History of the Jews of Grimsby
A Jewish presence in Grimsby (in Lincolnshire, England) was first reported around 1182, and further mentioned during the 13th century, often in connection with the Jews of Lincoln;[1] however in 1290 Edward I expelled the Jews from England.[2]
After the opening of a deep water dock in 1854, continental migrants came into Grimsby for its railway terminus, eventually including by 1914 hundreds of thousands of East-European Jews, mostly bound for Liverpool and America. From the 1860s some stayed, with the resident Jewish population in Grimsby 87 in 1871, and 450 after 1900, but dwindling to 45 by 2021. The growth and decline of the Grimsby community parallels others in England's North Sea ports, especially Hull, a larger sister community directly across the Humber estuary.[1][3][4][5]
Grimsby's first Jewish congregation dates from 1865, with the new-built Sir Moses Montefiore Synagogue opening in 1888, later expanded with a school and ritual bathhouse nearby; it is now a listed building.[1][6]
Grimsby's Old Jewish Cemetery, in Doughty Road, dates from 1854, but closed around 1920. The First Avenue Jewish Cemetery was in use from 1896. It holds two Commonwealth War Graves, both airmen killed in World War Two,[7] who are commemorated on a plaque at the Montefiore Synagogue (above),[8] where also six Jewish servicemen from Grimsby are memorialised for sacrificing their lives during World War One.[9]
References
- ^ a b c Gerlis, Daphne; Gerlis, Leon (1986). The story of the Grimsby Jewish community. Hull: Humberside Leisture Services. ISBN 9780904451337.
- ^ Roth, Cecil (1979). A history of the Jews in England (3. ed., repr ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Pr. ISBN 978-0-19-822488-4.
- ^ "JCR-UK: Grimsby Synagogue and Jewish Community, Lincolnshire, England". www.jewishgen.org. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes: Seat Details. Religions. Census 2021. https://henryjacksonsociety.org/religiousdiversity/cgi-bin/seatdetail.py?seat=Great%20Grimsby%20and%20Cleethorpes [31 October 2024]
- ^ "BBC Four - A Very British History, Series 1, The Jews of Leeds - From Russia with Love: A Migration Story". BBC. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
- ^ "Heritage Gateway - Results". www.heritagegateway.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-03.
- ^ CWGC. "Grimsby Hebrew Congregation Cemetery | Cemetery Details". CWGC. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ "Sir Moses Montifiore Synagogue- WW2 Plaque". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 2024-11-06.
- ^ "Grimsby Hebrew Congregation | British Jews in The First World War". jewsfww.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-06.