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Mary Kelly's REAL Landlord
Abraham Barnett - 1833-1918
It is, of course, a known fact that John McCarthy rented and then let to tenants the properties in Dorset Street and Millers Court. Previous research on this matter has been posted by, among others, Debra Arif, Rob Clack and Fiona Rule.The actual registered owner in the Land Tax Assessment for 1889/1890 was listed as one M Barnett. At that time, shortly after the Whitechapel murders, this M Barnett is listed as the proprietor of Nos 27 and 26 Dorset Street. Interestingly, in that same document, what we know as Millers Court is listed as Millers Place, consisting of six houses, each with M Barnett as the proprietor. The Land tax Assessment also lists for each property its Rental or Annual Value Assessed. For the properties we are discussing, these are as follows:
27 Dorset Street is listed as a tenanted house with an annual value of twenty pounds. 26 Dorset Street is listed as a tenanted house with an annual value of twenty two pounds. Millers Place (sic) is itemised as six tenanted houses, each with an annual value of five pounds.
As a matter of interest, in this same Land Tax document, John McCarthy is listed as the proprietor of three properties in Dorset Street, namely Nos 37, 38 and 39. Each is listed as a tenanted house with an annual value of thirty five pounds.
Fiona Rule, in her excellent book about Dorset Street tells us that this M Barnett was in fact named Abraham Barnett. She also gives us the information that he was a glass blower and eventually moved to Maida Vale. This information helped to track down Mr Barnett and to confirm his identity in that at one stage he and his own family was living at 26 Dorset Street. This was at the time of the 1861 census:-
26 Dorset Street, Spitalfields
Head: Abraham Barnett aged 27 born Switzerland - Glazier
Wife: Rosa Barnett aged 30 born Switzerland
Children:
Maryam aged 4 born Spitalfields
Peasa (M) aged 4 months born Spitalfields
Head: Isack Weber aged 28 born Poland - Slipper maker
Wife: Betse aged 30 = Slipper maker
Children:
Kittie aged 2 born Spitalfields
Lewis aged 5 months born Spitalfields
Sister in law: Anna Levie aged 24 born Poland - Slipper maker
Lodger: Israel Lewis aged 22 born Poland - Slipper maker
The assertion that Barnett was Swiss born must be weighed with some caution as in some other records he is listed as Polish. We should also note that the forename of the young son named Peasa is rendered in later records as Piza.
At the same time the occupants of Millers Court are listed as follows:-
Millers Court:
5-6 Uninhabited
4:
Head: Wolf Jacob aged 42 born Poland - Glazier
Wife: Pauline Jacob aged 35 born Poland
Children:
Abraham aged 11 born City of London
Caroline aged 9 born City
Rachel aged 7 born City
Anna aged 5 born City
3:
Barnett Marks aged 31 born Poland - Glazier
Wife: Rachael Marks aged 27 born Poland
Children:
Sarah aged 2 born Spitalfields
Gustave aged 6 months born Spitalfields
2:
Head: Emanuel Abrahams aged 25 born Poland - Glazier
Wife: Selina Abrahams aged 30 born Germany
1: Uninhabited
and the property that was to become McCarthy's shop is listed as follows:-
27 Dorset Street
Head: James Riley aged 35 born Bethnal Green - Wood cutter
Wife: Charlotte Riley aged 45 born Spitalfields
Children:
James aged 16 born Bethnal Green - Wood cutter's assistant
Emma aged 12 born Bethnal Green
Martha aged 10 born Bethnal Green
The first impression is the fact that No 26 Dorset Street and Millers Court behind it was not only a Jewish enclave but, specifically, an enclave of Jewish glaziers.
We can also trace Barnett later, after the move to Maida Vale, as mentioned by Fiona Rule. In the 1881 census Barnett and his family are listed as follows:-
21 Portsdown Road, Maida Vale
Head: Abraham Barnett aged 48 born Poland - House and land owner
Wife: Rose Barnett aged 50 born Poland
Children:
Piza aged 20 born Spitalfields
Lizzie aged 18 born London
Moses aged 16 born London
Manarah (F) aged 13 born Mile End
Harris aged 10 born Mile End (Imbecile)
Servant: Elizabeth Gill aged 69 born Lewisham
This address at that time is also verified by a notice in the Jewish Chronicle regarding the marriage of Barnett's son, Piza:-
25 August 1882
On 16th August at the residence of the bridegroom's parents, 21 Portsdown Rd., Maida Vale, Piza, eldest son of Abraham Barnett to Sophia, eldest daughter of Hyman Isaacs of 20 Bedford St., Sunderland.
The family was still at the same address at the time of the 1891 census:-
21 Portsdown Road, Paddington
Head: Abraham Barnett aged 56 born Trespoli, Poland - Builder
Wife: Rosetta Barnett aged 66 born Poland
Children:L
Morris aged 26 born Houndsditch - Builder
Elizabeth aged 28 born Bethnal Green
Manarah aged 22 born Houndsditch
Servant: Mary Lane aged 17 born Poplar
Abraham Barnett died in 1918 and left a very modest estate for a property owner. His listing in the Probate Calendar reads as follows:-
BARNETT Abraham of 30 Clifton Gardens, Maida Vale, Middlesex, died 8 June 1918.
Probate London 20 September to Morris Barnett, gentleman.
Effects £873 7s 6d.
I refer to this as modest, which it certainly is when we compare it with the estate of his son Piza, who died in 1931.
BARNETT Piza of 37 Kirby Street, London, and of 39 Finchley Road, St John's Wood, Middlesex, died 22 February 1931 at 39 Finchley Road.
Probate Lewes 4 July to Montague Barnett esquire and Manarah Barnett and Ruth Barnett, spinsters.
Effects £61782 3s 7d
There is obviously a large amount to still find out about this man but I hope this is a good start!
Abraham Barnett - 1833-1918
It is, of course, a known fact that John McCarthy rented and then let to tenants the properties in Dorset Street and Millers Court. Previous research on this matter has been posted by, among others, Debra Arif, Rob Clack and Fiona Rule.The actual registered owner in the Land Tax Assessment for 1889/1890 was listed as one M Barnett. At that time, shortly after the Whitechapel murders, this M Barnett is listed as the proprietor of Nos 27 and 26 Dorset Street. Interestingly, in that same document, what we know as Millers Court is listed as Millers Place, consisting of six houses, each with M Barnett as the proprietor. The Land tax Assessment also lists for each property its Rental or Annual Value Assessed. For the properties we are discussing, these are as follows:
27 Dorset Street is listed as a tenanted house with an annual value of twenty pounds. 26 Dorset Street is listed as a tenanted house with an annual value of twenty two pounds. Millers Place (sic) is itemised as six tenanted houses, each with an annual value of five pounds.
As a matter of interest, in this same Land Tax document, John McCarthy is listed as the proprietor of three properties in Dorset Street, namely Nos 37, 38 and 39. Each is listed as a tenanted house with an annual value of thirty five pounds.
Fiona Rule, in her excellent book about Dorset Street tells us that this M Barnett was in fact named Abraham Barnett. She also gives us the information that he was a glass blower and eventually moved to Maida Vale. This information helped to track down Mr Barnett and to confirm his identity in that at one stage he and his own family was living at 26 Dorset Street. This was at the time of the 1861 census:-
26 Dorset Street, Spitalfields
Head: Abraham Barnett aged 27 born Switzerland - Glazier
Wife: Rosa Barnett aged 30 born Switzerland
Children:
Maryam aged 4 born Spitalfields
Peasa (M) aged 4 months born Spitalfields
Head: Isack Weber aged 28 born Poland - Slipper maker
Wife: Betse aged 30 = Slipper maker
Children:
Kittie aged 2 born Spitalfields
Lewis aged 5 months born Spitalfields
Sister in law: Anna Levie aged 24 born Poland - Slipper maker
Lodger: Israel Lewis aged 22 born Poland - Slipper maker
The assertion that Barnett was Swiss born must be weighed with some caution as in some other records he is listed as Polish. We should also note that the forename of the young son named Peasa is rendered in later records as Piza.
At the same time the occupants of Millers Court are listed as follows:-
Millers Court:
5-6 Uninhabited
4:
Head: Wolf Jacob aged 42 born Poland - Glazier
Wife: Pauline Jacob aged 35 born Poland
Children:
Abraham aged 11 born City of London
Caroline aged 9 born City
Rachel aged 7 born City
Anna aged 5 born City
3:
Barnett Marks aged 31 born Poland - Glazier
Wife: Rachael Marks aged 27 born Poland
Children:
Sarah aged 2 born Spitalfields
Gustave aged 6 months born Spitalfields
2:
Head: Emanuel Abrahams aged 25 born Poland - Glazier
Wife: Selina Abrahams aged 30 born Germany
1: Uninhabited
and the property that was to become McCarthy's shop is listed as follows:-
27 Dorset Street
Head: James Riley aged 35 born Bethnal Green - Wood cutter
Wife: Charlotte Riley aged 45 born Spitalfields
Children:
James aged 16 born Bethnal Green - Wood cutter's assistant
Emma aged 12 born Bethnal Green
Martha aged 10 born Bethnal Green
The first impression is the fact that No 26 Dorset Street and Millers Court behind it was not only a Jewish enclave but, specifically, an enclave of Jewish glaziers.
We can also trace Barnett later, after the move to Maida Vale, as mentioned by Fiona Rule. In the 1881 census Barnett and his family are listed as follows:-
21 Portsdown Road, Maida Vale
Head: Abraham Barnett aged 48 born Poland - House and land owner
Wife: Rose Barnett aged 50 born Poland
Children:
Piza aged 20 born Spitalfields
Lizzie aged 18 born London
Moses aged 16 born London
Manarah (F) aged 13 born Mile End
Harris aged 10 born Mile End (Imbecile)
Servant: Elizabeth Gill aged 69 born Lewisham
This address at that time is also verified by a notice in the Jewish Chronicle regarding the marriage of Barnett's son, Piza:-
25 August 1882
On 16th August at the residence of the bridegroom's parents, 21 Portsdown Rd., Maida Vale, Piza, eldest son of Abraham Barnett to Sophia, eldest daughter of Hyman Isaacs of 20 Bedford St., Sunderland.
The family was still at the same address at the time of the 1891 census:-
21 Portsdown Road, Paddington
Head: Abraham Barnett aged 56 born Trespoli, Poland - Builder
Wife: Rosetta Barnett aged 66 born Poland
Children:L
Morris aged 26 born Houndsditch - Builder
Elizabeth aged 28 born Bethnal Green
Manarah aged 22 born Houndsditch
Servant: Mary Lane aged 17 born Poplar
Abraham Barnett died in 1918 and left a very modest estate for a property owner. His listing in the Probate Calendar reads as follows:-
BARNETT Abraham of 30 Clifton Gardens, Maida Vale, Middlesex, died 8 June 1918.
Probate London 20 September to Morris Barnett, gentleman.
Effects £873 7s 6d.
I refer to this as modest, which it certainly is when we compare it with the estate of his son Piza, who died in 1931.
BARNETT Piza of 37 Kirby Street, London, and of 39 Finchley Road, St John's Wood, Middlesex, died 22 February 1931 at 39 Finchley Road.
Probate Lewes 4 July to Montague Barnett esquire and Manarah Barnett and Ruth Barnett, spinsters.
Effects £61782 3s 7d
There is obviously a large amount to still find out about this man but I hope this is a good start!
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