David Jacob MORRIS was born in Smorgon, Belarus, 9 Aug 1875. But the
problem is that MORRIS was not his original surname and I have not been
able to find what that was. On the Authorisation of David's marriage (at
the Great Synagogue in London 15 Aug 1899) his father was referred to as
being deceased and called Moses Mordecai. However, in David's
Naturalisation papers he was just called Mordecai. The names Mordkovich
Sudkova and Mordecavitch Suskovich Sutkova are remembered in family lore
and one cousin was given the forename Sutcover. It has proved impossible
so far to discover where any vital records for Smorgon, which may have
survived the tremendous upheavals of the First and Second World Wars and
the Russian Revolution, are held. Both Vilnius and Minsk Archives have
told me they hold none. Several kind people have given me SUTCOVER leads
but nothing definitive has yet emerged. David's mother was called Sarah
KALISKY and I have yet to get a lead on that surname.

David came to England aged 15 in 1890 and had further schooling. Between
1892 and 1894 (there is conflicting evidence in Naturalisation papers)
he went to South Africa and found a clerical post in an estate office in
Cape Town. He returned 30 March 1899 to get married, and then returned
to SA where he worked as a surveyor until he came back to London in 1905
and established himself as a "surveyor and speculative builder". In his
Marriage Cert David is described as a native of Russia and a Cabinet
Maker. His wife was Katie Gitel FREEDMAN (born about 1877 in Vilnius,
Lithuania, daughter of Aaron Alter FREEDMAN). David and Katie's address
at the time of marriage was 90 Brick Lane, Whitechapel.

David had brothers Solomon Haim and Eliahu Meir (who we think emigrated
to the U.S.), and a sister Hannah (who later married a Mr CROSS).

Yours hopefully,
Peter HINTON
The Sutzkever family of Smorgon;
http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/kurenets/k_pages/sutzkever.html