Ernest Lazarus
Ernest Arthur Lazarus-Barlow | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1855 or 1856 De Beauvoir Town, London, England |
| Died | January 9, 1914 (aged 59) West Mersea, Essex, England |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, entrepreneur, philanthropist |
| Years active | c.1871–1914 |
| Known for | Management of French bank branches in England; philanthropy for French Hospital in London |
Ernest Arthur Lazarus-Barlow (originally named Ernest Arthur Lazarus; born 1855 or 1856 – died 9 January 1914) was a prominent English banker and entrepreneur who oversaw three branches of a French banking institution within England. His philanthropic efforts in north London earned him the Légion d'honneur in recognition of his support for the French Hospital in London and the French expatriate community.
Family
Born in De Beauvoir Town, London, Lazarus was the son of John Barnett Lazarus, a missionary of Russian-Jewish origin who had converted from Judaism, and Martha E. Lazarus (née Barlow). Family lore associates him with the medieval Jewish scholar Moses Maimonides and the author Sarah Trimmer. His sibling, Walter Sydney Lazarus-Barlow (1865–1950), held a professorship in experimental pathology at Middlesex Hospital.
In 1894, Ernest wed Kate Emily Saunders in Islington, and the couple had three children: Kate E., Arthur J., and Elsie M. Census records from 1901 list him as a bank manager residing on Fortis Green Road with his family and employing six domestic staff.
By 1910, while living between Woodside Park and West Mersea, he officially incorporated his mother’s maiden name into his surname by deed poll, becoming Ernest Arthur Lazarus-Barlow.[1]
Career
The 1871 census shows Lazarus working as a clerk at age 15. By approximately 1893, he had advanced to manage the London branch of the French bank Comptoir National d'Escompte, later expanding its operations to Manchester and Liverpool. He subsequently served on the bank’s board in France.
Lazarus also held the position of chairman at the Thomson-Houston Company during its provision of equipment for the Central London Railway (now known as the Central Line). In 1898, he played a key role in promoting legislation in the House of Commons to establish an electricity generation company at Sookholme near Warsop.
Recreations
In 1905, Lazarus was instrumental in securing land for the Wilderness Golf Club near Friern Barnet. This property combined with John Miles’ Manor House Farm estate to create what became North Middlesex Golf Club.
He was an active member of the City Liberal Club and shortly before passing served as master of the Fanmakers' Company. An avid yachtsman, he sailed from West Mersea and was affiliated with both the Corinthian and Southampton Yacht Clubs.
Philanthropy
Lazarus dedicated significant effort to charitable causes in north London, initially serving as treasurer and later as chairman of the French Hospital in London. In 1913, during a visit by French President Raymond Poincaré to the hospital, Lazarus was honored with the Légion d'honneur for his assistance to French nationals residing in London.
Death and legacy
Ernest Arthur Lazarus-Barlow passed away due to an apoplectic stroke on 9 January 1914 at his home in West Mersea. His funeral was held at Marylebone Cemetery followed by a memorial service at St. John's Church in Whetstone. At the time of his death, he lived at Smiths Hall in West Mersea, Essex. In 1918, his family contributed an east window illustrating the feast of the Epiphany to St. Edmund King and Martyr parish church located in East Mersea.