Synagogue (Creechchurch Lane)

7 Annotations

First Reading

Terry F  •  Link

A better suggestion by Glyn on Sun 15 Oct 2006, 9:55 http://www.pepysdiary.com/diary/1…
Following on from Terry F's comment,the synagogue that Pepys went to today (14 October, 1663) was on the junction of Berry Street (nowadays spelt 'Bury') and Cree Church Lane, leading north off Leadenhall Street, on the right-hand side of this map which dates from 1746:
http://www.motco.com/Map/81002/Se…
It was almost next to the church. Intrigued by today's discussion, I strolled around there this afternoon and while there is nothing left of the building, there is a plaque there which reads: "Site Of First Synagogue After The Restoration 1657 - 1701'
and if you look on the above map just north of that (less than a minute's walk) you'll see that there is a Jewish synagogue marked on Bevis Mark (now known as Bevis Marks) which replaced this first synagogue in the final years of Pepys' life and which is still there today. It's a very fine purpose-built building that people should certainly visit if they have the time and opportunity, and was built once the Jewish community was large enough and prosperous enough to be able to afford it.

Ruben  •  Link

the following information was taken from the Jewish Enciclopedia:
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com…

"Toward the middle of the seventeenth century a considerable number of Marano merchants settled in London and formed there a secret congregation, at the head of which was Antonio Fernandez Carvajal... Outwardly they passed as Spaniards and Catholics; but they held prayer-meetings at Cree Church Lane, and became known to the government as Jews by faith."

"...the Jews met for worship in a private house fitted up as a synagogue in Creechurch lane, Leadenhall street; and it is possible to assume the existence of a second meeting-place at St. Helens in the same neighborhood by 1662. These places of worship were fairly well known to the general public, though they were protected by treble doors and other means of concealment..."

"Moses Israel Athias: Was the first rabbi of the Marano congregation in London; that is, of the secret synagogue which existed in 1658 in Cree Church Lane, where he and his wife Sarah resided. He was a cousin of the wealthy and respected Antonio Fernandez Carvajal, who mentioned him generously in his will ("Transactions of the Jewish Historical Society," i. 55).

Ruben  •  Link

An interesting debate that mentions Pepys and the Creechurch Sinagogue from the Jewish Quarterly published today
see:http://www.jewishquarterly.or…

...at the end of 1656, members of the Jewish community acquired a floor of a building in Creechurch Lane, in the City, and services were held there in subsequent years...

...In March 1657, the builders and craftsmen of St Catherine's Creechurch were reprimanded for having taken on a commission to extend Carvajal's premises in Creechurch Lane to furbish a synagogue there, which means that he recognized the need for more accommodation for the acts of worship now permitted to Jews in London. Samuel Pepys, whose visit to the synagogue in October 1663 is famous, made his first visit to the synagogue on 3 December 1659 on the occasion of the very public memorial service for Carvajal.

It is the presence of Carvajal and his colleagues of the resident community whose incontrovertible careers ensured acceptance of Jewry in London. They effectively rejected Menasseh ben Israel as their rabbi, and he left disconsolate before the end of 1657. Moses Athias of Hamburg, a relative of Carvajal and active in his business, took on the role of chazan at Creechurch Lane when services opened early in 1657.

Jim Noel  •  Link

Looking for information on Henry Noah... who changed his name to Henry Noel. He was married at the
synagogue in Leadenhall street in 1781 to Amelia Smith. Any information of the synagogue and or Henry and Amelia would be appreicated. Thank you, Jim

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References

Chart showing the number of references in each month of the diary’s entries.

1663