Bernhard Cohen

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Bernhard Cohen

Watercolour portrait of Bernhard Cohen JP.

From John Sowden's notebook:

Born at Hamburg in 1836, came to England in early manhood and established the firm of Dehn & Melchior in Manchester. He joined Mr Charles Semon in business in 1856 in a very modest way at the rear of the George Hotel. The French treaty negotiated by Richard Cobden in 1860 opened up a new field to British merchants and they were quick to perceive the profit by it. The firm advanced to a leading position amongst Bradford houses. In 1877 their large warehouse was gutted by fire and afterwards Messrs Semon built their present establishment. Mr Semon died in 1878 and the business was left in the hands of Mr Cohen & Mr J Sonnenthal.

On the death of Mr Sonnenthal in 1894 Mr Cohen was the only surviving partner in the concern. Mr Cohen was closely identified with the Royal Infirmary, the Children's Hospital and the Eye and Ear Hospital. But apart from these he quietly dispensed a good deal of private charity. Mr Cohen was a director of the Bradford Old Bank and a member of the Chamber of Commerce and an active supporter of the Technical College. Mr Cohen became a Liberal Unionist at the time of the Home-Rule split. He was a bachelor. He died in 1904, leaving estate of £224,000 gross. He was made a Justice of the Peace in 1899.

Charles Semon was a prominent member of Bradfords Jewish community. He died in 1877. Although Sowden's notes state that he died in 1878, a funeral notice for a Charles Semon was printed in the Bradford Daily Telegraph on Wed July 25th 1877. The funeral procession was to pass by the Town Hall on its way to Scholemore Cemetery, to allow the general public to pay their respects. It is noted that Charles Semon is connected with the town and notable charitable organisations.

Liberal Unionists were formed in 1886 by a faction that split from the Liberal Party. They opposed the Irish Home Rule bill which Gladstone had been converted to support when he took office in 1886. Gladstone's plans for Irish Home Rule led some MP's to leave his government.

Year

1891

Creator

Sowden

Image filename

sowden-191