Moses Samuel, Moshe Aryeh ben Menachem, was born in 1795 in London. In 1821, at the Hambro Synagogue in London, Moses married his maternal first cousin Harriet Israel. Moses’ brother Louis married Harriet’s sister Henrietta.
Liverpool Mercury – Friday 14 September 1821
Moses and Harriet had the following children:
1. Hannah (1823–1879) who married Samuel Woodburn
2. Henry Israel Samuel (1824–1896)
3. Marian Samuel (1825–1900) who married Jonas Reis
4. Walter Samuel (1829–1863)
5. Alfred Samuel (1831–1907)
The three brothers above: Walter, Henry, and Alfred Samuel, married three sisters: Harriet, Rachel, and Emma Wolf in Liverpool in the mid-19th century. A fourth sister, Sarah, married the watchmaker and jeweler John Jacob Saqui.
Moses established a jewelry and watch repair business in Liverpool which evolved into the UK-wide High Street jewelry business known today as H. Samuel. Moses is listed at 15, Cornwallis Street, Liverpool in Bains’ directory for 1824 and in Gore’s for 1825. He had moved to 104, St. James Street by 1829 (Gore) and to 75 & 82, Paradise Street by 1837 (Pigot).
- A summary of Moses Samuel’s life by Professor Bernard Wasserstein appeared in the Transactions of the Jewish Historical Society and can be accessed HERE (< — PDF).
- Moses Samuel’s ‘Address from an Israelite to the Missionary Preachers’ can be read here (<— PDF)
- Moses Samuel’s ‘Position of the Jews in Britain‘ (<— PDF)
- Moses Samuel’s somewhat bizarre letter to Lord Brougham can be read here (<— in PDF).
- Moses Samuel’s letter to the newspapers on the conduct of a barrister: ‘The Jew and the Barrister‘.
- A summary of sources that mention Moses Samuel (<— in PDF)
- James Schmidt of Boston University’s introduction to Samuel’s translation of ‘Jerusalem’ is available at the Thoemmes Press web site here.
- Along with D. M. Isaacs he founded the “The Jewish Orthodox Magazine”
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Liverpool Mercury – Saturday 24 November 1855
GENERAL PELISSIER.
TO THE EDITORS OF THE LIVERPOOL MERCURY.
Gentleman,.-Considerable discussion has lately been carried on in the newspapers relative to the origin of the above distinguished and gallant general. His descent is variously attributed to the French, Scotch, and Irish nations, each hypothesis being based upon fancied similarity in the orthography of his surname. One of your contemporaries when tracing the descent of any hero invariably looks “to the west;” but his vision never seems to extend further than the Emerald Isle. Now, with all due deference to the various authorities, I beg to submit that the general is of ancient Syriac origin, his name being merely a corruption of the old Assyrian cognomen “Pileser”. This the name of one of the most distinguished Assyrian kings (Tiglath-Pileser) who had an immense army and made war on my ancestors 3,000 years ago, as may be seen by referring to 2 Kings xv, 29.
Moreover, the name is still often found in Syria, and any person who visits Mr. Fenton’s photographs will be convinced (as I was) that the general has an unmistakable Eastern physiognomy. Taking all these matters into consideration, it appears to me beyond the range of probability, indeed is almost a certainty, that the great French commander has for an ancestor the renowned and successful Tiglath, whom he is no doubt consciously and gloriously imitating. He therefore affords another illustration of the profound remark made by the author of Coningsby, that “the destiny of the Western nations still resides in the hands of the talented descendants of the Eastern race,”
As I would be glad to see this subject taken up by some of the learned societies of which our town can boast; and in the hands of a gentleman such as Dr. Hume it would, I have no doubt, prove deeply interesting and highly instructive. I remain, yours, MOSES SAMUEL, Liverpool, Nov. 20, 1855.
THE MORNING ADVERTISER, TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 1851
In a review of Moses Margoulith’s The History of the Jews in Great Britain there is a quote:
Mr. Moses Samuel, learned Jew of Liverpool, observes, “Let me tell you,” addressing his brethren in this country, “that you had great men living in England eight hundred years ago. The sayings of the wise men of Norwich and York are quoted in some of the additions made by the expounders of the Talmud.”
Liverpool Albion – Saturday 08 January 1876
Liverpool Mercury – Friday 13 July 1860
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE. THE WILL OF THE LATE MOSES SAMUEL. – A dispute having arisen as to the validity of the will of the late Moses Samuel, of this town, the matter was referred to arbitration. The Rev. D, Isaacs and Mr. Thomas Dodge, two of the arbitrators, have just given their award, affirming the validity of the will dated in the year 1852, and ordering Mr. Henry Samuel to withdraw the caveat entered against the will. We understand that a portion of the costs of Mr. Henry Samuel, Mr. Jonas Reis; and Alfred Samuel has been borne by Mr. Alfred Simpson Samuel and the Rev. D. Isaacs, two of the arbitrators.
Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser – Tuesday 04 June 1844
An Address on the Position of the Jews in Great Britain, with reference to their Literary, Political, Civil, and Religious Condition. By MOSES SAMUEL, of Liverpool. The author of this pamphlet, which is written in a spirit of kindliness to all denominations of Christians, is an enthusiastic admirer of Hebrew literature; and after noticing the gratifying efforts now being made by his brethren in various parts of the continent of Europe to revive and cultivate the works of ancient Hebrew poets, historians, and philosophers, strongly urges upon his fellow-Israelites in England similar efforts to promote and cultivate Hebrew and Rabbinical learning. “I hope,” he states, “to see this Jewish and philanthropic feeling manifested amongst our brethren in Great Britain ; that Jewish orthodox periodicals will be properly patronised with money and talent. I heed not who may be your editors, and whether of weekly, monthly, or quarterly journals. Encourage them! By increasing the matter with versatile talent, seeking for, and finding some, who may aid in your glorious cause of true reform and earnest regeneration, you will increase the interest in your publications ; and by increasing the consumption, you will have to offer them at low prices. Happy days, when the sons and daughters of Judah, after prayers and a comfortable repast on Sabbath, forgetting all trouble and anxiety, will read their own periodicals; the composition of their own flock, breathing feeling in every line responded to by every Jewish heart. Hebrew poetry, Hebrew biography, Hebrew learned controversy, Jewish history, pieces of Talmud copiously explained in good plain English, for the aid of students struggling with and stumbling over apparent obscurities, will, I hope, be comprised in our Jewish periodicals.” The author, after urging his views on this point with much energy, states his regret that he is prevented at present from contributing his quota to such a cause, owing to his being engaged in an elaborate work, of 1300 pages, the prospectus of which he purposes shortly to publish. He next takes a view of the social and political position of the Jews in this country, which he considers capable of improvement, while he congratulates them on the recent kindly feeling manifested towards them by their Christian fellow-men in various parts. “The sun of liberty,” he exclaims, “is dawning upon us, and may, with God’s will, soon arrive at its meridian; the genius, the integrity, and the philanthropy of Hebrews being made manifest, must shake the prejudices the world ; they will be considered as men and as fellow-citizens.” He strongly approves of the introduction of English lectures into the Synagogue in Liverpool, which were commenced some few years ago, and have been attended with the happiest results, not only here, but by the example being followed in other towns, as well as in Jamaica, New York, &c. He thus alludes to the desire manifested to convert the Jews:—” I cannot conclude this letter upon our position in England, without adverting to the great desire manifested by some of our Christian friends to regenerate us according to their views —to convert us to their faith. I cannot but suppose that this proceeds from a good feeling, engendered by a conviction in their own minds of the truth of their doctrine, and a positive injunction contained in their charter, to preach up their mode of salvation to every soul throughout the earth. Avoid polemics if you can; but if you are forced into the arena of controversy, argue mildly and patiently. We live amongst a stirring, an enlightened people, the Christians of Great Britain. Our entire silence when questioned upon religion would be construed into ignorance, whilst a pushing, meddling, provoking fullness of zeal for controversy, would savour of presumption.”
From a review of the book: Sketches of Anglo-Jewish History. By James Picciotto. (London: Trubner and Co.)
In our first hasty glance over the volume the name of Liverpool caught our eye, and we paused to see if Mr. Picciotto had any contribution to make to our local history. Jews have always been attracted to Liverpool as a great commercial centre; some of our wealthiest and most respected townsmen have had the blood of Abraham running in their veins, and upon one Jew has been conferred the highest civic honour we have to bestow. It is pleasant to know that at least one man belonging to the Hebrew community did in this century gain some real reputation not in commerce but in the higher walk of literature. We refer to Mr. Moses Samuel who died in 1860, some members of whose family are we believe, still residing in our midst. Though a self-taught man Mr. Samuel became an eminent- Hebrew scholar, and the author of several publications which in their day attracted considerable notice. Mr. Picciotto tells us that he was born in London in 1795, and evinced at an early age a singular taste for languages and mathematics. After taking up his residence in Liverpool he published an address to the missionaries of Great Britain, which was a forcible protest against the attempts of conversion societies to lead the Jews away from their ancient faith. He translated the Book of Joshua, and he brought forth a work on the position of the Jews in Great Britain, while his letters to Lord Brougham and Mr. Hume, M.P. He then became one of the joint-editors of a monthly magazine named “The Cup of Salvation.” He was a zealous worker in all that concerned the welfare of his co-religionists, and ever ready to wield his pen, not only on their behalf, but on behalf of the oppressed of all denominations. A rebuke he administered to a member of the bar, and entitled “The Jew and the Barrister,” was favourably noticed in several magazines. Moses Samuel, whilst attending a meeting on the emancipation of the Jews in 1840, was attacked with paralysis, from which he never entirely recovered, but he lived in retirement until 1860.
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“Our” Moses Samuel is not to be confused with Samuel Moses Samuel, nor with another Moses Samuel who founded the Liverpool Hebrew Philanthropic Society. That ‘other’ Moses Samuel died in 1839. There was another Moses Samuel also contemporary with “ours” who lived in South Wales.
Some of ‘our’ Moses’s more prominent descendants include:
- Rachel Gurney (actress)
- Irene Scharrer and Harriet Cohen
- Lord Harold Samuel of Wych Cross
- Basil Samuel
- Edgar Samuel Edgar
- His daughter Marian married Jonas Reis
Liverpool Albion – Saturday 08 April 1876
Liverpool Journal of Commerce – Thursday 16 May 1872
Testimonial — Mr. Henry Samuel, on retiring from the firm of Meters. Sanders and Co., has presented 200 guineas for distribution among four charities — two Jewish and two Christian. A public complimentary subscription dinner is to be given to him as a mark of esteem. Mr. Samuel is a son of the late Moses Samuel, of Liverpool, whose literary services and other proofs of devotion to the Jewish cause are well known.
Liverpool Mercury – Wednesday 11 June 1879
