Grave 50
     

Nathan Jacobs

1823  – 1890

Here lies
An innocent, G-d fearing, and honest man who turned away from evil
charitable, kind and upright
until the day he died
He was truly loved
All his acquaintances respected him
The Rev/Rabbi Natan son of Rabbi Aharon zl
His pure soul ascended to heaven
On Monday the 22nd of Iyar
And buried the next day
Mourned by his wife his sons and daughters and grandchildren
And his many friends.
May his soul be bound up in the bond of life eternal 

פנ
איש תם וישר ירא אלהים וסר מרע
עשות צדקה וחסד ומישרים
יגע מעודו עד יום מותו
אהב האמת דרכיו ישרים
כל יודעיו כבדו אותו
החבר ר׳ נתן בן החבר ר׳ אהרן ז׳ל
נשמתו הטהורה עלתה השמימה
ביום ב׳ כב אייר
וממחרתו גויתו הצרופה שבה אל העפר
בשנת יי לקח נתן
לדאבון לב אשתו בניו ובנותיו ונכדיו
ואוהביו הרבים
ת׳ נ׳ צ׳ ב׳ ה


IN LOVING MEMORY OF
THE REV. NATHAN JACOBS.
DIED MAY 12TH 1890 5650,
AGED 64 YEARS.


Nathan and three younger sisters arrived in Oxford from Poland in 1842 when he was 16. His parents set up house and shop at at 9 Ebbes St. There were only three other Jewish families in the city at the time, one of which was the Woolfs, who lived nearby.

In February 1844 there was a terrible fire in their house. His father and one of his sisters were killed and Nathan, still only 18 and apparently still speaking no English, managed to escape through an upper window, but fell on his head and was badly injured.

Just six months later, having turned 19, Nathan married Hannah, the eldest of the Woolf sisters. Theirs was the first Jewish wedding to take place in Oxford and attracted much interest locally, and was also reported in The Times.

Their first son, named Aaron after his father and grandfather, was born shortly after. Nathan was by then the shochet (ritual slaughterer) and it is likely that services were held in the family home. 

Around 1847 a small synagogue opened in Oxford and Nathan became the first reader. Nathan and Hannah's second son was born in the same year, followed by three more sons and a daughter.  In 1858, the family including  Hannah's recently widowed mother,  moved to Cardiff where Nathan had been appointed the first Rabbi at the new synagogue.  

Their last child, Judith was born  in 1865. In 1872 the family left Cardiff and moved to Newport where Nathan held various posts before retiring to Bath in 1879 with Hannah and two of  their children, Isaiah and Judith. They lived at 16 and then 20 Charlotte Street where their home was used for some of the Synagogue business meetings.
 
Nathan died in May 1890. There was a large gathering at his funeral: male relations, ministers and communal leaders of the nearby communities. 

Nathan had no valid will but letters of administration were granted to Hannah. She went to live with her daughter Rose and her husband Michael Franks who had recently moved to Bath. Hannah died in 1899 and is also buried in Bath. 

When they died Nathan and Hannah were grandparents to 54 grandchildren. 
Administration of the Personal Estate of Nathan Jacobs late of 1 St. Mary-buildings Wells-road Bath in the County of Somerset Jewish Minister who died 12 May 1890 at 1 St. Mary-buildings was granted at the Principal Registry to Hannah Jacobs of 14 Manvers-street Bath Widow the Relict. Personal Estate £150. 

Daughters 
Their eldest daughter Rose  (b1846) married Michael Franks, a Jeweller and Pawnbroker from Russia. In the 1871 census they are living in Midsomer Norton with their daughter Fanny. 1881 they are living in Blaenavon Wales with their five children. By 1891 they are living in Manvers Street Bath and then moved to Prior Park Buildings. It is possible that Rose ran a kosher restaurant and boarding house. 

Rebecca (b1854) married Jacob Wolf, headmaster of the Westminster Jews' Free school.

Their youngest  daughter Judith (b 1866)  married Benjamin Woolf, a Newport Pawnbroker at 20 Charlotte Street in August 1887. 

Their eldest son, Aaron Joseph,  who became a pawnbroker, married Sarah Samuel from Liverpool and lived in Pontypool Wales. 

Their second son Emmanuel married Priscilla and was a Pawnbroker living in the 1891 census at 18 Cardiff Road,  Newport  with 10 children and 2 servants. He died in 1899, leaving over £3,500 to his wife and son Betram a solicitor.

The third son, Julius (b 1848) a general dealer,  married in 1872 in the Great Synagogue London to Marie Berlyn, a school teacher. They lived in Neath, Birmingham, Bedford and London with their eight children

Benjamin (b 1852) married Lotti Pichi in Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania. 

Their youngest son Isaiah married Josephine Hast. They had three children and lived in Cambridge and then London. 
Census records
  1851     Little Clarendon Street   Oxford
Name | Age
Birth
Relationship
Occupation
  1861   22  East Terrace   Cardiff
Name | Age
Birth
Relationship
Occupation
  1871   39  Love Lane   Cardiff
Name | Age
Birth
Relationship
Occupation
  1881   16  Charlotte St   Bath
Name | Age
Birth
Relationship
Occupation
Associated addresses
     1   St Mary's Buildings   Bath
  Address on Nathan Jacobs death certificate.