ISRAEL LEVIEN SALOMONS-HESTER PRAGER

[phillip]

The Australia Dictionary of Biography Vol 5, 1974 -online - has an entry for Jonas Felix Australia Levien (1840-1906) states that he was the son of Benjamin Goldsmith Levien ( this is an error and should read Goldsmid) and Eliza Lindo. The article also states "His father's family was of French origin and his mother Portuguese.
However, the reference to the Lindo Levien can be seen on the Sephardic Gen.Resources -Sephardim Name List Portuguese with a link to the source The Jews of Jamaica" Barnett and Wright.
Benjamin Goldsmid Levien was the son of Solomon Levien and Harriet Preger Salomons. The Salomons were Dutch Jews and the last name Preger aka Prager has been derived from the place name Prague.

See Ashkenazi German names online for both Prager and Levien.
The Synagogue Scribes marriage records also indicate Ashkenazi marriages between the Levien and others.

[phillip]

The following Jewish Names in London Registered Insurance Policies (JewishGen UK Data base) confirms the close business relationship between Ester Salomons widow of Israel and George Elliot. The insurance policies pre-date the marriage of George Elliot to Louisa Salomons daughter of Ester and Israel in 1795.
Prager Merchants 2 Devonshire Square Bishopsgate Street 01.11.1794-19.12.1794 (senior, jointly with the widow of J L Salomons and Elliott ( Note there are 2 't' in the spelling of Elliot but previous records confirm that this is George Elliot)
Mrs Salomons Merchant 2 Devonshire Square Bishopsgate within 01.11.1794 widow of J L salomons jointly with Prager,senior,Elliott

Other records show- Lyon Prager Merchant 2 Budge Row 28.06.1784
Mark Prager 86 Cornhill 11.01.1793 (senior)19.10.1793 St.Mary Axe 11.02.1793

Mark Prager and Co Grocer Corner of Chiswell Street and Finsbury Place 28.01.1802

[AmandaR]

Thank you Phillip, I have read your blog and it’s looking good!
It sets out the information very clearly and I can see that it will be very good for anyone researching this line.
As usual I am not having much time to do as much research as I need to but I will be doing more reading this weekend again.
Thank you very much for all your work with this.

[phillip]

Hi Amnnda
Here is some interesting data. Not all the Ancestry.Co Public family trees have linked Harriet Salomons to Hester Maria Salomons sisters and daughters of Israel Levien Salomons and Hester Preger.
What interests me is the Old Bailey online trial of John James Levien (1815-1877) in 1832 where as a very young man he was transported for life to Van Diemens Land (Tasmania). He received a free pardon in 1836 which meant that because he was sentenced to life he had to remain in the colony and not return to the UK.
John James Levien married Miriam Saunders.
Earlier on William Page Ashburner had settled in Tasmania and the Australian Newspaper Archives (Trove Collection) have articles on him dating from July 1828 to 1847. His first wife Hester Maria had died in 1838. He re-married to Anne Beale and the newspaper articles record births to Anne and William.

William was a former ships captain in the East India Company the same as George Elliot who had married Louisa Salomons sister of Hester and Harriet.

William owned some large number of acres in Tasmania.

It is interesting to speculate on whether or nor there was any contact between William/Hester and John James Levien in Tasmania. Similarly, did Harriet and Solomon Levien have any contact with their son.

[AmandaR]

Yes that is interesting Phillip, and possibly points to clues as to why why so many of the family, including Hester Maria’s Preger aunts, were out there.
So William Page Ashburner was a Ships’ Captain then? Presumably East India company. It makes me wonder what his father’s occupation was, I haven’t got that far yet apart from him being also William Ashburner and him marrying Elisabeth nee Cotgrave the future Lady Forbes. I am thinking the Ashburners at that stage were also probably merchants in India and that may well be how Israel & Hester Salomons granddaughter Hester Maria Elliot met her husband William Page Ashburner.
I wonder what crime John James Levien committed that warranted a life sentence of transportation to Van Diemens land.

[AmandaR]

I am reading Diamonds & Coral: Anglo-Dutch Jews and 18th Century Trade by Gedalia Yogev. It reminds us that there are 18 boxes of letters kept at the British Archives containing thousands of letters. Many of them still arranged in their original bundles by Israel Prager Salomons and his family and marked in the handwriting of Israel or Leib Prager - correspondence between Israel and his family which includes business, family news, happiness and celebrations, marriages, worries, family attitudes to life,Judaism and religion and political events of the day. As it was all personal correspondence which they were not expecting others to read it is uncensored. From a genealogical interest the letters include correspondence from other prominent Jewish families and they include personal documents burial receipts, a carriage licence, a pocket diary, the Preger firm’s original partnership contract of 1762.

[phillip]

Amanda
Look at the Old Bailey online records for John James Levien Age 18 tried for deception and forgery..forging an order for payment of money tried 6 Sept 1832. He tried to commit suicide.
See also records on 2 other Levien -1800 and 1873.

The National UK Archives have the records for Israel Levien Salomons but these are not digitised so a visit to Kew would be needed- see National Archives records online for details.

The records would make very interesting reading. Some years ago I obtained some of my own family history records from Kew and they proved very useful.
Take a close look for your lines on the records- use Advanced Search.

[AmandaR]

Thank you I have had a look at poor John James Levien. That is really a pretty harsh sentence for just issuing a dodgy cheque. I notice that it says his trial was attended by “a number of persons of respectability on his behalf who gave him an excellent character up to his apprehension” the jury found him guilty but recommended mercy on account of his youth and good character. So he was transported for life - I don’t know whether to feel relieved that at least justice was meted out to “persons of respectability” as well as poor people.
One dreads to think what would’ve happened to him if he had not been shown “mercy” !

I would like to add John James to my tree, could you point me in the direction of how is he related to Israel and Hester Preger?

[phillip]

Sorry Amanda,
I have made so many notes on the lines I sometimes over look posting all the data. John James Levien parents Solomon Levien=Harriet Salomons (her parents Israel Levien Salomons-Hester Preger.
One of my own lines changed their name completely following conviction and we suspect that was because he was living in the same Australian state as his brother who was respectable and well known in the colony.

[phillip]

Take a close look on the National Archives UK records which has very useful summary points regarding the petitions for John James Levien. These petitions included those from his father Solomon, Coutts Trotter and Couts and Co plus 41 other individuals. What is also interesting is the claim by John James Levien that he wanted to use the money to send his family to Canada. The notes also say that Solomon and his family had moved to NSW Australia but would support their son.
You can pay to see the records on Family past or via the National Archives.

It was the Judge who refused to accept mitigating circumstances hence the life term and transportation.
John's employers supported the petition for leniency.