Petra Laidlaw

The Jewish Communities of Islington, 1730s-1880s Petra Laidlaw

Originally a picturesque village on the outskirts of London and now a vibrant part of the inner city, Islington was home to a significant Jewish population 200 years ago, and remained so until the middle of the 20th century. But as London expanded and earlier inhabitants drifted outwards, the Jewish presence in these parts was forgotten. This volume relies on extensive research among original sources and contemporary commentators to bring back to life the several communities that lived here between the 1730s and the eve of mass immigration in the 1880s. The rich cast of former residents includes many of the great and the good of Jewish society, a great number of ordinary people whose lives are more obscure, and a few rogues. Two appendices set out some of the factual background and statistics underlying the narrative. Fully sourced and indexed, with 37 prints and photographs, which in the paperback edition are all in black and white