Rachel was born in Kovno in Russian Poland to Lyons Caselberg and his wife Leah Joseph. In 1840 the family moved to Wales. The rapid expansion of coal mining had led to major economic growth in the Wales and new Jewish communities were founded especially in the heavily industrialised South Wales Valleys like Merthyr Tydfil where the Caselbergs settled. The Jewish congregation was established there in 1848 and the first synagogue built in 1852.
In 1856 Rachel married Henry Lyons, a ‘general dealer’ from Swansea and children Abraham, Moses, Sophia, Esther, Louis and Fanny were born. Henry died in 1867 and the following year Rachel married Emanuel Rothenberg who was also a ‘general dealer’ and also from Kovno. Hannah, Aaron and Gertrude were born before the family emigrated to Wellington. Not all of the children from her first marriage accompanied them. They sailed on the ‘Orairi’ from London as steerage passengers.
On arrival in Wellington, Emanuel opened a store in Willis Street. He was declared bankrupt in Wellington in April 1879. He stated that his bankruptcy was caused by sickness in his family and having a number of bad debts. A certificate of discharge was issued in August and in September he auctioned off his remaining stock. In 1880 the family had grown with the birth of William and they were living in Taranaki Street. According to later testimony by her sons, Emanuel died in Australia when they were very small children, and no further record can be found of him.
We don’t know how Rachel managed to support her large family on her own. The children attended Mt Cook School and William won a scholarship to Wellington College, and then studied law. Aron trained as a dentist completing his studies in England. Two of the daughters became teachers. In her later years Rachel she lived at 34 Buller Street with daughter Annie and son William. It was there she died in 1919, aged 81 and her death was widely reported.
Plot: Jewish/A/137
Plot of Rachel Rothenberg