EDWARD LAWRENCE LEVY-SOLICITOR

[phillip]

I have read the cases related to Lewis Levy ( see Google Books for copies of the original records) and see he was in trouble again in 1834 for bills discounting. In the 1841 London Trade Directory there are 2 entries for Lewis Levy's- one as a bill broker 3 Crescent Place Blackfriars and a Lewis Levy solicitor 77 King William St City

I have not looked further on JewishGen or the Historical Directories site or in my own CDs of the London Trade Directories but this might prove useful. My Jacobs distant cousin Gerry Newnham has also discovered yesterday further Nathan links to our Jacobs lines so we may discover more.
Phillip

[RDWard]

Phillip
Google books seem worth a good sifting through. Much of my legal information so far is from the old newspapers, but Google books looks another good source (short of spending hours in a legal library). I've spent just a few minutes searching and come up with the following marvellous stuff:
The Solicitors Journal and Reporter, January 30th 1864, page 243
Jan 25th re Mr E L Levy ... called upon to to show why he should not be struck off the rolls of the court ... argued that complaints were not made by people interested in the actions or by the Law Society "but by Mr. Charles Lewis, his uncle, and also by his cousin, who were actuated against him by the most vindictive of feelings, the former having on more than one occasion said he would never rest satisfied until he had sent him shoeless and a beggar into the streets." This was denied by Charles Lewis. The matter was referred upwards.
From the newspapers, later that year, Charles was accused of slander (guilty), and not guilty of assaulting one of ELL's employees called Louis Levite (Levite v Lewis, Queens Bench, 20th June 1864). No doubt ELL was highly pleased when Charles Lewis died on 23rd November that year.
Another case of interest (from the newspapers) is Jacobs v Tarleton at Croydon Assizes, 7th August 1847, where Charlotte Levy's ageing father, Henry Jacobs, seems to have been drawn into the Levy devious schemes, ending up in debtors prison until Lawrence bought him out.
Robert

[phillip]

Well done Robert for pursuing the research further. As you know Henry Jacobs is my 4 x great grandfather so I am intrigued to discover he was placed in the debtors prison. Is the newspaper source on Google Books? If not I would appreciate any further data. I believe that I saw some time ago the links between Lawrence and Edward Levy and my other 3x great grandfather John Hart -tailor 66 Quadrant and earlier 319 Strand. Any further data on him and the Levy much appreciated. John was married the Elizabeth Jacobs daughter of Henry- looks as if my lines came off worse through the Levy association!
Phillip

[RDWard]

The 19th century newspapers and periodicals are accessible on Gale Cengage databases. Universities tend to have access, also some public libraries, and I think you can pay too, but searching them is a real art form because of alternative spellings (Levi/Levy Laurence/Lawrence Maurice/Morris/Morrice), and also because it does an optical character search of page images giving lots of false positives, and missing things you know to be there.

[Kerrywood]

Many members have free online access from home to the British Library newspaper databases, and to many other useful reference sources, through their county library service.

If your county subscribes, all you need is the number on your library card. It's worth checking out before subscribing to the paysite.

[phillip]

The Bankers Magazine Vol 7 1848 gives an account of the trial of Henry Jacobs v Rev John Edward Tarleton rector of Chelsfield and Lamborough Kent.
The trial was to recover the amount of Tarleton's acceptance upon a bill of exchange of £100. The defence for Tarleton argued that he was the " victim of a gang of swindlers and parties to the fraud".
Moses Jacobs was called as a witness and stated that his father was living with some members of his family and entirely dependent upon them for support. " His father was not worth a shilling... he was seventy five years old and he was not able to write". Verdict was given to the defendent.
Moses Jacobs also said his father " had not given Mr Lewis any instructions to bring an action" and this was supported by other unamed witnesses.

It appears that yet again the Lewis/Levy relatives were involved in trying to obtain funds through bill discounting and lending but embroiling my 4x great grandfather Henry Jacobs in the attempted swindle.

I am not however convinced that Henry Jacobs could not write because he had owned his own glass manufacturing factory many years earlier which begs the question how he could have done this without being literate. It maybe that he was too infirm to do so by 1847 but this is speculation.

Nb Henry Jacobs is the son of David Jacobs ( Litzen) part of the Jacobs glass dealers and manufacturers in Soho and Crown Street from the early 1800s to the 1860s.

The summary of the trial is on Google Books.

Thanks to Robert for pointing me to the source
Phillip

[phillip]

As further follow up and for my Jacobs and Lewis/Levi relatives the newspaper accounts of the trial of Jacobs v Tarleton reveal that Henry Jacobs age 75 was in Whitecross Street Prison Islington in 1847. This prison was built 1813-1815 to accomodate debtors. A debtor could be be placed in the prison for 21 days without trial.
The prison held 400 prisoners and some 2000 annually. The London Metropolital Archives hold records of the prisoners.
In the trial of 1847 Moses Jacobs was called as a witness and said he was an agent for an attorney. It appeared from the trial that his father Henry Jacobs had been previously involved with twenty affadivavits for bills and that these actions were defended by Mr John Lewis real name Levi. Mr Lawrence Levi sheriff's officer had paid for the affidavit amounts and John Lewis ( alias Levi) was his son.

The trial evidence suggests a possible 'scam' involving Lewis alias Levi using Henry Jacobs as his 'tool'. It is also possible that Moses Jacobs knew about the 'scams' since he admitted he attended many of the court hearings as a law agent and may have been more deeply implicated with John Lewis nee Levi.
Phillip

[phillip]

In the 1829 trial of Bushnell and others v Levi the defendant lived in Newman Street, Oxford Street and prior to that he had carried on business of a sheriff's officer in Fetter Lane under the firm William Levi and Son and had rented offices or counting houses in Fetter Lane- Lawrence Levi was named as the son.

In the case of Levi v Abbott July 1849 Emanuel Lawrence Levi is attorney to the plaintiff ( this appears to be Edward Lawrence Levy using his Hebrew first name).

In Punch there is reference to Mr Lawrence Levi the Hon MP for Fetter Lane with an earlier reference to Lawrence Levi by Charles Dickens and co- writers. Both accounts ridicule Levi.

All these accounts and others are recorded in sources from Google Books. The account of William Levi and Son suggests that William maybe Judah Levi.
Phillip
Phillip

[lionsmom]

I've just logged on and found this thread. I will try to clarify my conclusions but it may take several weeks as I've got a few other projects to finish first (column for magazine, daughter's wedding plans). I do have references for some of my conclusions. From Daniel's marriage i have his father's name but I don't know his mother (although some information on this thread may help). I am convinced from census reports and Moses Levy's will that his mother was Rosetta but I don't know his father. Nathaniel Turnpike Levy left money to Daniel's daughter Catherine so I assume they were related but I don't have corroboration for any other connection between the Turnpike Levys and Moses and Daniel. The information about ELL is interesting and I'll analyze it and post my conclusions.

[phillip]

Following further research I enclose various census records for Edward Lawrence Levy and hsi family:
(records held by TNA, Crown copyright)

1851 HO107/1495 folio 418 page 14
2 Doughty Street
Edward Lawrence Levy Head Married 23 Solicitor b City of London Middx
Charlotte Levy wife 22 b Surrey Old Kent Road

1861 RG9 103 folio 117 page 5
44 Burton Crescent St Pancras Marylebone
Edward Lawrence Levy Head Married 33 Solicitor B Middx
Charlotte Levy wife 32 b Surrey Middx
William son 8 b Middx
Daniel son 6 b Middx
Henry son 5 b Middx
Constance dau 3 b Middx
Augustus son 2 b Middx
Edward son 8 mths b Middx
Frances Nathan visitor widow 72 Fund Holder b Dorset Poole

I have previously put the 1881 census on this posting

Interestingly and bearing in mind that two of Edward's sons were to receive prison sentences there is the English and Wales Criminal Register entry of 28 June 1880 - HO27 186 P 268 for Augustus Lawrence otherwise Augustus Lawrence Levy for larcency whilst servant 5 years imprisonment. The Old Bailey trial stated that there were 3 offences for the crime. Augustus was age 21 which suggests he maybe the same Augustus who appears as the son of Edward in the 1861 Census.

Phillip