Levy Barent Cohen

Wealthy merchant and diamond trader of Dutch origin, Levy had come to England in the 1770s and established a large business in London. His family had a prosperous cloth business in Netherland and held a prominent place in the country. Between 1781 and 1794 Cohen successfully emerged as a leading international diamond trader in England and had business interests in cloth trade as well. He was naturalized in 1798 and in years that followed he became known as one of the leading merchants of the city.

Cohen was actively engaged in the life of Jewish community, and was among the founders and the first president of the Jewish Bread Meat and Coal Society, the oldest charity in England to be founded by the Ashkenazi Jews in 1779. Cohen also participated in the foundation of the Jew’s Hospital.

Cohen was married twice. Through the marriage alliances of his children, he was connected with almost all of the leading Jewish families ─ the Rothschilds, Montefiores, Goldsmids, and Salomons.