The Identity of Israel Schwartz

[Chris]

In terms of the hairdresser and his wife "Emilie" Schwartz, however, there's a possibility I've found in the "Indirect" Hamburg Passenger Lists. Sailing from Hamburg - to who knows where? - on 16th September 1887, we find:
...
...Yacuba and Malka Schwarz. Yacuba, or "Jacob", is practically interchangeable with "Israel" amongst Hebrew names, and whilst "Malka" is an unusual enough name in itself, in the form of "Amelie" or "Emilie" it seems to have been a reasonably common Anglicisation amongst Jewish emigrees to the Western World.

Thanks for this - very interesting.

After a little browse, I think you're right about Millie/Millicent/Amelia/Emily being the usual anglicised version of Malka, though evidently Matilda and Muriel were also possible.

The transition between Israel and Jacob isn't one I've come across - though as you say there is a biblical precedent for it.

It would certainly be nice to identify the witness, even if no further useful information flowed from the identification.

[Stephen Thomas]

Yacuba, or "Jacob", is practically interchangeable with "Israel" amongst Hebrew names.

Maybe for a split second he thought of calling himself Jack.

[Sam Flynn]

I should add that, whilst I can't be certain that Yacuba/Malka Schwarz became the parents of the "Saffron Hill Mob" by 1891, I'm comfortable with the "Malka → Amelie/Emilie" translation, as I am with the "Yacuba → Israel" transformation, with its famous Biblical precedent. If so, then there's a chance that Yacuba Schwarz might have been the same as Israel (later John) Schwartz and, that being the case, he and his wife would have been in London for almost exactly a year when he was interviewed by press and police. A year would have offered precious little time for him to have picked up much useful English, if known precedents are anything to go by. Being an Hungarian Jew (a minority within a minority) might not have helped in that regard either.

[Sam Flynn]

Taken over from another thread - thought it better to start a new one dedicated to tracking down our elusive witness.

I can't recall anyone pinning down Israel Schwartz in the Census, but I have strong reason to believe that this is because he dropped the name "Israel" in favour of "John" shortly after 1888 - if I have found the right man, that is.

A certain "J Schwartz", hairdresser (born Buda Pesht) was living at Saffron Hill, City of London, in 1891, with his wife Emilie. By 1901, "John Schwartz", still a hairdresser, "Emily" and their children are living at 218 Kingsland Road, Dalston - oddly enough, barely a stone's throw away from where Joseph Lawende lived in 1888.

For the conspiricists amongst you - if this is the same Schwartz, and I believe it is, did he change his name simply to become more Anglophone, or was it perhaps because he didn't want "any trouble"?

Of course, there's also a Polish-born Israel Schwartz who lived in the neighbourhood of Berner Street, of whose family Gavin Bromley gave some details in his dissertation, "Mrs Kuer's Lodger".

Obviously "John Schwartz" has the advantage of being Hungarian by birth. I'd be curious to know whether there are other reasons to prefer him to the alternative candidate.

Hi Chris,

Of course, there's also a Polish-born Israel Schwartz who lived in the neighbourhood of Berner Street, of whose family Gavin Bromley gave some details in his dissertation, "Mrs Kuer's Lodger".

Blimey - I had quite forgotten. I note that Gavin gives me a mention for suggesting that Israel's "theatrical appearance" might fit with "J Schwartz's" tonsorial occupation (thanks, Gavin!). I was about to (re)suggest his occupation as a possible pointer that he might be our man.

The lodger Schwartz was described as a tailor's presser - an occupation which might, initially, seem to chime with the description of being "in the theatrical line". However, one remembers that the East End had large numbers of journeyman tailors in the sweatshops, working long hours in cramped conditions, and earning very poor wages. As a mere "presser" in 1891, this Schwartz may not even have earned the wages of a sweated tailor. On balance, I find it unlikely that such a person could have come across as a dandy in 1888.

Then there's his name, which wasn't "Israel", but "John". Bearing in mind that hairdresser Schwartz would certainly not have been called "John" when he left Budapest, it's safe to assume that the jettisoning of his original name happened somewhere along the line.

Finally, there's the poor English issue. Whereas witnesses in the Lipski trial, indeed Lipski himself, had been resident in England for over a year, they needed interpreters as their English was so bad. Hardly surprising, if they moved in predominantly "ghettoized" areas of London, where Yiddish, Polish or Russian would have served them well. However, although the lodger Schwartz was a reasonably recent immigrant, we have no information of when he settled in England.

In terms of the hairdresser and his wife "Emilie" Schwartz, however, there's a possibility I've found in the "Indirect" Hamburg Passenger Lists. Sailing from Hamburg - to who knows where? - on 16th September 1887, we find:



...Yacuba and Malka Schwarz. Yacuba, or "Jacob", is practically interchangeable with "Israel" amongst Hebrew names, and whilst "Malka" is an unusual enough name in itself, in the form of "Amelie" or "Emilie" it seems to have been a reasonably common Anglicisation amongst Jewish emigrees to the Western World.