Dennis Sciama

Birth Name: Denis William Siahou Sciama

Date of Birth: 18 November, 1926

Place of Birth: Manchester South, Lancashire, England, U.K.

Date of Death: 18/19 December, 1999

Place of Death: Oxford, England, U.K.

Ethnicity: Sephardi Jewish

Dennis Sciama was a British physicist. He is considered one of the fathers of modern cosmology.

His father, Abraham Sciama, was a textile businessperson, also from Manchester. His mother, Nelly Ades, was born in Cairo, Egypt. Both of them traced their roots to Aleppo, Syria.

The surname Sciama was originally spelled Shama, but the later spelling was adopted to conform better to the Latin alphabet.

Dennis was married to a social anthropologist, Lidia Dina, until his death, with whom he had two daughters.

Dennis’ paternal grandfather was Moses Abraham Sciama (the son of Raphael Abraham Sciama and Esther). Moses was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England, to Syrian Jewish parents, from Aleppo.

Dennis’ paternal grandmother was Elizabeth “Bessie/Betsy” Henriques Valentine (the daughter of Emanuel Henriques Valentine and Frances “Fanny” Woolf). Elizabeth was born in London. Emanuel was the son of Abraham/Aaron Henriques Valentine and Julia/Judith Mordechai Mendoza. Frances was the daughter of Abraham Woolf and Elizabeth Samuel.

Dennis’ maternal grandfather was named Ezra Ades.

Sources: Biography of Dennis Sciama – http://rsbm.royalsocietypublishing.org

Genealogy of Dennis’ brother, Maurice Sciama – http://farhi.org

Dennis’ father on the 1891 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage record of Dennis’ paternal grandparents, Moses Abraham Sciama and Elizabeth Henriques Valentine – https://www.familysearch.org

Dennis’ paternal grandfather, Moses Abraham Sciama, on the 1871 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Dennis’ paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Henriques Valentine, on the 1871 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage record of Dennis’ paternal great-grandparents, Emanuel Henriques Valentine and Frances Woolf – https://www.familysearch.org