Lionel Louis Cohen
Encyclopedia
Lionel Louis Cohen was an English
financier, politician, and communal worker. He remarried 3 times before his death. He served as a trustee and later manager of the London Stock Exchange
, and became the head of his father's firm Louis Cohen & Sons. He retired in 1885 on being elected Conservative
member of Parliament
.
.
During his time in the Stock Exchange, Cohen's financial ability was shown by his services in connection with the Turkish debt, which earned for him a nomination to the order of the Medjidie
. A prominent worker in the Conservative cause at a time when the great bulk of Jews were unquestioning adherents of the Liberal party
, he caused considerable sensation in 1874 by appealing to Jews to exercise their independent judgment in political affairs.
At the 1885 general election
he was returned to the House of Commons for the Paddington North
constituency. He was re-elected in the 1886
, and held the seat until his death. During his short tenure of his position he served with distinction on the royal commissions on the depression in trade, on gold and silver, and on endowed schools.
, overseer of the poor, to delegate their powers to a specially constituted board of guardians, Cohen became its honorary secretary.
His "Scheme for the Better Management of All the Jewish Poor", elaborated in 1860, practically formed the constitution of the board of guardians for the relief of the Jewish poor, the chief charitable institution of the Anglo-Jewish
community. In 1878 he was elected president of the board, and filled that office till his death. He gave in all 28 years of unremitting service to the institution, which under his inspiration earned recognition as a great and model charity within and beyond the community.
Cohen also took the leading share in the movement which, after many years of labor, culminated in the federation by Act of Parliament in 1870 of the Great
, the Hambro', and the New synagogues under the title of the "United Synagogue
". He presided over the first meeting of its council, of which he was elected a vice-president, and was the ruling spirit and master mind of the organization, which during his lifetime grew into a corporation of eleven metropolitan congregations and the most influential body of its kind in the British empire.
In 1881 he initiated the movement in favor of the persecuted Russian Jews, and raised the first fund in England for their relief.
That entry was by Joseph Jacobs and Michael A. Green.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
financier, politician, and communal worker. He remarried 3 times before his death. He served as a trustee and later manager of the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
, and became the head of his father's firm Louis Cohen & Sons. He retired in 1885 on being elected Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
member of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
.
Life
Cohen was born in London to Louis Cohen, the founder of the house of Louis Cohen & Sons, foreign bankers and members of the London Stock ExchangeLondon Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
.
During his time in the Stock Exchange, Cohen's financial ability was shown by his services in connection with the Turkish debt, which earned for him a nomination to the order of the Medjidie
Medjidie
Medjidie or Mejidie is the name of a military and knightly order of the Ottoman Empire. The Order was instituted in 1851 by Sultan Abdülmecid I.-Order of the Medjidie:...
. A prominent worker in the Conservative cause at a time when the great bulk of Jews were unquestioning adherents of the Liberal party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
, he caused considerable sensation in 1874 by appealing to Jews to exercise their independent judgment in political affairs.
At the 1885 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1885
-Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:...
he was returned to the House of Commons for the Paddington North
Paddington North (UK Parliament constituency)
Paddington North was a borough constituency in the Metropolitan Borough of Paddington in London which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system...
constituency. He was re-elected in the 1886
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
, and held the seat until his death. During his short tenure of his position he served with distinction on the royal commissions on the depression in trade, on gold and silver, and on endowed schools.
Charitable work
Cohen from his early years devoted much time to the service of the community. On entering public life he found the three city synagogues and various societies administering charitable relief in a chaotic and unscientific manner, and took a notable part in the efforts made to remedy the evil. In 1859, when the synagogue vestries agreed, on the motion of Ephraim AlexEphraim Alex
Ephraim Alex was an English Jewish philanthropist, founder of the Jewish Board of Guardians, London; born in Cheltenham, 1800; died in London, Nov. 13, 1882. He was a successful business man, which fact eminently fitted him for the great charitable work to which he chiefly devoted his...
, overseer of the poor, to delegate their powers to a specially constituted board of guardians, Cohen became its honorary secretary.
His "Scheme for the Better Management of All the Jewish Poor", elaborated in 1860, practically formed the constitution of the board of guardians for the relief of the Jewish poor, the chief charitable institution of the Anglo-Jewish
British Jews
British Jews are Jews who live in, or are citizens of, the United Kingdom. In the 2001 Census, 266,740 people listed their religion as Jewish. The UK is home to the second largest Jewish population in Europe, and has the fifth largest Jewish community worldwide...
community. In 1878 he was elected president of the board, and filled that office till his death. He gave in all 28 years of unremitting service to the institution, which under his inspiration earned recognition as a great and model charity within and beyond the community.
Cohen also took the leading share in the movement which, after many years of labor, culminated in the federation by Act of Parliament in 1870 of the Great
Great Synagogue of London
The Great Synagogue of London was, for centuries, the centre of Ashkenazi synagogue and Jewish life in London. It was destroyed during World War II, in the Blitz.-History:...
, the Hambro', and the New synagogues under the title of the "United Synagogue
United Synagogue
United Synagogue is an organisation of London Jews that was founded with the sanction of an Act of Parliament, in 1870. , it remains the largest religious grouping within the British Jewish community and indeed in Europe, covering 62 Orthodox Jewish communities...
". He presided over the first meeting of its council, of which he was elected a vice-president, and was the ruling spirit and master mind of the organization, which during his lifetime grew into a corporation of eleven metropolitan congregations and the most influential body of its kind in the British empire.
In 1881 he initiated the movement in favor of the persecuted Russian Jews, and raised the first fund in England for their relief.
Writings
Cohen wrote a pamphlet on Indian railways, was a frequent contributor to the Jewish journals, and wrote the masterly series of reports of the board of guardians during his tenure of office as honorary secretary of that institution. The series of statistical tables started by him in these reports has ever since formed a model for similar compilations.That entry was by Joseph Jacobs and Michael A. Green.