Family Card - Person Sheet
Family Card - Person Sheet
NameSir Samuel Sydney COHEN 53,6
Birth1869
Death1948173
Burial1948, Jewish Section, Rookwood, NSW, Australia
Birth11 Mar 1869, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Death27 Aug 1948, St Luke's Hosp, Darlinghurst, Australia356
*New [RELI]Jewish
*New [EDUC]Royston College, Darlinghurst
Birth11 Mar 1869, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia838
Burial30 Aug 1948, Rookwood Jewish Cemetery - Sect. 5 Plot 1A
Death27 Aug 1948, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia839
FatherGeorge Judah COHEN (1842-1937)
MotherRebecca [Re'] LEVY (1849-1933)
Spouses
Birth1882173
Death1946
BurialJewish Section, Rookwood, NSW, Australia
Birth1 Jul 1882, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Death11 Jan 1946, 89 Ocean St., Woollahra, Sydney, Australia356
*New [RELI]Jewish
Birth1 Jul 1883, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Burial13 Jan 1946, Rookwood Jewish Cemetery - Sect. 5 Plot 2
Death11 Jan 1946, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia841
FatherAlfred David HART (1850-1928)
MotherElizabeth COHEN (1852-1926)
Marriage18 Apr 1901, Melbourne VIC Australia84
ChildrenNell
 Paul Alfred (1909-2007)
 George Jocelyn (1902-1978)
Notes for Sir Samuel Sydney COHEN
Registered number for birth cert is V 1869 1555 159. which shows that the ceremony was performed by the Rev S Phillips, who either circumcised and/or named him. Cahors was the house in Macleay Street, Potts Point, was the house leased by Julia Levy for many years. There is now a block of apartments with the same name on the site.

The education of SSC has always been a bit of a mystery. Why for instance was he not sent to Sydney Grammar like several of his brothers. His entry in the 'Who's Who' lists Royston College as his school. This college no longer exists and is not well known. However I have now found an advertisement for it in the Town and Country Journal of 31 January 1885 (page 216), which reads as follows:

Royston College, Craig End, Darlinghurst. F Bevill, MA Head Master assisted by three resident masters. This college, the largest private school in the colony is situated on the highest part of Sydney, stands in its own grounds of over two acres and overlooks the harbour......

The house Craig End is no more, but there is a street of that name and nearby is Royston Street or avenue - check.

By the time of this advertisement Grandad would have been 16 years old, so possibly he did not attend it for long.

The entry in Who's Who in Australia of 1944 lists the following for SSC:

Kt. cr 1937, Company Dir: son of George Judah Cohen, Syd: b Mar 11 1869, Syd: ed Royston Coll,: Chrmn, Dir, David Cohen & Coy Pty Ltd., Aust Gas Light Coy Ltd, Paul & Gray Ltd. JA Bull & Coy, Ltd, Bennie S Cohen & Son (NSW) Pty Ltd., Dir Tooth & Coy ltd., Newcastle & Hunter River SS Coy. Ltd., Paget Mfg Coy. Ltd., Central Trading Coy Ltd., Sydney Exchange Coy; pres NSW Kindergarten Union: trustee Queen's Jubilee Fund, Syd: m Apr 18 1901 Elma, d late Alfred D Hart, Melb. 2 s, 1 d; recreations reading theatres; clubs, NSW Syd, Royal Syd Yacht Squadron Newcastle, Devonshire (Lond) address 89 Ocena Street, Woollahra.

Australian Jewish Historical Society Journal Vol XIV Part 4, page 701 - see an article regarding the establishment of the Newcastle hebrew congregation (1905-1910) by Glenn Gordon. This article also mentions Septimus Levy. Noted too was that on 25 November 1906, at the first Annual General Meeting of the Congregation, SR Levy was elected President 'because S S Cohen and family were undertaking an extended trip back to England ....'

I now have his certificate of death and it seems that he died in St Luke's Hospital. The cause was Cerebral Thrombosis (6 days) and Fracture of femur (21 days).
His occupation was described as Merchant. His usual address of 89 Ocean Street, Woollahra was also shown.

He and Elma are buried in Rookwood Cemetery, Section 5, Row 1.

His son, Paul,was the informant and his address was Wyuna Court, Wyuna Road, Point Piper.
Notes for Sir Samuel Sydney COHEN
Born at Darlinghurst Sydney on the 11th March 1869, Samuel was theoldest of nine children to native born George Judah Cohen and RebeccaLevy, daughter of Lewis Woolfe Levy of Maitland and Newcastle.Educated at Maitland and Royston College Sydney. At 16 joined thefamily Company. His father had opened a store selling a variety ofgoods, trading under the name of Samuel's younger brother David. DavidCohen & Co started in Maitland in 1836 and soon became one of the mostimportant and influential commercial trading companies in New SouthWales. In 1861, after the death of his father Samuel, George took overthe control of the company at the age of 19 years.

In 1879 along with his family he moved to Sydney, where he became aleading commercial figure. In 1885 he became a director of the UnitedInsurance Co, The Commercial Banking Co, and the Australian GaslightCo. In 1888 he joined Tooth & Co as Chairman and served on the Boardof the Royal Exchange, as well as serving on the boards of numerousother companies. He was known as the "Rothschild of Sydney", his namehad never been associated with failure.

Knighted for his services to industry and th community especially theJewish community, he was a leader in fund raising for various welfaregroups, spare time he spent reading and following his passion forhorse racing and owning, being a member of the AJC for a number ofyears.
Last Modified 13 Jan 2013Created 21 Mar 2024 by Jim Falk