Fredrick Cohen (1838–1918) was a grand-son of Henry Cohen. He was the eldest son of Henry’s daughter Sophia and Abraham Cohen, born at Sydney in August 1838.
In 1866 Fredrick married[1] Rosetta Emanuel (1840–1903), daughter of Samuel Emanuel[2] of Goulburn.
They had __ children: Mabel L., born[3] 1867 at Muswellbrook; ?Edith, born[4] 1869 at Goulburn; ?Edith Beatrice, born[5] 1870 at Goulburn; Samuel Henry (Harry)., born 1872 at Goulburn;[6] Estelle, born at Goulburn in 1874;[7] Abraham Leslie, born 1875 at Goulburn;[8] Vera Z., born 1884 at Sydney;[9] Sydney H., born 1886 at Sydney.[10]
Frederick died[11] at Sydney in 1918.
The following paragraphs are distilled from the notes of Henry Robert Cohen, grand-son of Henry Emanuel Cohen:
When his father Abraham took his family back to Sydney from Goulburn in 1856, Fredrick was to stay in Goulburn, probably with his uncle, Joseph Simmons. Simmons had been in Goulburn for a number of years as a successful storekeeper. With the discovery of gold in the Braidwood district the population grew, to the benefit of the traders. When Fredrick married in 1866, he was a storekeeper in his own right. The girl he married was Rosetta Emanuel (1840–1903), the daughter of a local landowner, Samuel Emanuel, a gold buyer as well as owner of the ‘Beehive Stores’. Emanuel later represented the district in the NSW Parliament.
Their first child, Mabel was born in 1867. She married Solomon Cohen (1859–1921). He was the owner of a department store situated at Cootamundra, a town some 250 miles south west of Sydney. The store survived as ‘Solomon Cohen & Co Pty Ltd’ until 1955 when it was taken over by a larger opposition, J.D. Meagher & Co Ltd. They in turn were taken over by Western Stores Ltd, who were absorbed by Farmer & Co Ltd, who became part of Grace Bros and now, they all form part of the Coles Myer organisation. That is what is called progress.
It is not clear whether Mabel died or divorced but in 1907 Solomon married Alice Grace Matthews. Solomon apparently then handed over control of the store to his brother-in-law Samuel Henry (Harry) Cohen, Fredrick’s eldest son, who remained in control until his death in 1955.
The Hon. Justice
Henry Emanuel Cohen
Henry Emanuel Cohen (1840–1912) was a grand-son of Henry Cohen. He was one of twin boys born to Henry’s daughter Sophia and Abraham Cohen at Port Macquarie on 1 September 1840.
Henry Emanuel Cohen’s entry in Heaton’s Dictionary of Dates and Men of The Times, 1542–1879, published by George Robertson in 1879, reads as follows:
“COHEN, Henry Emanuel, M.L.A., born at Port Macquarie in December 1840, came with his parents to Sydney in 1848, and removed with them to Goulburn in 1855. He was educated at various schools in Sydney and Goulburn. In 1856 he became an assistant in the house of David Cohen and Co., West Maitland, where he remained until 1864. From 1864 to 1868 he was engaged in commercial pursuits, when he proceeded to England to read for the Bar, to which he was called in June 1871. He left London on his return to New South Wales at the end of September, and was a passenger by the “Rangoon” when she was lost at Galle. In December, 1874, he became Member for West Maitland, and supported the Parkes Administration. He accepted office as Treasurer under Mr. Farnell in December, 1877, and retired with that Ministry in December, 1878.”
The following paragraphs are distilled from the notes of Henry Robert Cohen, a grand-son of Henry Emanuel Cohen:
With his basic education completed, at 16 years of age, Henry Emanuel joined the merchant firm of David Cohen & Co. as a clerk. The head office was at Maitland and it was there that Henry was sent after a period in Sydney. The following is an extract from a letter sent by Samuel Cohen (in Sydney) to Lewis Wolfe Levy, the partner in Maitland:
The young gent who made out this invoice, I intend to send up to you. I am certain you will like him. He is certainly one of the most “kute” and respectable lads I have ever met. He is a Jew and the son of Mr A. Cohen late of Goulburn. He will suit you well. I did intend to keep him in Sydney office, but I can get another and if he does not suit can discharge. You want a lad who will stop with you for years and that you can be certain.
“Henry was to remain with Levy for eight years until, in 1864, he joined in business with his twin brother George at Bathurst. This venture was not a success and closed after two years.
“In 1868 Henry decided he wanted a career in the law and travelled to London to study. He entered Middle Temple and read with several of the eminent lawyers of the London Bar. In 1871 he was admitted to the English Bar and immediately sailed for home on the Rangoon. The ship was wrecked on the rocks at Galle (Ceylon) on 1 November 1871. Henry was unharmed but lost all his possessions. . . .”
On 15 July 1884 at the Great Synagogue, Sydney, Henry Emanuel married[12] Sophie Frank the daughter of Leo Frank of Hanover, Germany. Sophie had arrived in Sydney some twelve months previously as governess to Sigmond Hoffnung’s children. At that time Henry was residing at Darlinghurst Road, Sydney. Her address was given as Clopee, Potts Point, Sydney. Her birthplace is later given as Hildesheim, Hanover, Germany. The wedding reception was held at the home of Sigmond Hoffnung at Elizabeth Bay.
The following is extracted from the introduction to an interview, given by H.E.C. while on a 12-months leave in England and on the Continent, which appeared in the London Jewish Chronicle, c.1911:
“[Henry Emanuel] qualified for the Law in England and was “called” in the year 1871, returning, subsequently, to Sydney to practice. In 1881, he became District Court Judge and Chairman of Quarter Sessions, holding the position for about ten months, and then resuming his practice at the Bar. In 1895, he was appointed, by the present High Commissioner for the Commonwealth (Sir George Reid), then Premier of New South Wales, Acting Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, receiving in the following year, and at the same distinguished hands, an appointment as Permanent Judge. Altogether, Mr Justice Cohen has spent nearly sixteen years on the Bench—the present occasion being the first on which leave of absence has been granted him from his judicial duties.
“In 1875, Mr Justice Cohen was returned as member of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales by the constituency of West Maitland, where for some seven-and-a-half years (beginning in 1856) he had been in the service of the mercantile firm of David Cohen and Co. In 1877, he was again returned for West Maitland, and, on the formation of the Farrel Ministry, became Colonial Treasurer.
“At the General Election of 1833, he was once more returned for his old constituency, receiving the appointment of Minister of Justice in the Stuart administration. This post he retained until the end of 1885 when, the Ministry having been dissolved through the ill-health of the Premier, he retired from politics altogether, and devoted his time entirely to his profession. After the general election of 1880, however, occurred a striking incident in the Judge’s career. At a meeting of the party to which he belonged, he was invited to allow himself to be nominated for the Speakership of the New South Wales Parliament. For purely personal reasons the honour was declined; but that he would have been chosen is evident from the fact that the gentleman who was nominated in his stead was duly elected by the House of Assembly.
“Last December, it may be recalled, the Jewish community of New South Wales marked the occasion of the Judge’s seventieth birthday by having his portrait painted in full length scarlet and ermine judicial robes and full-bottomed wig. With the approval of the Trustees of the National Art Gallery at Sydney, the portrait has been hung in that Gallery.”
Henry Emanuel and Sophie had two children, both of whom became barristers in Sydney:
Edgar Henry (1885–1930) was born 5 November 1885 at Sydney. Edgar married Edith May Josephine Kerr (1888–1985), daughter of Robert Kerr. Edgar died 14 October 1930 and is buried beside his father at Rookwood.
Cecil Hope (1888–1918) was born[13] 5 July 1888 at Sydney. Cecil died, unmarried, in 1918 in a British Army Hospital, London.
Henry Emanuel Cohen died,[14] aged 72 years, at sea, aboard the ss Friedrich der Grosse, at 6.30 a.m. on 5 January 1912, while returning from the abovementioned 12-months leave. He is buried at Rookwood, Section ///, No. ///. Sophie died in Paris in 1943.
References:
Biography in ADB, vol. 3, 1851–1890, pp.437–38.
An very extensive biography in AJHS, Vol. 2, Pt 10, 1948, pp. 524–60.
AJHS, Vol. 8, Pt 7, December 1979, “A Short History of the Jews of Maitland”, pp.421–23.
George Cohen (1840–1912?[15]) was a grand-son of Henry Cohen. He was one of twin boys (the other Henry Emanuel Cohen) born to Henry’s daughter Sophia and Abraham Cohen at Port Macquarie on 1 September 1840.
The following paragraphs are distilled from the notes of Henry Robert Cohen, grand-son of Henry Emanuel Cohen:
In 1856, at the age of 16, George was sent to Tamworth to obtain work experience with his uncle William Cohen. In 1864, he and his twin brother Henry Emanuel went to Bathurst and commenced trading as general storekeepers. Once again the discovery of gold was the attraction. However, they were not successful and closed the business after two years. In 1866 George went to Goulburn, maybe to join his older brother Frederick. There he met and [at Sydney] married[16] Elizabeth Davis, the daughter of Isaac Davis, who owned an hotel in the town.
After his marriage George took his wife to Cooma, some 150 miles southeast of Goulburn. Here he established a store. This time he was successful. His five children were all born at Cooma.
In 1882 George took his family back to Tamworth. Here his son Victor was to marry his first cousin Ida the daughter of George’s younger brother Nathan.
For a brief period George owned a store in Gunnedah[17] some 30 miles west of Tamworth. In 1886 he returned to his birthplace, Port Macquarie.
George and Elizabeth had five children:
Victor Isaac (1870–____) was born[18] ______ 1870 at Cooma, he married his first cousin Ida Cohen, the daughter of Nathan Cohen and his first wife Esther (née Solomon).
Ernest R. (1867–____), (solicitor, Sydney) was born[19] ______ 1867 at Bathurst. He married his first cousin once removed, Maud Cohen, the daughter of William Cohen and Sarah (née Solomon).
Arthur H. (1868–c.1948) was born[20] ______ 1868 at Sydney, unmarried.
Ettie Amelia (1875–____)
was born[21]
______ 1875 at Cooma,
Linda (____–1955), . . . died September 1955.
