to everyone. It is to be sure that there is Jewish blood someplace in us all; just as there is Catholic, Huguenot, Protestant, and the other mix of American bloods. Whatever mixture has contributed to the descendants of Robert Bloomer (1655-1713), these Bloomers seem to have preserved a predominately Protestant heritage.

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[1] Landes, David S. The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, W.W. Norton & Company New York, 1999, P. 135, 139,

[2] Baird, Charles W., Chronicle of a Border Town, History of Rye, Westchester County, New York, 1871, p. 327.

A Scapegoat in the New Wilderness: The Origins and Rise of ... - Google Books Result

by Frederic Cople Jaher - 1994 - Social Science - 339 pages       ... through denization (semi-naturalization) grants from the governor or the ... anomaly by rejecting a petition by Jews to extend this right to them. ...       books.google.com/books?isbn=0674790073...

_{[3]  The Support in Colonial New York by the Society for Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, by William Webb Kemp, 1913, pgs 128,131.  (Google Books)}

_{[4] History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Roberts, Charles Rhoads, 1914, Vol II p. 118)}