Yorkshire Almanac 2026

Unedited excerpt

If an excerpt is used in the book, it will be shorter, edited and, where applicable, translated.

Mr. Gabriel Davis, optician, Mount Preston. This was a case which stood over from Saturday, when he was excused for not appearing upon the peremptory call for the Lower North Division, on the ground that it was his Sabbath, Mr. Davis being of the Jewish religion.

The REVISING BARRISTER said he did not require his personal attendance, and his case might be proved in the same manner as any other case.

Mr. Davis said, he wished to be examined himself. Being of the Jewish religion, a messenger was sent to fetch an old testament, who shortly returned with a copy of the new testament, bearing some marks of antiquity, a mistake which excited some degree of merriment. Mr. Davis said, he thought it a serious matter to take an oath, and he requested to know the grounds on which an oath was required from him: he said he would speak the truth, but he had rather not be sworn.

Mr. Dibb said, if the Court had no objection, he was willing to receive his evidence without an oath.

Mr. Davis said, he supposed that he should be objected to as an alien, but he thought that having resided 25 years in England, he ought to be considered as a citizen, and he stated that Mr. Canning’s Act put him in the situation of a natural born subject. Mr. Davis stated that he was born in Germany; he could not say whether his parents, who died when he was very young, were English subjects or not; but he understood that his father was frequently in England, where he had some connexions; he had brothers who had resided 50 years in England.

Mr. WAILES spoke to a conversation with Mr. Davis, in which he stated that he was a German Jew.

Mr. RICHARDSON said that term by no means implied that he was of German parentage, but had reference solely to a sect among the Jews as German Lutherans among Christians: he understood that German Jews differed much in their religious faith from the Portuguese faith.

The REVISING BARRISTER said he would look into the Act referred to, and take into consideration the facts which had been proved, and give his judgment at a future period.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

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What was “Mr. Canning’s Act”?

Here’s the 1837 poll book entry for him (Perring 1837).

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Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• Affirmation (law) (1) W/G ·
• Ashkenazi Jews (1) W/G ·
• Bible (15) W/G ·
• Canning, George (1770-1827) (1), Tory statesman, held various senior cabinet positions under numerous prime ministers, including two important terms as Foreign Secretary, finally Prime Minister for the last four months of his life W/G ·
• Germany (25) W/G ·
• Hebrew Bible (1) W/G ·
• History of the Jews in England (2) W/G ·
• History of the Jews in Leeds (3) W/G ·
• Humour (29) W/G ·
• Immigration (3) W/G ·
• Jewish emancipation in the United Kingdom (1) W/G ·
• Jewish emancipation (1) W/G ·
• Jews (12) W/G ·
• Leeds City Council (34) W/G ·
• 📌Leeds (249) W/G ·
• Municipal Corporations Act 1835 (6) W/G ·
• New Testament (3) W/G ·
• Oath (1) W/G ·
• Old Testament (8) W/G ·
• Reform Act 1832 (11) W/G ·
• Sephardic Jews (1) W/G ·
• Woodhouse, Leeds (5) W/G ·

All tags.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

Comment

Comment

What was “Mr. Canning’s Act”?

Here’s the 1837 poll book entry for him (Perring 1837).

Something to say? Get in touch

Similar

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.

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Via Remember LOP, a feed by Tony Harcup which pays tribute to some splendid local journalism, unimaginable today.

Council sources claim the scheme was a victim of the first wave of cuts imposed by Margaret Thatcher following her General Election victory a month later.

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