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 has two daughters.
Dennis’ paternal grandfather was Moses Abraham Sciama (the son of Raphael Abraham Sciama and Esther). Raphael and Esther were Syrian Jewish emigrants, from Aleppo.
Dennis’ paternal grandmother was Elizabeth “Bessie/Betsy” Henriques Valentine (the daughter of Emanuel Henriques Valentine and Frances “Fanny” Woolf). 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