Henry Cohen[1] was born in London, England, in 1790, the son of Nathan Cohen and Priscilla Frances (née Benjamin). He had at least one sister,[2] Catherine (who married Abraham Ellis, 30 October 1805), and one brother, Benjamin Wolf Cohen (1788–1842)[3], (who married Frances Phillips?). In 1809, at 20 years of age, Henry married Elizabeth the daughter of Nathan Simmons and Sarah (née Phillips).[4] Henry’s nephew, Daniel Cohen, a son of Benjamin Wolf Cohen, also came out to Australia presumably some time after Henry had re-established himself in Sydney. Daniel apparently settled in Victoria.[5]
Henry’s paternal grandfather apparently was also named Benjamin Wolf Cohen.
In June 1821 Henry was described as a Salesman of 3 Rosemary Lane (by the Tower of London). In October 1821 he removed to 91 Edgeware Road, Paddington. In 1824 he is described as a Clothes salesman of 111 Edgeware Road. And, in 1829, as a Tailor and salesman of 111 Edgeware Road.[6]
In 1833 Henry had a large retail shop premises at 126 Edgeware Road, Paddington, Middlesex, from where he carried on a business of selling new and used clothing.[7] At that time he had ten children: four girls and six boys. His eldest daughter, Nancy, had married Joseph Simmons, in London, in 1832.
Henry was a relatively successful businessman. He claimed in his written defence at his Trial that his business “returned” him £4000 to £5000 per year. When he was detained at Bow Street Police Station he had on his person—in addition to the stolen bank promissory notes—a £100 bank note and some sovereigns. This was at a time when a “mechanic” (tradesman) earned about £5? per week, an unskilled worker about £3? per week, and a domestic servant about £2? per week plus board.
On 18 March 1833, in exchange for some goods from his shop, Henry accepted four Glastonbury bank promissory notes to a value of £30. On 20 March he went to Masterman & Co, agents for the Glastonbury bank, to cash the notes. Apparently, the notes had been stolen and after some investigations Henry was detained and eventually charged and, at 43 years of age, he was tried at the Old Bailey, 14–16 May 1833, with receiving the promissory notes “well knowing them to have been stolen.” Part of Henry’s written defence states:
. . . Gentlemen, I have taken these notes in my business, and I am entirely innocent of any guilty knowledge; if I had I would not have gone to Messrs. Masterman and Co. where I must have been well known, having paid at that house monies at different times to a large amount, for bills of exchange accepted by me. I have been in business upwards of twenty years; during that time I never let a bill go unpaid, and up to this present day my credit in the City of London is unlimited; . . .
Regardless, Henry was found guilty and sentenced to transportation for fourteen years. The full transcript of the Trial[8] is appended—and a reading of it does make one wonder whether a gentile would have been found guilty in the same circumstances.
