Ellis Abraham Franklin

At one point his family considered encouraging Franklin's talents as an artist, but instead he learned from his father's banking business, at one point learning Spanish from a professor at Owen's College in preparation of potentially assisting his brother who was working in the Jamaica branch.^[1]

Franklin joined the merchant bank that had been established by Samuel Montagu, married Montagu's sister (Adelaide), and became a partner in 1862.^[3][4] He was married on 9 July 1856 and would ultimately have 7 children.^[1]

In 1885, Franklin founded a shelter in Whitechapel called "the poor Jew's temporary shelter". He operated it with his business partner Montagu. The shelter provided 2 meals a day and allowed individuals to stay up to two weeks under its roof.^[5]

Early into the 20th century, Franklin retired from their banking enterprise.^[6]

Franklin's oldest son, Arthur Ellis Franklin (1857–1938), was a British merchant banker and senior partner of A. Keyser & Co.^[2] His other son, Sir Leonard Benjamin Franklin (1862–1944), was a barrister, banker and Liberal Party politician. His daughter, Beatrice Franklin, married Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel, the Liberal politician who was party leader from 1931-35.^{[citation needed]}

Franklin died on 11 May 1909 in London.^[1] Upon his death, he left an estate valued at GB£511,000.^[2]