JEWISH
EAST END OF LONDON PHOTO GALLERY & COMMENTARY
London's East End Synagogues, cemeteries and more......
My personal journey through the Jewish East End of London
Levy Bros, Matzo
Bakers, Widegate Street, London E1 - a curious fact!
  At
the North end of Middlesex Street is a picturesque little
quarter of cobbled streets, 18th century shop fronts and narrow
alleyways with names like Sandy's Row (home to the 2nd oldest
Ashkenazi synagogue in the UK founded 1854, photo left),
Gun Street, Artillery Lane (photo right),
Brushfield Street and Widegate Street. In Widegate Street
is a curious reminder of what was once the oldest shop in
London: Levy Brothers, Matzo bakers of number 31. An
article in the Jewish Chronicle of 31st August 1928 joined a
controversy to name London's oldest shop. A shop called
Ellis the booksellers of Bond Street, established in 1728, had
laid claim to this worthy title. Not so, said the Jewish
Chronicle, because Levy Bros, Matzo bakers of 31 Widegate Street,
on the corner of White Rose Court, could beat this
by 18 years, having been established in 1710! The article
went on to say that: ...Antiquarians who love old pieces
of architecture will find pleasure in studying the curious old
carvings in the front of the quaint pointed roofs of the
premises of this well known matsot baker.
And what were these figures? Well, I don't
know for sure, but in 1926 on a building newly erected on the
site are relief representations of bakers making bread from the
beginning of the process to the end. Levy Bros may be long
gone, but look above the modern shop front of 12 Widegate Street
(formerly 31 Widegate Street) and, metaphorically speaking, you will see that these sturdy fellows
have been toiling away for nearly 300 years!
....and now for some
photos.....double click to enlarge
|
|
|
|
White Rose Court, on the corner of 12 Widegate Street - now La Forchetta sandwich bar, formerly 31 Widegate Street and site of Levy Bros
|
|
|
|
12 (formerly 31) Widegate Street - look at the bakers toiling away over the shop
|
|
|
|
12 (formerly 31) Widegate Street, a better view the bakers, photographed in daylight in 1994
|
|
|
|
Modern times: The King's Stores pub, White Rose Court, and 12 Widegate Street - site of Levy Bros Matz bakers, once the oldest shop in London
|
|
|
post script:
At one time the state of health of the matzo
baking trade was considered of such importance that it was
subject to announcement in the Jewish Chronicle. In the
edition of 25th January 1901 the following was solemnly
reported:
Matzos for the
Cape – Although we are still separated from Passover by an
interval of ten weeks, its approach is being heralded by great
activity in the Matzo baking trade, especially in respect to the
execution of orders for the colonies. This week Messrs Levy
Brothers, Widegate Street, Bishopsgate, consigned twelve large
cases, containing in aggregate 5,500lbs of matzos and 600lbs of
meal to the Reverend A P Bender in Cape Town. It is understood
that the whole consignment will not be required there but that a
portion will be sent to other parts of Cape Colony.
website copyright of Philip
Walker
|
