Transactions
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LI B RARY OF THE U N I VLR.S ITY Of ILLINOIS TENrtH Return this book on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from the University. University of Illinois Library L161— O-1096 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/transactionsjewi2189jewi LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS RABBI JACOB JEHUDA LEON TEMPI, O, DESIGNER OF THE COAT OF ARMS OF THE GRAND LODGE OF FREEMASONS OF ENGLAND. {See paper on "Jewish Coats of Anns"). THE JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. transactions SESSION 1894-5. LONDON: WERTHEIMER, LEA AND CO., CIECUS PLACE, LONDON WALL. NOTE. The Society as a body is not responsible for either The statements made or the opinions expressed by the authors of Papers. <rEvvtf CONTENTS. PAGE Some Anglo-Jewish Song- Writers. By the Rev. F. L. Cohen 1 Hebrew Melody in the Concert Room. By the Rev. F. L. Cohen 7 The First English Jew, Notes on Antonio Fernandez Carvajal. By Lucien Wolf, President 14 Appendix : I. Various Petitions 24 H. Prosecuted as a Recusant 27 III. Goods Exempted from Seizure 28 IV. The Case of the Ship " Clare " 28 V. Carvajal's Property in the Canaries ... ... 36 VI. Carvajal's Raid on the Customs 38 VII. Patent of Denization 45 Ibn Ezra in England. By Dr. M. Friedlander 47 " " Appendix : Hebrew Text of the Letter of the Sabbath ... 61 Condition of the Jews of England at the time of their Expulsion in 1290. By B. Lionel Abrahams ... .. ... ... ... ... ... 76 Appendix relating to the Jews of Bedford, Bristol, Cambridge and Huntingdon, Canterbury, Colchester, Exeter, Hereford, Ipswich, Lincoln, London, Northampton, Norwich, Notting- ham, Oxford, Southampton, Stamford, Warwick, Wiltshire, York 85-105 A Ramble in East Anglia. By the Rev. Hermann Gollancz, M.A. ... 106 Appendix : I. Endorsements to Title Deeds of the Ipswich Jewish Cemetery in 1764 133 II. Texts of Indentures .. ... ... ... ... 133 III. Jewish Cemetery at St. Clement's, Ipswich ... 138 Hebrew Elegies on English Monarchs. By Elkan N. Adler, M.A. ... 141 Paul of Burgos in London. By I. Abrahams, M.A 149 Anglo-Jewish Coats of Arms. By Lucien Wolf, President .. 153 Appendix : I. The Franco (Massey Lopez) G-rant 166 II. Montefiore Arms, Warrant for Supporters ... 168 iv CONTENTS. PAGE Gascon Rolls. By C. Trice Martin, Esq. 169 Documents: I. From "Ancient Correspondence " 172 II.-XVII. From " Gascon Rolls " 172-179 Report 180 Balance Sheet 182 Relations with Maccabeans ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 183 Laws 185 Bye-laws 187 Honorary Officers 188 Members 189 Index 196 PLATES. Rabbi Jacob Jehuda Leon Templo Frontispiece PAGE Arms of the Grand Lodge of English Free Masons 156 Arms of Lord Rothschild 160 Arms of Sir Albert Sassoon 161 Arms of the late Sir Moses Montefiore 162 ILLUSTRATIONS IN TEXT. Signature of Carvajal 3 6 Portrait of Mrs. Sarah Lyon Ill Interior of Moyse's Hall (Present Condition) 118 Moyse's Hall, South-East View (from Ancient Print) 119 Moyse's Hall, 1895 120 The Jewish Quarter, Norwich 127 Seal of Moses Aryeh ben Mordecai ... ... ... ... ... ... 155 Seal of Solomon Herschell, Chief Rabbi 155 Seal of the Hale vis of Toledo 160 Arms of the Mocatta Family 161 The Montefiore Arms ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 164 The Franco Arms 166 The Franco Arms as Granted 167 JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY. SOME ANGLO-JEWISH SONG WRITERS. By the Rev. F. L. COHEN. As, judging from the kindness of Mr. M. D. Davis in sending me extracts from his rich store of notes on the Pre-expulsion period concerning Anglo-Jewish musicians of that time, it appears to have been thought I was to cover a wide range of centuries this evening, I must explain that my intention originally was to sketch the work of Anglo-Jewish song-writers of the present century only. I found myself very soon compelled to exclude from my view those who are happily still amongst us. And I must confess that from the artistically musical point of view I have unearthed no hitherto undiscovered treasures. On the contrary, I had some great disappointments. Even some of the illustrations I at first selected Mrs. Cohen could not bring herself to sing, so imendurably trivial were they. But most of those I came across I myself was obliged to reject on that score. Thus, for instance, the only publication of Michael Bolaffi (or Abulafia), musical director to the late Duke of Cambridge, is a sonnet for voice and piano- forte published in 1809 in memory of Haydn, who would have been altogether forgotten next year if he had had no greater claims to immortality. When, however, I came to Charles Sloman, the popular entertainer of some fifty years ago, Braham's musical conductor, and the author of " Fitful Fancies," I thought I had a valuable find. Among his songs I noticed—" The Daughter of Israel," " The Hebrew Maiden's Dream," " The Daughter of Salem," " The Maid of Judah." " Here," said I, triumphantly, " here is a man with excellent taste." But, unfortunately, the excellent taste did not extend to the music. So VOL. II. K 2 SOME ANGLO-JEWISH SONG WRITERS. having barred myself from the use of the vastly more edifying corn- positions of living writers, I determined to illustrate to you Braham and Nathan, the men to whom we owe the " Hebrew Melodies " already discussed this evening. I am not going to take up your time with a biography of these men. If you are interested in that, I refer you to Grove's Dictionary of Music, or the Dictionary of National Biography. Braham and Nathan I look upon as pioneers of the Emancipation, as our friend, Mr. Israel Abrahams, looks upon Daniel Mendoza, Dutch Sam, Aby Belasco, or Barney Aaron. These pugilists, who nourished, you remember, in the early decades of this century, made all English sporting men respectfully familiar with the prowess of English Jews. Braham and Nathan did the same thing in other directions —Braham, as the Edward Lloyd of his time, the unapproachable singer of oratorio, the acknowledged chief ornament of the operatic stage and concert platform, the genial wit and man of society—and Nathan, the fashionable singing master and song-writer. When any section of the population find favour in the sight of the sporting world, the opera world, and the oratorio world, they are sure to be favourably regarded by the mass of the English. But, strictly between ourselves, let us notice that while the pugilists belonged to Bevis Marks, the singers belonged to Duke's Place. John Braham (or Abrahams) was born in London about 1774, and was left an orphan at an early age. He sold pencils in the City streets until he was adopted by Myer Lyon (after- wards famous as the operatic singer Leoni) and employed as a Meshorrer, or singing boy, at the Great Synagogue, where Leoni was an official. Even as a child the flexibility and sweetness of Braham's voice were remarkable. Leoni soon lost his position at Duke's Place, owing, it is said, to his having sung in a public performance of the "Messiah." But one may perhaps doubt whether it was ecclesiastical reasons that concluded Leoni's and Braham's connection with the syna- gogue. It is so easy to throw on the ecclesiastical authority the blame for action or inaction in communal matters. If only the public would open their eyes they would recognise that it is the lay management of the synagogal body—in other words, their own representatives—who have received from themselves a mandate to do nothing, to care nothing, and to know nothing that might promote a closer union between good music and the synagogue. So it was in Leoni's time, and so, I am afraid, it SOME ANGLO-JEWISH SONG WRITERS. 3 will remain for a long time to come. When Leoni fell into financial dif- ficulties, and went abroad in hope of better fortune, Abraham Goldsmid materially befriended the young Braham and was rewarded by the signal success of the new singer, who reigned supreme from 1796 till 1831, and appeared with success even after that, till 1852. He died four years later. Braham's voice was a marvel ; its volume was prodigious ; its range, including head notes, the wonderful extent of two octaves and a fifth beyond. It rang out like a trumpet even at the age of fifty-six. As a singer of Handel he was incomparable. When he visited Paris and Italy for three years, at the close of the last century, the critics acknowledged they had no tenor to approach him. As a composer he was very feeble, most of his songs being only endurable by the em- bellishments he delightfully introduced in singing them. After the fashion of the day, Braham himself set to music the words which fell to him and to his companion Nancy Storace to sing. When you hear some of these words, which I had trouble in persuading Mrs. Cohen to sing, you will agree that that was decidedly not the period in which a Gilbert or a Burnand flourished. Here is one of the best of them, catalogued as an " admired ballad." Ballad . "The Winter is Past" . Braham. Mrs. F. L. Cohen. The next song, " The Bewildered Maid," contains a sort of parody of Ophelia's song, and is, I imagine, a very indigestible joke. When I read it, I was bewildered ; when Mrs. Cohen sang it, she was be- wildered ; and when you hear it, I think you will be bewildered. " Ballad . The Bewildered Maid "... Braham. Mrs. F.