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The curious story of Bancroft Rd
cemetery in Mile End, & Maiden Lane Synagogue, Maiden
Lane, Covent Garden.
(rest
your mouse on the photos to read the captions & double
click to enlarge)
  Explorers
of the Jewish East End may have come across a desolate Jewish cemetery at the side of the Mile End
hospital in Bancroft Road, Mile End. This ragged
patch of black railing fenced land is the abandoned cemetery of long closed Maiden Lane synagogue
of Covent Garden.
  This
is the story: In the early 1800's a dispute
between members of the Westminster Synagogue - located
in Denmark Court, the Strand - led to the foundation
in 1810 of a break away congregation in Brewer Street.
They established themselves
under the title of 'Amude Yesharim' (The Pillars of
the upright).
By 1819 the community had moved to Queen Street,
Golden Square.
Numerous attempts at
reconciliation between the Westminster (later
known as the Western Synagogue, and today known
as the Western Marble Arch Synagogue) and the
break away congregation
failed. By 1826 the
situation between the Westminster and
 Queen street
synagogues was temporarily resolved when Queen
Street's insolvency forced their closure and the
auctioning of their assets. Three years later the
break away congregation reappeared under the name of
'Maiden Lane Synagogue' at a new site at 21 Maiden
Lane, Covent Garden - the property where in 1775 the
artist J.W.Turner was born - see photos left and
view of Maiden Lane right. The synagogue was
consecrated in April 1829. Maiden Lane is recorded
as being a small place with seating for no more than
150 men plus 100 women in the ladies' gallery.
 Though
never rivalling the Westminster in size, the break
away congregation was able to purchase its own
cemetery at Globe Fields, Bancroft Road, Mile End.
Their new cemetery - just 1600 sq yards in size - had
its first burial in 1811. The Jewish Chronicle
reported that by 1884 it had fallen into a state of
disrepair and by 1895 it was practically filled up.
A contemporary London County Council report in a
'Return of Burial Grounds' describes the ground as:
'Crowded with upright stones, the grass neglected and
having no paths between the graves'. Meanwhile,
the distinguished city solicitor and President of Maiden Lane
synagogue, Mr Henry Harris,
purchased land from the financier Samuel Montagu for a new cemetery
in Edmonton and donated this to community. Bancroft
Rd closed except for reserved burials. Maiden Lane's
declining membership, combined with the responsibility
of maintaining their cemeteries, brought on a
financial crisis, and by 1907 they were bankrupt.
Terms were agreed with the Westminster Synagogue (by
then known as the Western Synagogue) for a take over,
and 100 years of separation were at an end. The
little synagogue at 21 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden
closed forever. One of the conditions of the take
over was that the Western Synagogue would not be
responsible for Bancroft Rd cemetery. Notes in Arthur
Barnett's book 'The Western Synagogue through two
centuries' suggest responsibility for Bancroft Rd
cemetery was transferred to the Board of Deputies of
British Jews.
 Bancroft
road cemetery was bombed during World War Two and
little now remains accept for two or three intact
headstones, broken masonry, broken bottles and other
refuse that has been lobbed over the cemetery fence.
One headstone I was able to read was that of Maiden
Lane member Ernest M Lazerick who died in 1890 at the age of 27 - see
photo on the left. Ernest M Lazerick is mentioned
in the March 15th 1889 edition of the Jewish Chronicle
as having played the viola in an orchestra playing
sacred music at a concert at Jews' College. One year
later at the age of 27 he was gone. The Jewish
Chronicle of 3rd October 1890 records his death as
follows: "On 22nd September at 175 Westminster
Bridge Road. Ernest M, the beloved son of Moritz and
Pauline Lazereck aged 27 years...Mr & Mrs Moritz
Lazereck and daughter return thanks for kind visits,
letters and cards of condolence received during the
week's mourning for their beloved son and brother"
An
interesting footnote to the story of Maiden Lane and
their Bancroft rd cemetery is the co-operation between
them and the early Reform movement. In the Jewish
Chronicle of 27th December 1907, under a paragraph
entitled 'The Western and Maiden Lane Synagogues' ,
it says:
 In
1842 the Maiden Lane Synagogue was enabled to render
an important service to the Reform Synagogue in Burton
Street. This newly established synagogue had no
burial ground of its own. When Mrs Horatio Montefiore,
sister in law of Sir Moses Montefiore and wife of one
of the founders died, application to bury her was made
to Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue and refused.
Thereupon the West London Synagogue entered into an
arrangement with the Maiden Lane Congregation, and
agreed to pay £50 per year for the right of interring
its members at Globe Fields (Bancroft Rd cemetery).
Mrs Horatio Montefiore was, however, the only
Succeeder buried there, as in 1843 the West London
Synagogue acquired a burial ground of its own at
KIngsbury Road off Ballspond Road, Islington.
 If you visit London's
West End, don't miss the opportunity to take a stroll
through the quaint alleyways of Covent Garden and
Maiden Lane; and If you visit Bancroft Rd in London's
East End, pay your respects to those still resting
there.
 Postscript:
in 1815 The Western Synagogue - from
whom Maiden Lane broke away - opened their own cemetery
in Queen's Elm, Brompton Rd, Chelsea. At that
time they were located in Denmark Court and had been
since 1797. With the expiry of the lease
on these premises a new synagogue was built in St
 Alban's
Place, Haymarket. It was consecrated in 1826.
The St Alban's address is recorded on the inscription
on the monument to the right - recently photographed
in Queen's Elm Cemetery, Brompton Rd. Rest your
mouse on the photo to read the inscription.
Another view of the Queen's Elm
cemetery is on the left. This cemetery closed in 1884
to be replaced by a new one in
Edmonton, North London. In 1991 the Western
Synagogue merged with the Marble Arch Synagogue to
form the Western Marble Arch Synagogue. Their
address is 332 Great Cumberland Place, London W1.
A notable feature of the location is the statue of
Raoul Wallenberg in the street outside their building.
(rest
your mouse on the photos to read the captions & double
click to enlarge) |
