Henry David Smedge- Police Interpreter

[Jon Guy]

Henry David Smedge lived in Leman St, Whitechapel and acted as an interpreter for Thames Police Court.

At half past seven on Tuesday, 28th June, 1887, he accompanied Insp David Final and Sgt Thick to the London Hospital to speak to Israel Lipski. He spoke Hebrew to the prisoner.

My point in posting this is that it has sometimes been assumed that a Club member translated for Israel Schwartz, I thought it interesting that we have here a long standing Police Hebrew interpreter.

HENRY DAVID SMEDGE . I live at Leman Street, Whitechapel, and am an interpreter—I have acted as interpreter at the Thames Police-court for many years—on Tuesday, 28th June, I was sent for to the London Hospital

http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t18870725-817&div=t18870725-817&terms=spitalfields#highlight

[The Good Michael]

Jon,

Great find!

Mike

[DVV]

Hi Jon,

very interesting.
There seems to be some confusion about languages. Some refer to Yiddish (Rosenbloom, Schmuss) while Mrs Lipski said "Hebrew".
Must be Yiddish, most probably...

Amitiés,
David


edit : have you noticed the spelling Yueddish ?

[Simon Wood]

Hi Jon,

Good find.

There are three 1888 Thames Police Court references to this interpreter—

Morris Goldberg [Russian Jew], 19th June
Nathan Reuben, 13th August. The translator was for Anne Goldstein [Polish]
Charles Ludwig [German], 26th September [an Abberline case]

The Times reports his surname as Smaje, but it must be the same chap. He really seems to have all the translation bases covered. The fact that Israel Schwartz spoke no English is no excuse for his non-appearance at Stride's inquest.

Regards,

Simon

[Chris Scott]

Yet another variant spelling - SMAGE - in the account from the IPN of 22 October 1887

[Chris Scott]

It looks as though SMAGE was the correct - or at least the legally accepted - spelling of his name
Below is the record of his death from the last quarter of 1889

[m_w_r]

Hi,

From the original inquest papers:



Regards,

Mark

[Chris Scott]

The only likely looking census entry I can find is for 1861 but there is a 2 year discrepancy in the age as compared to that given at the time of death. When Smage died at the end of 1889 his age was given as 52, which would indicate a year of birth in or about 1837. This would mean that at the time of the 1861 census his declared age should have been 24 years but the census gives it as 22.

1861:
2a North Street, St George East
Head: Henry D Smage aged 22 born Germany - Cordial manufacturer
Wife: Caroline Smage aged 22 born Germany
Child:
Rosetta aged 1 London

There appears to be a Liverpopol connection also.
In 1887 a Rosetta Smage (presumably Henry's mother) died in the Wirral, south of Liverpoool. at the age of 81.

[Chris Scott]

Smage's wife was Caroline Goldenberg and they marred in the City of London in the first quarter of 1859
Just to add to the confusion, his name is given in the marriage register as HERMAN DAVID SMAJE (see below)

It appears that Caroline died young, and as a young son is listed as dying in the same quarter (Quarter 3 of 1866) it would seem likely she died as a result of the birth or its after effects

[m_w_r]

Smaje's signature, from the transcript of his evidence at the police court:



Regards,

Mark

[Chris Scott]

In 1868 (Quarter 1) Herman David Smaje is listed as marryiing either Dinah Loberstein and in 1871 the family is listed as follows:

12 Fairclough Street, St George East
Head: Herman David Smaje aged 32 born Holland - Cordial manufacturer
Wife: Dina Smaje aged 25 born Germany
Children:
Rosetta aged 11
Sarah aged 7
Joseph aged 2
Clara aged 2 months
All born in St George East

Parents in Law:
Joseph Goldenberg aged 73 born Germany - Tailor
Sarah Goldenberg aged 62 born Germany

Note that here Herman is listed as Dutch and not German

[Chris Scott]

By 1881 Smaje was again widowed:

30 Princes Square, St George east
Head: Herman Smaje (Widower) aged 42 born Amsterdam - Cordial manufacturer
Children:
Jennette aged 19
Sarah aged 17 - Tailoress
Joseph aged 12
Clara aged 10
Jane aged 8
Rachael aged 7
Louis aged 5
David aged 1

The death of his second wife is listed in 1880 as below:

[Chris Scott]

There is a public family tree on Ancestry which lists Smaje's ancestry:

http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/tree/8274888/family?fpid=-956622456

[Chris Scott]

A little more info
Here is the bankruptcy notice of Smaje from the London Gazette of 6 April 1869

[The Good Michael]

Mark,

Thanks for the signature. I'm comparing it with Hutchinson's as we speak.

Mike