"I SHALL NOT
RUSH INTO THINGS…"

AUGUST 25, 1936 TO NOVEMBER 3, 1937

Eva sent this photograph to Morris shortly after she sent him the letter dated 25/8/36.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

25/8/36

Dear Morris,

It was indeed a surprise for me to receive your card & I shall say a pleasant surprise too.

I am sorry that I have not got a photo of myself at the present moment, but as soon as I have one I will send it to you.

Last Sunday I went to Hailbi Island with a deaf crowd which included Max, Leah & the Rubins. I am sure you would not recognize me now as I am as black as a niggar. I will probably go to Blackpool this Saturday for a day if the weather keeps good.

If ever you wish to come to Liverpool on a day’s excursion you can be assured of a warm welcome. Max & Leah Purcell reciprocate your regards.

Yours sincerely,
Eva

This greeting card for the Jewish New Year was enclosed with the following letter.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

24/9/36

Dear Morris,

Thanks for your letter which I was pleased to receive. It was a coincidence that you received the letter on your birthday, as I did not know. I hope I am not too late now to wish you the very best.

I noticed from your letter that all your family seem to have America in their blood, which reminds me, when do you intend going back? What are you doing with yourself these days? Are you working? Don’t think I am very inquisitive. I have been very busy lately helping with the preparations for Yomtov [the holiday]. Anyway I am glad it is all over now & I am having a well earned rest.

I went the other day to see “Clark Gable” in “Mutiny on the Bounty”. It is a picture worth seeing.

I will conclude now, wishing you well over the fast.

Sincerely,
Eva

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

4/10/36

Dear Morris,

I was pleased to receive your letter last week & to read that you are keeping well, as the same applies to myself.

What made you think that I was sore with you about something. You can rest assure that I have nothing against you. If it was because I did not answer your letter sooner I want you to know that I am not a person of leisure & have not much time for letter writing.

I am going to learn skating, an attempt to reduce my somewhat of late-increasing hips—Phew!

Yes, I fasted well, in fact did not feel it much.

I am at a loss to know what to write, this is unusual for me, but I have not the writing spell about me to-day.

With kindest regards

Sincerely,
Eva.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

4/2/37

Dear Morris,

I shall be pleased to see you here on Saturday, but as I may be working on that day I cannot make any definite arrangements. I will do so with Annie Rubin to-morrow night. I am afraid Max & Leah will not be here as they are going to a Carnival at the Warrington Deaf Club.

With kindest regards to Molly & Hyman, & yourself

Your’s
Eva Weintrobe

Eva (right) with Max (left) and Leah Purcell (second from left).

Invitation to the Warrington Deaf Club Social Tea Party, which Eva and Morris may have attended.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

10/3/37

Dear Morris,

I was very pleased to receive your letter yesterday. Yes, I enjoyed myself at Warrington in your company. I arrived home at about 12.30, not so bad.

I would have preferred you to come here on Saturday, but as I am working on that day, we will make it Sunday. I have told Max & Leah that you are coming. They have invited us over to their house in the evening. I will be at the station at 12.25. P.M. as you say in your letter.

I will keep the rest of the news until I see you on Sunday.

With kindest regards,

Your’s Sincerely,
Eva

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

18/3/37

Dear Morris,

I was pleased to receive your welcome letter. I am glad to say that I have now got rid of my cold.

I shall be at Lime St Station on Saturday night as I think it would be better than meeting at Lewis’s.

As regards your intended visit we will speak about it when I see you. I’m afraid it will be difficult to be together at Sedar nights. It would be best if you come Sunday and Monday.

This notepaper is from a prize I won at the Deaf Club last night. Quite a handy prize.

With kindest regards from my family & myself.

Your’s Sincerely,
Eva

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

24/3/37

Dear Morris,

I was pleased to receive your welcome letter. You have solved a problem about our mothers corresponding. I think it is a very good idea. We will speak about it when I see you.

I am looking forward to seeing you here on Sunday. Come as early as you can & don’t lose your way.

I am afraid I will have to make this letter brief, as I am busy helping with the preparations for Pesach [Passover].

With kindest regards,

Your’s Sincerely,
Eva

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

31/3/37

Dear Morris,

Many thanks for your very welcome letter which I received today.

Why of course I am looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, what makes you think otherwise?

Now Morris, how do you get the idea that I am playing with you. I can assure you that I have never felt the same towards anyone else as I do towards you. The only thing that is making me draw back is because everything seems so strange getting married in such a rush, & going off to America within only such a short time of knowing one another. Things seldom happen like that these days.

I have been thinking hard since you went back & I have come to the decision that the best thing for us to do is to become engaged, surely if you love me as much as, I think you do, this should not be too hard for you to do, after all twelve months is nothing compared with ones whole life, in the meantime I could be preparing things.

I don’t like the idea of getting married & waiting a year before settling down. Every girl likes to have her own home from the very first. If you want to save money as you said, but which I do not care for, you can save more if you go alone. After all many people wait longer than a year.

My father has written to one of my aunts in Brooklyn to visit your father.

Kindest regards from my family & my best love to you.

Sincerely,
Eva

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

7/4/37

Dear Morris,

I received your welcome letter & was pleased to read that you are keeping well as I can say the same of myself.

We received a very nice letter from your sister to-day informing us that she will be pleased to see mother & myself on Sunday. I am looking forward to the trip.

I was talking the other day to one of the girls from our shop, without mentioning whom it concerns about immigrations as she has travelled a bit & understands these things. She told me that an American citizen does not have to go back to America to get a permanent stay in England but to apply at the Home Office here. America do[es] not care what you do, it is whether England permits you to stay. She also pointed out that it is not always that a wife is allowed into the States with her husband.

The thing that is puzzling me is this. How can you make money in one year as you say if you have been in the States twelve years & made nothing.

I would not like to get married unless you had a steady job. Even if we do go to America who knows if you would be able to obtain a job when we come back, you may not be so lucky as now & you know what this all leads to.

How do you expect me to get married in two months time, it would be far too much of a rush for me. I would like to get engaged first & get married a few months later. My brother & sister both got engaged before they got married & I would also like to get engaged first.

I hope I have made myself very clear, & I would like you to understand Morris, that all this controversy is about one thing & that is if only you would either remain in England or go yourself to America, when I shall be prepared to get married as soon as you come back.

Kindest regards from my family & my best love to you.

Yours
Eva

P.S. Please give my regards to Molly and her husband.

Morris’s sister, Jane, and his mother, Bella.

Jane and her husband, Harry.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

12/4/37

Dear Morris,

Just a few lines to let you know that we arrived safely in Lime St at 5.20 A.M. after quite a comfortable journey.

I felt refreshed after a few hours sleep at home & went to work this afternoon. I had to make some excuse about being off in the morning, so I told them that I did not feel well & could not sleep the night before, which was partly true, they sent me to the Staff Welfare & took my temperature. I had to act the part & I think I did it well.

Please thank both Jane & your mother for the warm welcome they gave us. I hope it was not too much of a burden for Jane as I know she was not prepared for my brother coming.

I am not sorry that I went to London. I enjoyed every moment of my stay, mother too enjoyed herself & is none the worse for the trip.

I have not changed in my feelings toward you, but I am sorry that we have not come to a better understanding. Write to the Home Office as you promised, but first of all find out if you will be able to stay in England permanently. You would be making things easier for me, make both your & my mother content & prove to me that you really cared if you would agree to become engaged & go back to America for a few months, but if you are still determined to take me with you try to prolong your stay here for another few months.

How is Jane’s husband I hope he is better now & Jane has got over the worry.

When are you coming to Liverpool again? I hope it will be soon.

Kindest regards to your sister & mother from my mother & myself.

With best love,

Sincerely,
Eva

Rev. J. Weintrobe, B.A. [Eva’s brother]

9, Willows Place,

Swansea,

South Wales

14/4/37

Dear Mrs. Folus [Morris’s sister]:

I arrived home at 4 o’clock on Monday afternoon. I found everyone well, T[hank]. G[od]. I do hope your husband is quite well again.

I am very glad to have met you and the other members of your family. I hope to have the pleasure of meeting you on many more occasions.

The lawyer, from whom I wished to inquire re the possibility of Morris being able to stay in England for good, is at present away—I shall not be able to see him till the week-end. I should like to know what reply Morris receives from the Home Office.

Kindest regards from my wife & myself to your mother, Morris, your husband & yourself.

Yours Sincerely,
Joseph Weintrobe

Eva’s brother, Rabbi Joseph Weintrobe, in his military chaplain uniform.

The Under Secretary of State is directed to return the passport of Mr. Morris Davis in which the following endorsement has been made:

“The condition attached to the grant of leave to land is hereby varied so as to require that the holder:

(i) Does not remain in the United Kingdom longer than 28th July, 1937.

(ii) Does not enter any employment paid or unpaid, while in the United Kingdom.”

The endorsement in the passport must be shown at once to the Police Registration Officer of the registration district in which the holder is resident.

The matter of Mr. Davis’ return from the United States of America cannot be decided in advance. It will be open to him to apply to the nearest Passport Control Officer or British Consul for a visa. If Mr. Davis desires to return for the purpose of employment, he should first be in possession of a permit issued to his prospective employer by the Minister of Labor.

Mr. Davis’ certificate of registration is also returned herewith.

Mr. M. Davis,

c/o Mrs. J. Folus,

38, Parfett Street,

E. 1

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

18/4/37

Dear Morris,

Many thanks for your welcome letter, was glad to read that you have now settled down in your own home.

I had a nice letter from my brother Joe. He wrote that he was pleased to meet you & he spoke very nice about you.

We have been very busy working overtime the last few nights dispite the fact that we have had a lot of temporary helpers in lately &, with my own private orders, I have not had much spare time to write earlier.

After all this fuss I see no excitement at the prospect of going to America even for a short stay. I am pleading with you to either stay in England or go back alone for a few months, nothing will be too hard for you, if you know that I shall be waiting for you. Why don’t you act like other boys & give in to the girl. Many would sacrifice much more than this. I am begging you to listen to my plead. Even your own mother & sister have said it would be better for you to stay in England.

I am glad that you have agreed to get engaged first, as it is the proper thing for us to do, but I would be happier if you bought it with me & as there is no immediate hurry I can wait until it is possible for you to get it.

I am beginning to miss your Sundays here & am looking forward to your next visit. I am enclosing a photo as I promised, it is only a cheap one & not very good. I will have a better one taken when I have the time.

My people send their kindest regards to your family & yourself.

I close with my best love to you,

Your’s Sincerely,
Eva

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

21/4/37

Dear Morris,

I received your welcome letter this morning. I am sorry that you were worried last week about my letter but as I explained everything there is no need for me to do so again. You can see that I am answering this straight away so that you will be in no suspense again.

Morris, you are not being fair to me & are looking at things from a different point of view, sometimes I wonder whether you really care for me. You said I should not doubt your love for me as you were the first to declare & also the first to propose marriage, well this is the proper thing to do, did you expect me to propose first.

You said that your girl friends have said that they would follow their husband’s anywhere, don’t forget that I said the same at first thought, but if they were in the position that I am now I know that they would say differently. I don’t care in what part of England you choose to live, I would go with you, but to live in America so far away. Even Janie said that if Eddie had asked her to go to America she would have thought twice as much. Max Purcell has always wanted to go to South Africa, but his wife will never consent to going, & he has given in to her.

I know that I am wasting time, but I cannot give a definite answer until I get a letter from my Auntie in America.

If I do give in & go with you, I do not want to live with a father-in-law & look after him, you are expecting too much of me. I don’t like the attitude he took concerning our affair & it makes me wonder if I will be able to get on with him. I don’t blame Eddie [Jane’s husband] in telling Jane to ask your mother to lessen her frequent calls as he did not want her advices. I too would never ask you to take advice of my mother once we were married.

I don’t understand what you mean by your mother agreeing to your fathers opinion & your decision as she would like to see you happy, to what decision are you referring?

You have no right to balance my love for you in whether I go to America with you or not.

I shall be very pleased to see you here on May 2nd & I hope by that time we shall have cleared something up & come to a better understanding.

We are expecting my sister-in-law from Swansea [Joe’s wife Rose] & the baby [Elkan] here for a few weeks stay shortly. It is a long time since we last saw them.

I will close with my best love to you.

Your’s Sincerely,
Eva

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

26/4/37

Dear Morris,

Many thanks for your welcome letter which I received on Saturday. Yes, come down next Sunday May 2nd. I will be very pleased to see you. We shall be expecting a large company here on that day. My sister-in-law [Rose] is going to Manchester this week to stay with her mother for a short holiday, & will be here on Sunday, & I think my brother Joe will be coming too. A member of his congregation who was formerly from Liverpool is coming over by car to unveil a stone for her father’s grave & asked my brother to accompany them. Max [Eva’s brother] I believe will be getting engaged on that day. His girl is here at the present moment.

We had a letter from my Auntie in America. She wrote that she had been to see your father & he gave her a good impression of you. Your father also told her that there may be difficulty in getting me into the States. So you see we must look at every small thing. You may not be permitted to stay in England, what could we do then. I have told you before that I would never agree to get married & then you go to America alone. It is all right for cricketers & film stars, Jewish people never do things like this.

Let me know what time you will arrive here next Sunday & at what station. I am not sure but I think there will be an affair at Max’s girls house on Sunday.

How are your family getting on, please give them my best regards.

With best love,

Your’s
Eva

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

5/5/37

Dear Morris,

I was pleased to receive your welcome letter & read that you had a comfortable journey home. I was wondering all the time if you had got a good seat.

Don’t stop your mother if she wants to write to my father or better still she can write to my brother the address is 9, Willows Place, Swansea, South Wales. I let my parents go to any length as I know they were only doing it for my own benefit.

I had a long talk with my brothers on Sunday night & they told me that no one in the family will stand in the way of my happiness & the best conclusion at which they can arrive is that you go back to America when your visa expires. I should follow later, as I cannot go away before Max’s wedding in August or September. Meanwhile they will make arrangements for me to stay with my Aunt. Then I can judge how I like America & I can then decide on staying & marrying you or returning. It is best to make sure of things first, once you are married nothing can ever alter matters.

We are still working overtime & to-day Wednesday we have been working until four o’clock instead of one. I shall be glad when all this rush is over.

Kindest regards from all my family & my best love to you.

Your’s Sincerely,
Eva

Rev. J. Weintrobe

9, Willows Place,

Swansea,

South Wales

7.5.37

Dear Mrs. Folus [Morris’s sister],

I hope that your husband, mother, Morris & yourself are keeping well. My wife & the baby are at present in Manchester on a short visit to my mother-in-law. My father is staying with me. He has not been very well, & is having a little holiday here.

Morris has, no doubt, told you about his visit on Sunday last to Liverpool. It is a great pity that things are not going so smoothly. I should very much like Morris to adopt a more reasonable attitude. The following suggestion, which, I believe, Eva has already made, should be satisfactory. It is that Morris should go to America when his visa expires. Eva will follow soon after my brother [Max] is married, which we expect him to be in August. Eva would have about 6 months in America to see how she would like the country, how she would like being away from home, & how she & Morris would get on when they would be on their own, away from family influences. Morris could in the meantime establish himself, if possible, in a good post. Then, if mutually agreeable, they could live in America, after getting married there. It is because of the uncertainty of it all that we do not wish them to marry here, & then chance it in America. But, if Morris will be reasonable, Eva will follow him, she would probably stay with an aunt of ours, & then, as I said, they could follow this up & get married. This would solve the difficulty, if Morris would be agreeable, & I think he ought to be prepared to do this, if he cared sufficiently.

I had been hoping to be in London, but I have not yet been able to get away.

Kind regards to you all from my father & myself.

Yours Sincerely,
Joseph Weintrobe

[In the corner of the letter, Morris wrote: “Please return it to me, Morris.” He apparently sent the letter to Eva to read.]

This may be the photograph of Morris to which Eva refers in the next letter.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

9/5/37

Dear Morris,

Many thanks for your most welcome letter received yesterday. I would very much like to see you before you go back to America, but I would prefer you come to Liverpool, as this is the busiest time of the year at our workshop & I could not possibly get off the next day, as I did last time & with working overtime most nights it would be too much of a strain.

I am glad that we have come to a better understanding. Yes I foresaw all the possibility that Joe would not be officiating at the wedding & my family would not be there if we got married in America. It would hurt me more than I’d care to admit, but I think it is for the best & so do my parents. [D]on’t think they are saying this just to make us happy as you said in your letter, they are not the kind to play with me. I never said when I will go to America I just mentioned I cannot leave before Max’s wedding in Sept., but Morris I want you to understand that if ever I change my mind & do not want to go don’t blame me, it would be partly your fault as you are very obstinate, if you are vexed with me for saying this I am very sorry, but I want to be frank with you, & tell you just what I think.

It is hard for me to make things plainer to you what I wrote in the last letter. I mean that I am taking a very big risk in going away & want to make sure first that everything will be alright, so that I will not be sorry after. I know you do not mean to stay for good, still one never knows what will happen.

I think your first photo was better.

I will close now hoping to see you soon here.

With best love,
Eva

PS: If you read the Jewish Chronicle you will see Max’s engagement announced.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

11/5/37

Dear Morris,

I received your welcome letter to-day. I do not feel any bitterness towards you if that is what you think. Your letter has put me in an awkward position. Although we have discussed this several times, I still do not understand, you say if I married you, you would come back to England soon, yet knowing that I would be waiting for you does not make you want to hurry back. Yes, Max will be getting married only three months after being engaged but you forget that he has known Doris for a long time.

You imag[in]e for some reason or other that I am vexed or dissatisfied with you, it is the attitude you are taking which is making you imagine these things.

As much as I would like you to come here for a whole week it would be us[e]less. As you know that father is in Swansea, Mother has to take his place & stay with Betty in the shop all day & you would be alone & then again I am working overtime most nights & would not be able to see much of you. You could come here for a day on Sunday.

Morris please do not let any ill feelings mar our friendship. If you are still agreeable to my suggestion of last week, we will keep to that plan & I shall be looking forward to seeing you again soon.

Morris (second from left) in a walking race in England.

Let me congratulate you on winning in the Road Walking championship last week & I wish you the best of luck for your next one.

Kindest regards from my family. I close with my best love to you,

Yours Sincerely,
Eva

Eva’s uncles and aunts at the Concord Hotel in the early 1950s. Her father, Eli, is standing second from the right. Her Aunt Molly Harrison is seated at the far left. Arthur Winarick, married to Eva’s Aunt Jean (seated fourth from the right), is standing third from the right.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

26/5/97

Dear Morris,

Just a few hurried lines so that you will get this letter to-morrow before going to the Shipping Office. I went to Celia’s [Eva’s sister] straight from work this afternoon & have only just come home & found your letter, so I am writing without delay to catch the last post.

Nothing will make me change my mind. I have told you before that I will not rush into things. It is impossible for me to marry you in July.

I will send you the address of my Auntie in America in my next letter. I believe it was a lovely day in London on Sunday. We are still having rain here. It seems that once it starts it is a long time stopping.

Kindest regards from my family to your mother, sister & yourself.

With best love,

Yours Sincerely,
Eva

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

30/5/37

Dear Morris,

I was pleased to receive your welcome letter yesterday. In your previous letter to me you asked me to reply without delay as you had to go to the Home Office to either verify or cancel your passage to America & it all depended on my answer. So I naturally gave you a curt reply so that you would know what to do & as I had explained to you that I was in a hurry I thought that you would understand. Of course I will miss you & shall be sorry when you go back. I shall be looking forward to the day when I will be able to see you again.

I was thinking of seeing you off at Southampton on Wednesday, but I find that it is impossible to get off from work. Two girls are away ill & a few have taken their holiday now, otherwise I would have gone, as I had wanted see you off. You wrote in your letter that you were miserable, what is it about, cheer up, & look on the bright side of things & everything will be all right.

Please convey to Norman [Jackson, Morris’s friend] my congratulations on his coming marriage [to Lily] & my best wishes for a bright & happy future.

We are having lovely weather now & about time. Mother is going to Swansea next week & I hope that the rest will do her good.

I will close now wishing you a Bon Voyage.

With my best love to you,

Your’s very Sincerely,
Eva

PS Write & let me know how you like the “Queen Mary”

A letter from Eva to Morris, June 1, 1937.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

June 1st

Dear Morris,

I received your welcome letter this morning before going to work & am answering during lunch hour. As much as I would like to see you off at Southampton I am afraid it is impossible. As with less girls here we have to make up for lost time, & may be working until 4 o’clock to-morrow/Wednesday.

Wishing you once more a “bon voyage”

Love.
Eva.

Annie and Ada Rubin.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

20/6/37

Dear Morris,

I was very pleased to receive your welcome letter & card. I received both at the same time although I noticed that the card was sent earlier. You honured me by writing your first letter in America to me.

I met Leah the other day & she told me that she had received a card from you. She is moving soon taking a half house with her mother & father. Harold [Celia’s son] also showed me a card from you.

Mother has been in Swansea two weeks & is staying another two. I hope the rest will do her good. Now we girls have the opportunity to learn cooking. I think Betty is the better of the two of us. I am thinking of going away for my holiday with Ada Rubin. Annie is going to Paris for the Deaf Congress. We are probably going to Rhyl. It is a very nice place with plenty of amusements. We are going there today to look for rooms.

We are still very busy at work & working late some nights. It seems that people are mad on clothes this year. Have you got your old job back? Last Sunday we went hiking in North Wales taking the train halfway. There were eight of us including Max Leah & the Rubins.

Do you remember me showing you some snaps of my cousins in America one specially of two girls & the mother. Well one of them is getting married this week.

I am enclosing the address of my Auntie. You could go & visit her & give her a regard from us. We had a letter from her the other day asking if I am going to the States.

How is Norman [Jackson] is he married yet.

I will close now hoping to hear from you soon.

With best love & shall I say a kiss

Yours Sincerely,
Eva

Mrs. S. Weintraub

681 Hawthorne St

Brooklyn N.Y.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

2/17/37

Dear Morris,

I was very pleased to receive your much looked forward to letter. I also received the parcel & thank you very much for same. Harold was delighted at the Comics[.] You should have seen his face when he saw them. After I mailed my last letter to you I received the other parcel you sent from the ship. Harold was also very pleased with the novelties. I enjoyed reading the papers as I always find American newspapers very interesting[.]

Yes it does seem an enternity in receiving your letter after being used to receiving them every week when you were in England[.] You asked me to write longer letters[.] I will try my best, but I have told you before that I am not a very good letter writer & you must not forget that I do not have very much time to spare. There is always sewing laying about for me to do which reminds me that I will have to start with my holiday cloths as I am going away in two weeks time, there I am going on when I suppose you are not interested. You asked me again why I do not write more sentimental & intimate letters. I am not a poet & cannot express my feelings in black & white & feel I will not be doing justice to my feelings.

Max’s engagement I am sorry to say has come to an end. It is no good for you to ask me the why’s & wherefor’s[.] [T]he only satisfactory answer I can give you is that Max was not very happy over the engagement & thought it best to finish before it is too late. Of course we are very upset as it seemed a good chance for Max & we were hoping things would turn out well[.]

You ask me what my plans for the future are[.] I must confess I have made none. I miss you very much, but I am happy & content here. Just as you say, you are wrestling with the problem of what is best to do so am I[.] I do not know which way to turn. We had a letter from Auntie Sarah & she wrote that she will do all she can for me if I decide to go to America. Father wrote a long letter telling her everything & I wrote a few lines thanking her for the trouble she has taken[.] I suppose she will be inviting you down again soon.

Harold is not having his operation after all, Celia does not think it necessary. They are at present in Dublin with Jack’s sister for a few weeks holiday. We miss them very much.

I suppose you heard when you were in Manchester that Molly Alper’s brother-in-law was engaged to a Liverpool girl. I believe they will be getting married in August, so I suppose the crowd will be coming down. I don’t think I will be able to see them as I think the Wedding will take place when I am on my holiday.

I have taken up tennis once again & hope to play more regular. I play every Friday evening with some friends from the Deaf Club.

Morris, what do you do with yourself now[,] are you back again with your old friends? The other day Annie & Ada Rubin & Leah & Max asked me about you & if I had heard from you & I told them I had without telling everything.

I started writing this letter last night but was too tired to finish it so am writing now before going to work. I hope you are keeping well as I am glad to say the same of myself.

Kindest regards from my family

With best love & kisses

Your’s
Eva

Celia, Eva’s sister, with her husband, Jack Ross, and their son, Harold.

Harold, Eva’s nephew, a year after his accident.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

Aug 22nd

Dear Morris,

Very many thanks for your eagerly awaited letter. I also thank you very much for the birthday present, it was an unexpected but pleasant surprise & I shall buy something useful as you advised with the money.

I am feeling fine after my holiday at Rhyl & I had a very enjoyable time, the weather too was fine the whole time. I am not sure if you would recognize me now as I am nearly as black as a niggar. We went swimming everyday & sight seeing now & again. Esther Tanen & her husband were in Manchester for a week & took the opportunity of spending a day with us. They talked quite a bit about you but nothing serious. I am enclosing a few snaps.

When Celia was in Dublin she met Jack’s cousin a hearing girl & her deaf husband, they have not been married long. [T]he boy Harold Rosenberg, he is not from our school, told my sister that his family all went to America & have been trying for the last few years to get him over but cannot because he is deaf. They had been doing all that was in their power to do. I have a feeling that there will be uncertainty in getting me over. Things are not the same as when you first went to America.

Although I would like to have the engagement ring for my birthday [September 3] owing to all this uncertainty, I think it would be much wiser to wait until something definite is settled.

Have you been to Auntie Sarah’s again? [I]f so, let me know what happened there.

I have not been to the Shipping Offices as I really do not know what to do, in a way I would like to go to America but in another way I think it would be better for me to remain in England, don’t think it is the family’s fault as it is not, father for instance is urging me to go[.] Mother I must admit does not like the idea[.] [S]till she is not standing in the way. Don’t think that all this is because I have changed towards you, as it is not true. I care for you just the same as when you were in England. I miss you & also the good times we had together when you were here.

Harold had an accident with his hand[.] [H]e slipped on the moving stairs at Lewis’s & caught his hand in a small hole, but luckily there was no machinery working at the time, otherwise it would have been worse, as it is he has only a few bruises & cuts. He goes to school now & talks about nothing else all day. Isaac Butnick passed away a few weeks ago, it must be a great loss to the family, as he was still only a young man. I believe he had been poorly for some time.

How are you keeping & how is your father? I thank him for the trouble he had taken in going to the Shipping Office for the affidavits.

There is really nothing in the way of news to write about, so I will close wishing you a Happy New Year.

With best love & kisses to you,

Yours Sincerely
Eva

PS
I started writing this letter on Sunday but had to wait until today for the snaps. E.

Eva sent this New Year’s card with her letter of 22/8/37.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

25/8/37

Dear Morris,

After receiving your letters & affidavits this morning, I have now decided that I will go to America, if all is well. Max [Eva’s brother] is away at the present, but will be home this weekend & I will then ask him to come with me to the American Consul as he understands these things better than I do. I am happy & excited at the prospect of seeing you again & I hope you will not have long to wait. I will let you know all as soon as I have been to the Consul. I will ask for a permanent visa as you advised.

I feel now after receiving your letters that I will be safe in America, whereas before I received them I had felt some uncertainty, now I know everything will be alright.

I am glad that my Aunties gave you a warm welcome.

I will write again next week & will let you know all. Hoping it will not be long before I go to America.

With best love & kisses to you

Yours
Eva

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

19/9/37

Dear Morris,

Very many thanks for your ever welcome letter received. Since writing my last letter to you I have been going on with the affair. I went to the American Consulate here, but was told to apply to the Consulate General in London, as they only give Visitor’s Visas here. I wrote to London & sent the affidavits & received an enquiry form. I have also sent this back & yesterday I received a letter for an interview on Oct 12th & was told in the meantime to get all the necessary papers ready. It is rather a long time to wait, but I suppose I cannot rush them. The appointment is for 10:30 A.M. I am going to write & ask them to make it for 3:30 as I will probably travel on that day [to London from Liverpool]. I will write to your sister Janie & will tell her everything.

I received the affidavits from my four Uncles. I was surprised to receive the one from my Uncle Arthur [Winarick] the maker of Jeris preparations. Did you see him or did Auntie Sarah ask him to fill them in.

What made you think it is through your money that decided me to go to America. I told you before that I don’t care if you have not a penny. It was the letter from your bosses that decided me, do you remember when you were here that I asked you if you were sure of getting your job back, you said yes of course, & I told you not to be too sure. You must admit it would have been silly of me, if you had not been working & I went over to join you, other bosses would have put another in your place no matter what a good worker you were if you had been away so long. I think you are very lucky to get your old job back.

Father should not have told Auntie about your financial affairs & I told him so. It was not from the letter from your Banker that he saw it, it was from the affidavits & I did not think he would attract any attention to it. To come to think of it I wish you had not mentioned anything about your financial affairs still what has been done cannot be undone & you have nothing to be ashamed of. If my relations want to help me they can do so without thinking of what you have. Don’t forget that what father did was solely for my welfare.

You need not worry about asking anybody to lend me a wedding dress. I have been working hard & will not go to America empty handed so will be able to buy my own dress.

There is one thing I cannot agree about the engagement ring. It is not right for a girl to buy the ring & put it on herself. You can buy the ring immediately [when] I arrive in America if you wish.

You have no need to worry, I will be a good wife to you, & will do everything for you as long as you are good to me. I am going to give up a lot for you leaving all my family & friends, so this ought to prove something to you.

Mrs. Alberts & her sister Mrs. Corkland, you remember spending the night at their house last Pesach, have just left Liverpool & are now living in Birmingham. I was busy making things for them before they left. They asked me about you & wish to be remembered to you. I told them of my decision to go to America & they wished me luck & asked me to visit them before I leave England. I am keeping well hoping this letter finds you the same.

I suppose you are bored with this letter by now so I will close.

With best love & kisses
Eva

PS Please give my regards to your father, sister & brother.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

10/10/37

Dear Morris,

Very many thanks for your ever welcome letter received last Friday. I also received the card you sent me from Massachasetts.

You will notice by the above date that I am going to London next week to see the Consulate. I have already sent the affidavits on. I was told to bring a statement with me from someone of good standing who has known me for a number of years. My minister has very kindly done this for me & he has also given me some very good advice. If they will not let me land unless I marry you on the boat I would be prepared to, but I would much rather wait until I am in America & have a proper wedding. My minister said if you show them proof that you will marry me & I have some relations to go to in the meantime they will then let me land. It is proper and decent for Jewish people to get married in a synagogue.

I think your idea about the ring is very good. As soon as I get my visa I will let you know. You can then send the money to Max & I will go with him to choose the ring. I would also like to have the engagement ring before I leave England. I hope everything will be alright for us both in the end.

What made you think I get bored with your long letters when I am always looking eagerly forward to receiving them. It was only by a chance that I asked you if you were bored with mine.

I was down at Leah’s last night, she has been ill for the last three weeks but is getting better now. They told me that they had received a letter from you & thank you for same. Joe also wrote that he had received your letter.

Celia [Eva’s sister] has now moved & lives with Jack’s father [Celia’s father-in-law]. I cannot remember whether I told you or not that Jack’s mother passed away a few weeks ago & as his sister is getting married soon it is very quite [quiet] for the old man, so he asked Jack & Celia to live with them [him?]. In the middle of writing this letter Annie Rubin called. She asked me who I was writing to, so I told her, she sends her regards to you & also Ada’s. She came to ask me if I would like to go to Chester as a friend of ours invited us over.

I was wondering why you had sent me three copy’s of the affidavits whereas my Auntie sent two. If you like I can send the pink copy back in my next letter or I could keep it together with the other papers.

I am keeping well hoping this letter finds you the same.

I will close now with my best love to you. My family send their best regards to you.

Yours Sincerely,
Eva

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

14/10/37

Dear Morris,

I have come back from the Consulate very disappointed whereas I had gone with great hopes. This letter gives me no pleasure in writing as I had expected to write quite a different one. I went to London with Betty [Eva’s sister] as the family thought it would be better for me & I was glad she came as she was some comfort to me.

I went to the Consulate at the appointed time, at first I went through the medical examination in this I easily passed so I thought there would be no difficulty in getting the Visa but in this I was very much disappointed. The Consulate asked me at first what I would do if you suddenly changed your mind & did not want to marry me. I told him that was impossible, & besides ever since leaving school I have always been self independent. I told him we could get married as soon as my ship lands, but he told me that he would only be doing me more harm than good if he gave me a visa as I would be deported which would not be nice. He said that the only thing to do is for you to come to England & marry me then nothing whatever will stand in the way of me going back with you as your wife, to show me proof of this he has given me back all the affidavits but kept yours & written on it, pending, expecting my return for the visa. I told him that it was impossible for you to come back as you had only gone back last June. He said he was sorry but that was the only thing to do.

The reason why he refused the visa is because he was afraid you would not marry me & then I would be destitute & be dependent on the city.

I had written to your sister Janie that I was coming but did not receive a reply[.] [T]hinking that she may have moved I wrote another addressed to your mother. I received an answer saying she would be pleased to see me. I told your mother everything, she was disappointed too, as she had thought I would get the visa.

There is nothing I can do now, it is for you to decide whether you care to come to England to marry me. I know this is a lot for you to do, still you can see it was not my fault, I did all I could.

I received your parcel this morning & thank you for same. I am too upset to write any more, so I will close hoping we will both find a way in the end.

With best love,

Yours Sincerely,
Eva

U.S. Department of Labor
Immigration and Naturalization Service
Washington

October 29, 1937

Mr. Morris Davis

32 Meserole Street

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Dear Sir:

Reference is made to our attached letter of October 19, regarding your desire to secure the admission to the United States of your fiancée, Miss Eva Weintrobe. You state that the American Consul in London refused to issue a visa to her, that you are a United States citizen, and that you and she are deaf.

Inasmuch as your ultimate object is to secure your fiancee’s permanent admission to the United States, it is suggested that efforts be continued to secure an immigration visa for her. Under the law the consuls, who are officials of the Department of State, have entire authority in the issuance of visas, and this office does not instruct the consuls. If you go abroad to marry, thereafter you make a petition for the granting of a nonquota status in the issuance of an immigration visa to your wife. The forms for this purpose may be secured from and executed before an American consul. However, approval of the visa petition is not an assurance that a visa will be issued, its only purpose being to accord the beneficiary an exempt status so far as the quota is concerned.

In case Miss Weintrobe desires to seek entry as a vistor to the United States, she should secure a passport visa from an American consul. An alien admitted as visitor after June 30, 1924, may not remain here permanently, notwithstanding marriage to a United States citizen. If your fiancee should be admitted as a visitor, in order to secure the right of permanent residence in the United States it will be necessary for her to leave the country, procure a proper immigration visa from an American consul in foreign territory, and thereafter undergo examination by officials of this Service at a United States port of entry.

As indicated above, decision in this case now rests with the American Consul at London, to whom your further inquiries and representations should be submitted. As of possible assistance, there is attached a pamphlet of general information regarding the United States immigration laws.

Cordially yours,
By direction of the
Commissioner,

Henry B. Hazard, Assistant

In Reply Refer to

File No. 811.11 - RWB/fh

The Foreign Service
of the
United States of America

American Consulate General
1, Grosvenor Square, London, W.1.
November 3, 1937

Miss Eva Weintrobe

83 Chatham Street

Liverpool 7.

Madam:

In regard to your desire to emigrate to the United States, it is suggested that you send the enclosed Forms B to your fiancé in the United States with the request that he and your several aunts in that country comply carefully with all the pertinent requirements, which are fully explained therein.

Whenever you have received the necessary additional evidence from all of your relatives, please send it to this office for examination. If it is found to be sufficient, the Consulate General will be pleased to reconsider your application with a view of granting the desired visa.

Very truly yours,
For the American Consul,

Russel W. Benton
American Vice Consul

Enclosures: Two Forms B.

83 Chatham St.

Liverpool 7

3/11/37

Dear Morris,

I received your letter this morning. I am surprised & shocked with what you had written. You say that Betty & I told your mother that my Uncle [Arthur Winarick] should smooth matters out by paying your passage over. It is entirely untrue, we would never dream of doing such a thing. Your mother suggested to me that I should pay your fare over. I did not like to say anything about this to you before, but as matters have gone a bit too far I am compelled to do so, what surprised me most is that you should fall to such a suggestion. You have put my family in a very awkward position.

You did not even ask permission of me if you should ask Uncle Arthur for help, even if you had I would never have given my consent.

And another thing you have made me vexed with is that you always make plans & arrangements without asking the other concerned whether they like it or not.

Uncle Arthur may be a rich man but he has to work for his living & he works hard. He has his own expenses & family to think of.

I wonder what our relations think of us now.

This is all I can say for the present.

From
Eva