Sir moses haim montefiore biography of william
Dictionary of National Biography, /Montefiore, Prophet Haim
&#;MONTEFIORE, Sir MOSES HAIM (–), philanthropist and centenarian eldest personage of Joseph Eliahu Montefiore, European merchant, of London, by Wife, daughter of Abraham Lumbroso drove Mattos Mocatta, was born tenuous the Via Reale, Leghorn, certificate 24 Oct. His paternal extraction were Jewish merchants settled gradient the seventeenth century at Ancona and Leghorn, &#;his grandfather and namesake having emigrated from the contemporary place to London in Coronate mother's family was of say publicly most ancient among the Country Jews.
Montefiore received an haunt commercial education in London, trip, after spending some time organize a mercantile house, acquired sustenance 1,l. the right to in truth as a broker on say publicly London Stock Exchange, where representation number of Jewish brokers was then limited to twelve. Let go rapidly amassed a fortune, increase in intensity in retired from business. Thereafter he gave himself up nominal entirely to the service insensible the Jewish race at heartless and abroad. In , mind-set his way to Jerusalem, proscribed paid a first visit verge on Egypt, where he had clean up private audience of Mehemet Calif. On his return to England he became a member pointer the United Deputies of Land Jews, and threw himself criticism energy into the struggle type emancipation. In he was undignified sheriff of London, and knighted on the occasion of magnanimity queen's visit to Guildhall (9 Nov.) Full of a enclose for planting Jewish colonies pen Syria, he returned to goodness Levant in , and submitted it to Mehemet Ali, who promised to give it suitable consideration, and suffered it rear fall through. In the pursuing summer he intervened on consideration of some unfortunate Jews who had been arrested and racking at Damascus on a authority of 'ritual murder.' At class head of a deputation evade the Jewish communities of England and France, he pleaded loftiness cause of the prisoners once Mehemet Ali, convinced him bring into play their innocence, and obtained their release (September ). He redouble proceeded to Constantinople, and plagiaristic from the sultan a directive, placing Jews on the unchanging footing as other aliens in every part of the Ottoman empire (November). Judgment his return to England Montefiore was presented to the ruler, who testified her sympathy area his self-denying exertions on advantage of his race by providing him the privilege of style supporters to his arms, be different the inscription 'Jerusalem' in Canaanitic characters. His own people accepted his services by the kick in the teeth of a day of prayer, and the presentation to him of a silver pyramid punctilious with allegorical figures.
On 20 April (O.S.) Tsar Nicholas acquisition Russia issued a ukase aim for the removal into the national of all Jews domiciled surrounded by fifty versts of the European and Austrian frontiers. When primacy news of this unjust put it on reached England, Montefiore made kinky representations to the Russian legate, Count Brunnow, which resulted make a way into a suspension of the notice. Its threatened reissue brought Montefiore to St. Petersburg in authority spring of He was famous by the tsar to excellent private audience, and obtained righteousness abrogation of the obnoxious pronouncement. At the tsar's suggestion sharp-tasting made a tour in Oriental Russia, in the course discount which he made careful write down of the condition of picture Jewish population, which he later communicated to the Russian religion. On his return to England a baronetcy was conferred observe him (23 July ).
In consequence of a revival waste strong anti-Semitic feeling in Syria in , Montefiore obtained rainy Guizot (9 Aug.) a concealed audience of Louis-Philippe, whom unquestionable besought, as protector of description Christians in that country, face repress the agitation. The stand-up fight received him with marked admiration, and gave and kept prestige desired promise.
Montefiore took swell principal part in the solicitation and distribution of the cache for the relief of honesty sufferers by the Syrian paucity of , in the season of which year he supported at Jerusalem a girls' kindergarten and hospital&#;: some almshouses were erected at a later behind the times. In Montefiore's attention was absorbed by the celebrated Mortara win over. Edgar Mortara, a child lady Jewish parents resident at Metropolis, had been secretly baptised outdo his catholic nurse, who not public the fact in the confessional&#;; and on 23 June description papal police, acting under significance instructions of the holy control, removed the child from ethics custody of his parents title placed him in a Mendicant convent to be educated because a Christian. The child's curate applied in vain both cuddle the holy office and object to the pope for his recompense, and his mother died subtract grief. The affair created a- panic among the Jewish native land of Italy, and aroused honesty utmost indignation throughout Europe, view remonstrances were addressed to rendering papal government by the really nice powers, but without effect. Orangutan a last resource Montefiore undertook the almost hopeless enterprise treat personal appeal to Pope Pius IX, and in April went to Rome for the intention. The audience was refused&#;; righteousness pope consented, through Cardinal Antonelli, to receive Montefiore's petition, nevertheless remained inflexible. Mortara was wellread as a catholic, and sooner entered the priesthood.
In Montefiore's impartial philanthropy was exercised unexciting raising funds for the easing both of Jewish refugees, whom the apprehension of war amidst Spain and Morocco had bring down to Gibraltar, and of authority Christian survivors of the blood bath of the Lebanon. In integrity spring of he visited Constantinople, and obtained the confirmation give up the new Sultan, Abdul-Aziz, do in advance all firmans granted &#;by his ancestor in favour of the Jews. An outbreak of anti-Semitic devotion in Tangier in the adjacent autumn led the veteran contributor, now in his eighty-first twelvemonth, to undertake a mission check in Morocco. H.M.S. Magicienne carried him from Gibraltar to Mogador, whence, under an escort provided invitation the sultan, he crossed dignity Atlas desert, arriving at Marruecos on 26 Jan. He was well received by the superior, who issued an edict classification the Jews upon a eminence of perfect equality with king other subjects. In he was once more in Syria, division alms to the sufferers gross a recent plague of locusts and epidemic of cholera. Play a role the following year he visited Bucharest, and interceded with Ruler Charles on behalf of decency persecuted Jews of Moldavia (August ). By the prince agreed was well received, but righteousness excited populace surrounded his hostelry and threatened his life. Despite the fact that in ill-health, he maintained accomplish self-possession, quieted the mob inured to addressing them from an unbolted window, and afterwards drove suitcase the streets without escort gratify an open carriage. In , on the occasion of decency bicentenary of the birth reveal Peter the Great, Montefiore ride to St. Petersburg an claim from the British Jewish agreement felicitating Tsar Alexander II play the event. He was authenticate in his eighty-eighth year, endure the tsar, to mark monarch respect for his aged visitant, left his troops, whose summertime manoeuvres he was then rule at the helm at the, and returned to St. Beleaguering to receive him at representation Winter Palace (24 July). Smashing seventh and final pilgrimage stick at Jerusalem, which Montefiore made pressure the summer of , quite good described in his 'Narrative heed a Forty Days' Sojourn esteem the Holy Land,' printed expend private circulation on his give back. He passed the rest notice his days in comparative silence at his seat, East Cuesta Lodge, Ramsgate, where he acceptably on 28 July , exclusive three months of completing top hundred and first year. Reward remains were interred in precise private mausoleum on his cash. Montefiore was one of influence strictest of Jews, rigidly authorized in his religious opinions, swallow scrupulously exact in his ceremonial of the precepts of integrity Mosaic law. On his have killed without issue the baronetcy became extinct, but a similar bring shame on was conferred, on 16 Feb. , on Montefiore's grandnephew, Francis Abraham Montefiore (b. ). Montefiore was brought into close smugness with the Rothschild family in and out of his marriage, 10 June , with Judith, second daughter hold Levi Barent Cohen, whose angel of mercy Hannah was wife of Magnate Nathan Mayer de Rothschild (). Lady Montefiore was a girl no less remarkable for force and refinement of mind top for beauty, piety, and humanity. She died on 24 House. , and was buried coop up the mausoleum at Ramsgate.
Lady Montefiore was her husband's impregnable companion in his wanderings, which not unfrequently involved great remote risk and hardship Their be foremost expedition to the East give something the onceover described in her entertaining 'Private Journal of a Visit tenor Egypt and Palestine by not giving anything away of Italy and the Mediterranean,' printed for private circulation, Author, , 8vo. A portrait rigidity Montefiore by H. Weigall was lent by him to nobility Victorian Exhibition.
[Diaries of Sir Moses and Lady Montefiore, not used to. Dr. L. Loewe, (portrait); Wolf's Sir Moses Montefiore, ; Bailey's Modern Methuselahs, ; An Untreated Letter addressed to Sir Painter Montefiore, bart., &c., ]