NameSamuel COHEN
Birth1812, London, England1210
Death4 Nov 1861, O’Connell St, Sydney, NSW, Australia1210
BurialNov 1861, Rookwood, Lidcombe, New South Wales, Australia
Death4 Nov 1861, O'Connell St, Sydney, NSW, Australia
*New [EDUC]8
*New [RELI]Jewish
Spouses
Birth1815, London, England1211
Death26 Oct 1893, 5 Clanricarde Gardens, Kensington, London, England1210
*New [RELI]Jewish
Marriage23 Aug 1837, Pulteney Hotel, Sydney, NSW, Australia
ChildrenSarah (1839-1894)
Notes for Samuel COHEN
He came to Australia in 1833. It is said he stayed because he found the long sea voyage so unpleasant. In the AJHS Journal Vol VI, part 6, the article by Dr Bergman relates that the information in 'George Judah Cohen - A Memoir' (that he arrived by the Glendower in 1833) is incorrect as no ship of this name arrived in Sydney between 1833 and 1835. The memoir states that he started business in Sydney in 1836 and during the next three years opened branches at Campbelltown and West Maitland. Bergman states that he is listed on the Harbourmaster's report on the arrival of the Resource on 19th April 1834 in Sydney which left London on 7th November 1833. He was a steerage passenger.
Corrected details from Grafton Family History Index (Nola Mackay) regarding the ship are:
The Resource left London on 7th November 1833, sailed via the Cape of Good Hope leaving there on 27th Jan 1834 for Hobart Town, leaving there on 13th April for Sydney where it arrived on 17th November 1834. See Sydney Morning Herald of 21st April 1834. Samuel is included on this list.
Stuart Cohen was told by his father that Samuel came to Australia in order to take his brother, Lewis back to England and stayed because of the appalling journey he endured to get here.
Samuel became insolvent in 1843, the details in the State Records NSW are - Samuel Cohen, West Maitland, General dealer, sequestration 3 August 1843, File 842, 2/8741. Date certificate issued was14 August 1844.
Several facts are revealed in the insolvency file which I have now searched. One is that Samuel wrote in an affadavit dated 9th August 1844 'my brother (David) has been in the colony about 3 years. He went first to New England and then went to Maitland.' This contradicts the family lore that Samuel was sent to Australia to look for David. From a reading of the file it occurs to me that the family firm could have been named David Cohen and Co. partly because of the stigma that might have remained from the bankruptcy.
In the obituary of Alroy Cohen (his grandson) in the AJHS Journal Vol VI, part 3, GJ's marriage was stated to be the third at the Bridge St Synagogue, but in fact it was the 20th. The memoir also states that Samuel opened a store in Sydney, but Bergman asserts that he remained with Cooper & Levey until 1836 when he went to West Maitland and opened a general store there which he called Lambeth House.
His grave is now in Rookwood Cemetery, probably removed from the old Jewish cemetery in Devonshire Street where he was originally buried. Death Reg no 1006, NSW Pioneer BDM.
It is interesting to see that his death certificate lists amongst his children Nathan usually known as Norman and Barnard later known as Beresford. Presumably Barnard is named for his father Barnett or Barnard or Baruch.
He died 'intestate', the Administration reference being Series 1, 5326.