Joseph Barrow Montefiore
British merchant and financier (1803–1893)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joseph Barrow Montefiore (24 June 1803 – 8 September 1893), merchant and financier, was the youngest son of Eliezer Montefiore, merchant, of Barbados and London, and his wife, Judith (née Barrow).[1]
Joseph Barrow Montefiore | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 June 1803 |
| Died | 8 September 1893 (aged 90) |
Montefiore was born on 24 June 1803 in London and was educated there.[2] He married Rebecca Mocatta, and the couple had children.[1]
He shared real estate interests in the Colony of New South Wales with his brother Jacob Barrow Montefiore.[2] The two brothers were also partners in J. Barrow Montefiore & Co., and helped to found the Bank of Australasia, later the ANZ Bank; Jacob was a founding director, while Joseph was the Sydney representative. Among Joseph’s many investments in Australia were two ships that made five whaling voyages between 1830 and 1839.[3]
Both brothers suffered London bankruptcy proceedings in 1844,[4] but by the time of Jacob's second visit to Adelaide in 1854, Joseph was once again a successful businessman, as proprietor of J. B. Montefiore & Co.[2] It was during the 1840s–1850s that he was resident in Adelaide, in St John's Street.[5]
He died on 8 September 1893 in Brighton.[1] His estate was sworn for probate at £1,250,000 (equivalent to $139,000,000 in 2025).[6]
Other family relationships
- British philanthropist Moses Montefiore was a cousin of Jacob and Joseph.[2][7]
- Jacob Levi Montefiore (1819–1885), New South Wales politician, was a nephew of the brothers.[1] Jacob Levi (who arrived in Sydney in 1837) later became a director of the Bank of Australasia, in 1855.[8]
- Eliezer Levi Montefiore, brother of Jacob Levi, who married his Joseph's daughter[9] (i.e. Eliezer's cousin) Esther Hannah Barrow Montefiore in Adelaide, was another nephew.[10]
Other siblings
- Moses Eliezer Montefiore[11] (born 1798?) may have been a brother to Jacob and Joseph Barrow Montefiore. According to a genealogy on the Museum of the Jewish People's database, there were siblings as follows: Rachel, John (1854–1795, four children), Moses Eliezer, Evalina (m. Abraham Mocatta – same family as Joseph Barrow M's wife), Esther Hannah (who married Isaac Levi and had Levi Eliezer, see above).[12]
Barbados Barrows
From will transcripts:[13]
- Simon Barrow of St Michael (will 21 May 1801): daughters Judith Barrow, Rebecca Barrow and Sarah Barrow; son Joseph; grandson Simon Barrow, son of late son Jacob.
- Joseph Barrow of St Michael (undated): wife Sarah. "After Sarah's death the Barbados house to go to Moses Eliezer Montefiore, son of my niece Judith Montefiore." (Niece Judith Montefiore is wife of Eliezer.)
- Sarah Barrow of St Michael (31 March 1814): "Relic of Joseph Barrow Esqr deceased."
