Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore pptx

Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore,by Sir Moses Montefiore and Judith Montefiore The Project Gutenberg EBook of Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, Volume I, by Sir Moses Mon

Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore,

by Sir Moses Montefiore and Judith Montefiore

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore,

Volume I, by Sir Moses Montefiore and Judith Montefiore This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at

no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms

of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, Volume I Comprising Their Life and Work as Recorded inTheir Diaries From 1812 to 1883

Author: Sir Moses Montefiore Judith Montefiore

Editor: Dr L Loewe

Release Date: August 2, 2008 [EBook #26170]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1

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[Illustration: REPRODUCED FROM A PHOTOGRAPH ON PORCELAIN IN THE POSSESSION OF MRSLOEWE TAKEN AT THE AGE OF 80

HELIOG LEMERCIER Et Cie PARIS]

DIARIES OF

SIR MOSES

AND LADY MONTEFIORE

COMPRISING THEIR LIFE AND WORK AS RECORDED IN THEIR DIARIES FROM 1812 TO 1883.WITH THE ADDRESSES AND SPEECHES OF SIR MOSES; HIS CORRESPONDENCE WITH

MINISTERS, AMBASSADORS, AND REPRESENTATIVES OF PUBLIC BODIES; PERSONAL

NARRATIVES OF HIS MISSIONS IN THE CAUSE OF HUMANITY; FIRMANS AND EDICTS OFEASTERN MONARCHS; HIS OPINIONS ON FINANCIAL, POLITICAL, AND RELIGIOUS SUBJECTS,AND ANECDOTES AND INCIDENTS REFERRING TO MEN OF HIS TIME, AS RELATED BY

HIMSELF

EDITED BY

DR L LOEWE,

MEMBER OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND OF THE

SOCIETE ASIATIQUE OF PARIS OF THE NUMISMATIC SOCIETY OF LONDON, ETC (ONE OF THEMEMBERS OF THE MISSION TO DAMASCUS AND CONSTANTINOPLE UNDER THE LATE SIRMOSES MONTEFIORE BART, IN THE YEAR 1840)

ASSISTED BY HIS SON

In Two Volumes

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS

VOL I

CHICAGO: BELFORD-CLARKE CO 1890

[Illustration: ANCIENT COAT OF ARMS OF THE MONTEFIORE FAMILY, explained on page 6.]

(The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved.)

Copyright Belford-Clarke Co., Chicago

PREFACE

In submitting to the public the Memoirs, including the Diaries, of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, I deem itdesirable to explain the motives by which I have been actuated, as well as the sources from which most of myinformation has been drawn

The late Sir Moses Montefiore, from a desire to show his high appreciation of the services rendered to thecause of humanity by Judith, Lady Montefiore, his affectionate partner in life, directed the executors of hislast will "to permit me to take into my custody and care all the notes, memoranda, journals, and manuscripts

in his possession written by his deeply lamented wife, to assist me in writing a Memoir of her useful andblessed life."

The executors having promptly complied with these instructions, I soon found myself in possession of fivejournals by Lady Montefiore, besides many valuable letters and papers, including documents of great

importance, as well as of no less than eighty-five diaries of Sir Moses Montefiore, dating from 1814 to 1883,all in his own handwriting.

In addition to such facilities for producing a Memoir, I had the special advantage of personally knowing bothSir Moses and Lady Montefiore for many years There is an entry in the diaries referring to a dinner at thehouse of one of their relatives on the 27th of November 1835 (where I met them for the first time), and to avisit I subsequently paid them at East Cliff Lodge, Ramsgate, by special invitation, from the 3rd to the 13th ofDecember of the same year

I also had the privilege of accompanying them on thirteen philanthropic missions to foreign lands, some ofwhich were undertaken by both Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, and others by Sir Moses alone after LadyMontefiore's death The first of these missions took place in the year 1839, and the last in 1874

A no less important circumstance, which I may perhaps be allowed to mention, is, that I was with Sir Moses

on the last day of his life, until he breathed his last, and had the satisfaction of hearing from his own lips,immediately before his death, the expression of his approval of my humble endeavours to assist him, as far aslay in my power, in attaining the various objects he had in view

However desirous I might have been to adhere strictly to his wishes, I found it impossible to write a Memoir

of Lady Montefiore without making it, at the same time, a Memoir of Sir Moses himself, both of them havingbeen so closely united in all their benevolent works and projects It appeared to me most desirable, therefore,

in order to convey to the reader a correct idea of the contents of the book, to entitle it "The Diaries of SirMoses and Lady Montefiore."

In order, however, to comply with the instructions of the will, I shall, in giving the particulars of their familydescent, first introduce the parentage of Lady Montefiore

To assist the reader in finding the exact month and year referring to Hebrew Communal affairs, I have alwaysgiven the Hebrew date conjointly with that of the Christian era, more especially as all the entries in the diariesinvariably have these double dates

L LOEWE

1 Oscar Villas, Broadstairs, Kent, 21st June 1887 (5647 A.M.).

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

Birth of Sir Moses Montefiore at Leghorn His Family Early Years 1

CHAPTER II.

Early Education Becomes a Stockbroker His Marriage 12

CHAPTER III.

Extracts from the Diaries Financial Transactions Public Events before and after Waterloo Elected President

of the Spanish and Portuguese Hebrew Community 19

CHAPTER IV.

Daily Life Death of his Brother Abraham An early Panama Canal Project 25

CHAPTER V.

First Journey to Jerusalem 36

CHAPTER VI.

Mr and Mrs Montefiore leave Alexandria A Sea Voyage Sixty Years ago 47

CHAPTER VII.

Arrival in England Illness of Mr Montefiore The Struggle for Jewish Emancipation 55

CHAPTER VIII.

Lady Hester Stanhope Her Eccentricities Parliament and the Jews 63

CHAPTER IX.

Mr Montefiore presented to the King Spanish and Portuguese Jews in London in 1829 69

CHAPTER X.

Interview with the Duke of Wellington in furtherance of the Jewish Cause The Duke's Dilatory

Tactics Laying the Foundation-stone of the Synagogue at Hereson 78

CHAPTER XI.

Lord Brougham and the Jews The Jewish Poor in London Mr Montefiore hands his Broker's Medal to hisBrother Dedication of the Synagogue at Hereson The Lords reject the Jewish Disabilities Bill 86

CHAPTER XII.

Illness of Mr Montefiore His Recovery Sir David Salomons proposed as Sheriff Visit of the Duchess of

Kent and Princess Victoria to Ramsgate Mr Montefiore's Hospitals Naming of the Vessel Britannia by Mrs

Montefiore A Loan of Fifteen Millions 93

CHAPTER XIII.

Death of Mr N M Rothschild Mr Montefiore visits Dublin Becomes the First Jewish Member of the RoyalSociety Death of William IV. Mr Montefiore elected Sheriff 103

CHAPTER XIV.

The Jews' Marriage Bill Mr Montefiore at the Queen's Drawing-Room His Inauguration as Sheriff 111

CHAPTER XV.

Death of Mr Montefiore's Uncle Mr Montefiore rides in the Lord Mayor's Procession Is Knighted HisSpeech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet Presents Petition on behalf of the Jews to Parliament 119

CHAPTER XVI.

Destruction of the Royal Exchange City Traditions "Jews' Walk" Sir Moses dines at Lambeth Palace 130

CHAPTER XVII.

Another Petition to Parliament Sir Moses intercedes successfully for the Life of a Convict Death of LadyMontefiore's Brother 137

CHAPTER XVIII.

Bartholomew Fair Sir Moses earns the Thanks of the City Preparations for a Second Journey to the HolyLand The Journey Adventures on Road and River in France 145

CHAPTER XIX.

Genoa, Carrara, Leghorn, and Rome Disquieting Rumours Quarantine Precautions Arrival at

Alexandria Travel in the Holy Land 153

CHAPTER XX.

Reception at Safed Sad Condition of the People Sir Moses' Project for the Cultivation of the Land in

Palestine by the Jews Death of the Chief Rabbi of the German Congregation in Jerusalem Tiberias 162

CHAPTER XXI.

Invitation from the Portuguese Congregation at Jerusalem Sanitary Measures in the Holy City The Wives ofthe Governor of Tiberias visit Lady Montefiore A Pleasant Journey Arrival at Jerusalem 171

CHAPTER XXII.

The Tomb of David Spread of the Plague Mussulman Fanaticism Suspicious Conduct of the Governor ofJerusalem Nayani, Beth Dagon, Jaffa, Emkhalet, and Tantura 180

CHAPTER XXIII.

Encampment near Mount Carmel State of the Country Child Marriages in the Portuguese Community atHaifa Arrival in Beyrout 188

CHAPTER XXIV.

On Board the Acheron Sir Moses' Plans on behalf of the Jews in Palestine Interview with Boghoz

Bey Proposed Joint Stock Banks in the East 196

CHAPTER XXV.

Arrival at Malta Home again Boghoz Bey returns no Answer Touching Appeal from the Persecuted Jews

of Damascus and Rhodes Revival of the old Calumny about killing Christians to put their Blood in PassoverCakes 204

CHAPTER XXVI.

Indignation Meetings in London M Crémieux Lord Palmerston's Action Sir Moses starts on a Mission tothe East Origin of the Passover Cake Superstition 213

CHAPTER XXVII.

Arrival at Leghorn Alexandria Sir Moses' Address to the Pasha Action of the Grand Vizir 222

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Authentic Accounts of the Circumstances attending the Accusations against the Jews Terrible Sufferings ofthe Accused Evidence of their Innocence Witnesses in their favour Bastinadoed to Death 229

CHAPTER XXIX.

Affairs in the East Ultimatum from the Powers Gloomy Prospects of the Mission Negotiations with thePasha Excitement in Alexandria Illness of Lady Montefiore 240

CHAPTER XXX.

The English Government and the Pasha Mohhammad Ali and the Slaves The Pasha promises to release theDamascus Prisoners He grants them an "Honourable Liberation" 248

CHAPTER XXXI.

Interview with the Pasha Liberation of the Jews of Damascus Public Rejoicings and

Thanksgiving Departure of Sir Moses for Constantinople 256

CHAPTER XXXII.

Constantinople Condition of the Jewish Residents Interview with Rechid Pasha Audience with the

Sultan He grants a Firman 266

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Distress among the Jews at Salonica Oppressive Laws with regard to them Text of the Firman Its

Promulgation 275

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Departure from Malta Naples Rome A Shameful Inscription Prejudices against the Jews at the Vatican282

CHAPTER XXXV.

Monsignor Bruti and his Hints Cardinal Riverola Ineffectual Attempts to Interview the Pope ReturningHomewards Alarming Accident The Governor of Genoa Interview with King Louis Philippe 289

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Home again Sir Moses presents a Facsimile of the Firman to the Queen Her Majesty's Special Mark ofFavour Reform Movement among the London Jews Appeal for English Protection from the Jews in the East298

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Presentation from Hamburg Sir Moses meets the King of Prussia Address to Prince Albert Attempt on theQueen's Life Petitions to Sir Moses from Russia 305

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Address and Testimonial from the Jews Sir Moses' Speech in reply Death of the Duke of Sussex TheDeportation Ukase in Russia Opening of the New Royal Exchange Sir Moses made Sheriff of Kent 313

CHAPTER XXXIX.

Affairs in Morocco Letter to the Emperor His Reply Deputation to Sir Robert Peel Death of Lady

Montefiore's Brother Isaac Sir Moses sets out for Russia 320

CHAPTER XL.

Perils of Russian Travelling in Winter Arrival at St Petersburg Interviews with Count Nesselrode and theCzar Count Kisseleff's Prejudices 328

CHAPTER XLI.

Count Kisseleff is more Conciliatory Sir Moses sets out for Wilna Arrival at Wilna The Jews' Answers tothe Charges of Russian Officials 339

CHAPTER XLII.

The Jewish Schools at Wilna Wilcomir Deplorable Condition of the Hebrew Community in that

Town Kowno Warsaw 344

CHAPTER XLIII.

Deputation from Krakau The Polish Jews and their Garb Sir Moses leaves Warsaw Posen, Berlin, andFrankfort Home 351

CHAPTER XLIV.

Sir Moses receives the Congratulations of his English Co-religionists His Exhaustive Report to Count

Kisseleff Examination of the Charges against the Jews Their Alleged Disinclination to engage in

Agriculture 359

CHAPTER XLV.

Report to Count Ouvaroff on the State of Education among the Jews in Russia and Poland Vindication of theLoyalty of the Jews 374

CHAPTER XLVI.

Report to Count Kisseleff on the State of the Jews in Poland Protest against the Restrictions to which theywere subjected 381

CHAPTER I.

BIRTH OF SIR MOSES MONTEFIORE AT LEGHORN HIS FAMILY EARLY YEARS

The neighbourhood of the Tower of London was, a hundred years ago, the centre of attraction for thousands

of persons engaged in financial pursuits, not so much on account of the protection which the presence of thegarrison might afford in case of tumult, as of the convenience offered by the locality from its vicinity to thewharves, the Custom House, the Mint, the Bank, the Royal Exchange, and many important counting-housesand places of business For those who took an interest in Hebrew Communal Institutions, it possessed theadditional advantage of being within ten minutes or a quarter of an hour's walk of the Spanish and PortugueseSynagogue and the Great German Synagogue, together with their Colleges and Schools, and several minorplaces of worship

Tower Hill, the Minories, and the four streets enclosing the Tenter Ground were then favourite places ofresidence for the merchant; and in one of these, Great Prescott Street, lived Levi Barent Cohen, the father ofJudith, afterwards Lady Montefiore

He was a wealthy merchant from Amsterdam, who settled in England, where fortune favoured his commercialundertakings

In his own country his name is to this day held in great respect He not only during his lifetime kept up acordial correspondence with his friends and relatives who were indebted to him for many acts of

kindness but, wishing to have his name commemorated in the House of Prayer by some act of charity, hebequeathed a certain sum of money to be given annually to the poor, in consideration of which, he desired tohave some of the Daily Prayers offered up from the very place which he used to occupy in the Synagogue ofhis native city

He was a man, upright in all his transactions, and a strict adherent to the tenets of his religion He was of avery kind and sociable disposition, which prompted him to keep open house for his friends and visitors, whom

he always received with the most generous hospitality He was first married to Fanny, a daughter of JosephDiamantschleifer of Amsterdam, by whom he had three children: two sons, Solomon and Joseph, and onedaughter, Fanny

Solomon became the father-in-law of the late Sir David Salomons, and Joseph the father of the late Mr LouisCohen Fanny married Salomon Hyman Cohen Wessels, of Amsterdam, a gentleman who was well known atthat time for his philanthropy, and whose family, at the period of Napoleon I., was held in great esteem amongthe aristocracy of Holland

Mrs Levi Barent Cohen unfortunately died at an early age, and Mr Cohen married her sister Lydia, by whom

he had seven children: five daughters Hannah, Judith, Jessy, Adelaide, and Esther; and two sons Isaac andBenjamin

Hannah became the wife of Mr N M Rothschild; Judith was married to Mr Moses Montefiore; Jessy to MrDavidson; Adelaide to Mr John Hebbert; and Esther to Mr S M Samuel, the father of Mr George Samuel,and grandfather of Baron Henry de Worms, M P Isaac became the father-in-law of Baron Meyer de

Rothschild, and Benjamin the father of Mr Arthur Cohen, Q C., and Mr Nath B Cohen

Judith, one of the subjects of these Memoirs, was born, according to the entry in one of Sir Moses' Diaries, onthe 20th February 1784; her birthday, however, was generally celebrated at East Cliff Lodge in the month ofOctober, in conjunction with another festivity held there on the first Saturday after the Tabernacle Holidays