, 1885-08-29

died at the close of it, as q lamp is extin-
guished for lack of oil. One of his latest
acts was to sign the cheque in payment OF
the tea and coffee service of silver which
the venerable baronet had given himself
the honour and pleasure to present to her
Royal HighnesS Princess Beatrice Oh the
occasion of her wedding. This he perform
ell propped up with pillows upon his couch
and it was well-nigh the closing deed of
his ever active life. The event of his de-
cease was expected, and when it occurred
d feeling of profound respect and affection,
rather than of lamenration, was everywhere
evinced. At Ramsgate the Mayor an.
nounced the grave tidings to the Town
Council, and orders were at once given to
drape the public buildings with signs of
mourning. The vessels i'll harbour hoisted
their flags halt. mast, and as the news
spread numberless signs were everywhere
evinced OF the veneratiOn in which the
great and generous philanthropiSt was
held.
According to the Gregorian Calendar,
Sir Moses MOntefore was born on Oct. "a,
1884, but he himself reckoned his years by
the Hebrew almanac, keeping his birthday
on the Sth day Of the month Heshvan,
which last year conceded with October
q. He thus has survived his hundredtl
JCdI ny dDOuG uIIlc uIOIllLISs MOIIcuOIc 10
the name Of d picturesque little tOwn
on the eastern slope of the Apennines in
AScoli PicenO. There is a family tradition,
which is confirmed by records still extant,
that the MOntefOres were originally settled
in AlG0na, the seaport of tho district,
and it is ~cOnjectured that they removed
thither from the Picentine village. BY
and by another migration took place to
LeghOrn, and about the middle of the
eighteenth century Moses Vita MOnteRore
left that city for London, settling in Phil.
pOt.lane, where he lived and died an hon
CURED merchant, leaving q family Of seven.
teen children, more than one of whom at
tanned distinction. This patriarch was the
founder of the English branch of the t;Ini-
ly, and the grandfather of the philant hrO.
pist. One of his SONS, Joseph Elias, was u
merchant in London, trading specially in
LeghOrn straw bOnnets. Having married
Rachel, daughter OF Abraham Mocatta,
one of a we'll Unknown family Of HispanO,
Moorish Jews, Joseph MOntefOre, accom-.
panied by his young wife, paid u visit, in
1884 to Leghorn, and there the subject Of
this notice was born. OF the accuracy Of
the date of birth there is not the shadow Of
doubt. 1t is amply attested not only by
synagogue records both in LeghOrn and
London, but also by trustworthy family
chronicles. Mr.. and Mrs. MomtetiOre re.
turned shortly afterwards to London, where
their eldest son received all his early train
ing. He was the eldest of a family Of eight
children, and as his parents were only Of
moderate means he, as was more the fash
ion in those days than now, left school
early, and entered into business. About
this time the family resided in Remington
and it is all interesting circumstance that
Moses MOntei0re was among The prOgenl-
tors of that Volunteer force which has since
become one of our great national lines Of
defence. All the country was filled with
the alarm of a French invasion, and young
Moses promptly enrolled himself as q vo-
lunteer in the Surrey Militia, i'll which he
attained the rank of captain. When first
he entered business he was engaged in the
provision trade, but that department not
being quite ~congenial, he soon afterwards
entered the Stock Exchange, anil became
one of twelve Jewish brokers licensed by
the City. Another event which occurred
about this time was fraught with the hap
piest influence OH his future fortunes. He
married, in 1872, Judith, daughter 0r MIR.
Levy Barent Cohen, a wealthy and btnevO-
lent merchant. She herself possessed u
highly .cultivated mind and considerable
literary attainments, as proved by her in
teresting diaries, privately printed, OF the
Journeys she and her husband made to the
East. The great sorrow OF Sir Moses