Latest Name:

Prescot Street Synagogue (from 1870's)

Alternative Name:

Love & Kindness Chevra (Chevra Ahavat v'Chesed)

Former Names:

Rosemary Lane Congregation - Mahazike Torah

Address:

Prescot Street (formerly Great Prescott Street), Goodman's Fields, London E1

from at least 1845, based upon certificate of marriage dated 10 December 1845 (view pdf copy), kindly provided by Simon Cox.

Previously the congregation was Rosemary Lane (renamed Royal Mint Street in 1850), London E.1, close to the Royal Mint and the Tower of London.

(Location: Prescot Street, in London's East End, runs east-west about 800 feet, from Mansell Street to Leman Street, joining both streets just north of there southern ends. It runs parallel with Chamber Street (to the south) and Tenter Street (to the north).

Royal Mint Street (formerly Rosemary Lane) is the western continuation of Cable Street, running for about one quarter of a mile from the junction with Dock Street and Leman Street towards the Tower of London. It is parallel with, and 400 feet to the south of Prescot Street.

Rosemary Lane was a market street, known primarily for the second-hand clothes trade, although the market is now long-gone.)

Date Formed:

1747/8 - one of the three minor congregations established in London in the eighteenth century. The others were the Gun Yard "Polish" Synagogue and the Cutler Street "Polish" Synagogue.

Status:

Closed, presumably between 1887 and 1896, as the congregation is not listed in the first Jewish Year Book 1896-1897.

Ritual:

Ashkenazi Orthodox

Affiliation:

One of the congregations that attended the meeting of 16 October 1887 to form the Federation of Synagogues, and became one of the original federated synagogues on 6 November 1887. 

Press Report:

The following report appeared in the Jewish Chronicle on 4 August 1871:

"Prescott Street Synagogue - This little synagogue, whose history dates back some 120 years, has recently undergone extensive repairs. It was re-opened for worship on Friday evening last. There was no special dedicatory service. The synagogue is small; but owing to liberal donations received, it presents a very pleasing appearance. Although styled a Synagogue it is not so in the general acceptance of the term, strictly speaking it is a meeting house for worship. There are three services daily."

Membership Data:

1870 - 100 members (source)

Source: "Social History of Jews in England" by V.D. Lipman, page 74

Local Government Districts:

Prescott Street and most of Royal Mint Street are in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, created on 1 April 1965, within the administrative area of Greater London. Part of the extreme western end of Royal Mint Street straddles the boundary with the City of London.

Previously, Prescott Street and (the non-City part of) Royal Mint Street were in the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney (established 1900) in the County of London (established 1889), both of which entities were abolished in 1965.

Prescott Street (formerly Great Prescott Street) and most of the northern side and the eastern end of Royal Mint Street (formerly Rosemary Lane)were also within the civil parish of Whitechapel and most of the the southern side of Royal Mint Street (apart from the eastern end and the western extreme) was in the civil parish of St Botoph Without Aldgate (also known as East Smithfields). Until 1889, both civil parishes were in the former County of Middlesex (although there was a non-contiguous section of the civil parish of St Botoph Without Aldgate until 1908 that was within the City) and, from 1856 to 1900, each were constituents of the Whitechapel District.

In 1921, the former Middlesex section of the civil parish of St Botoph Without Aldgate was merged into the civil parish of Whitechapel, which in 1927 was absorbed into Stepney Borough parish, which itself was abolished in 1965.

Registration Districts:

Area with City of London:

Since 1 July 1837 - City of London (which might now hold certain registers, if any)

Other areas:

From 1 July 1837 - Whitechapel
From 1 January 1926 - Stepney
Since 1 January 1983 - Tower Hamlets (which would now hold the registers, if any)