the former

Minehead Jewish Community

Minehead, Somerset

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Town of Minehead

Minehead is a town on the southern coast of the Bristol Channel in South East England, with a population of about 10,000. It was an urban district until 1974, when it merged with neighbouring districts to form the local government district of West Somerset, remaining within the county of Somerset. In 2019, West Somerset merged with the adjoining borough of Taunton Deane to form the local government district of Somerset West and Taunton, within the county of Somerset. In 2023, there was yet another merger, when Somerset West and Taunton merged with the three other local government districts in central and southern Somerset to form the unitary authority of the Somerset Council (only the two northern distrcts of Somerset remaining outside the new authority).

A small Jewish community, composed mainly of evacuees, existed in Minehead during World War II.

Congregation Data
Name:	Minehead Jewish Community
Address and Formation:	Founded in 1939. The Jewish Chronicle of 13 October 1939 reported "Minehead - For the first time in the history of this Somerset seaside resort, services were held during the Holy-days at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Lincoln, Southcourt, Warden Road. It is proposed to continue services at 10 o'clock every Saturday morning and visitors to Minehead will be welcome."⁽ⁱⁱⁱ⁾
Closure:	The community ceased activities, probably shortly after 1940, but certainly by 1945.^(iv)
Affiliation:	The congregation was not known to be affiliated to any synagogue organisation.
Ritual:	Ashkenazi - Orthodox
Hon. Minister:	Reuben Lincoln (previous known as Rev. Reuben A. Tribich) - at least in 1939.^(v)
Registration District (BMDs):	Somerset (since 1 January 2008)^(vi) - Link to Register Office Website.
Cemetery Details	There is no known Jewish cemetery in Minehead.

Press Reports relating to
Jewish Activity in Minehead

The Jewish Chronicle of 13 October 1939
MINEHEAD - For the first time in the history of this Somerset seaside resort, services were held during the Holy-days at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Lincoln, Southcourt, Warden Road. It is proposed to continue services at 10 o'clock every Saturday morning and visitors to Minehead will be welcome.
The Jewish Chronicle of 3 November 1939
MINEHEAD - The first Barmitzvah in this Somersetshire town was celebrated on Sabbath last, when Norman Newman attained his religious majority. Mr. Reuben Lincoln conducted the service and addressed the Barmitzvah. Services are held on Friday evenings at 6.30 and Saturday mornings at 10.30 at South Court, Warden Road.
The Jewish Chronicle of 3 May 1940
VINE, - Herbert Basil, only son of Mr. and Mrs. S. M. Vine, of 222, Harrow-road, W2 will read a portion of the Law at Minehead Synagogue on May 4, 1940. No festivities.

Notable Jewish Connections with Minehead

Naomi Bentwich Bimberg (1891-1989), daughter of Zionist leader Herbert Bentwich, moved her Carmelcourt School from Birchington-on-sea, Kent, to Exford, near Minehead, during World War II. The school was advertised on a weekly basis in The Jewish Chronicle.
Harvey Miller (1925-2008), art and scholarly publisher, who developed Phaidon Press, was evacuated to Minehead during the war with fellow pupils of the Regent Street Polytechnic in London.
Sir Robert Waley Cohen KBE (1877-1952), director of the company Shell and President of the United Synagogue, had his country residence at Honeymead, in the village of Simonsbath, on Exmoor, near Minehead. He leased the house from 1924 and in 1927 he purchased a 1,745 acre estate there.
Sir Bernard Waley Cohen, 1st Baronet (1914-1991), son of Sir Robert, retained the country residence at Honeymead. Sir Bernard was elected Lord Mayor of London in 1961 and that year was made a Baronet of Honeymead in the County of Somerset. His wife Joyce Constance Ina Waley-Cohen, educationalist and public servant, who became Lady Waley-Cohen JP, died at Honeymead in 2013.
In the mid 1930s a Miss C. Goldstein maintained Marston Lodge at Minehead, a guest house under Kedassia supervision.

Notes & Sources
(↵ returns to text above)

(i) and (ii) Reserved.
(iii) The congregation was listed solely in the Jewish Year Book 1940, which stated that services were held at South Court, Warden Road. ↵
(iv) The latest press report of activities was in May 1940 (see section on press reports) and Minehead was not listed in the Jewish Year Book 1945/6, the first to be published following the cessation of publication in 1940. ↵
(v) Referred to in press reports of 13 October 1939 and 3 November 1939 and listed as hon. minister in Jewish Year Book 1940. ↵
(vi) Previous Registration Districts: Williton (from 1 July 1837 to 1 April 1936); Exmoor (from 1 April 1936 to 1 April 1974); and West Somerset (from 1 April 1974 to 1 January 2008). Any registers would be held by the current register office ↵

World War II Evacuee Communities

Jewish Congregations in Somerset

Jewish Communities of England homepage

Page created: 7 May 2006
Page materially enhanced: 2 April 2023
Page most recently amended: 18 April 2024

Research by David Shulman and Steven Jaffe
Formatting by David Shulman

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