Chapter 2

THE VAN PRAAGH STORY 1700 to 1815

IN MORAVIA, PRAGUE AND HOLLAND

Thus it was that the children and grandchildren of Lammert Joseph took the name Van Praagh, since Lammert Joseph's father, Joseph Moses, had come from Prague. - (The spelling of the name varies between Van Praag and Van Praagh until 1812 when it was legally determined as Van Praagh.)

Joseph Moses was born in Mikulov, Moravia, probably about the year 1680. Mikulov had the largest and most important Jewish community in Moravia and was the centre of a rich agricultural area with important vine cultivation and wine production, and was on the main road between Vienna and Brno. In 1719, almost the entire Jewish quarter of Mikulov, including the old synagogue and all records, was destroyed in a fire, and plundered. An imperial commission then fixed the boundaries of the Jewish quarter.

It is reasonable to speculate that Joseph Moses then moved to Prague and eventually made his way to Amsterdam via the Habsburg Netherlands (which later became the Kingdom of Belgium). At that time, Bohemia, Moravia and the southern Netherlands were all part of the Habsburg empire, so that movement from one to another was not to difficult.

In the 18^th century, Amsterdam and London were the major centres of the fast growing capitalist system and of world trade. Jews from eastern Europe were drawn there as traders and bankers. Prague was a centre of the flourishing trade from Russia and eastern Europe to the west.

The Dutch archives show that Joseph Moses had at least three sons, two of whom were married in Holland. Zadok Joseph was born in 1703 and married twice, in 1732 and 1739 and he witnessed Lammert Joseph's betrothal. Lammert Joseph was born in 1711 and was married in 1734 to Abigail Isaacs, aged 21 (She was know as Vogelina, as favourite daughters often were). Moses Joseph was in business partnership with his brother Lammert Joseph, but there is no record of his marriage. It is possible that he married before that family arrived in Holland in about 1730, after spending some years in Prague. Lammert Joseph signed his betrothal form in Hebrew, so may not have know the Dutch language well enough to sign in Dutch: Abigail Isaacs put a cross, so probably could not write here name.

Lammert Joseph and Abigail Isaacs spent the first 10 years of their marriage in Amsterdam and five of their children were born there. They seem to have had nine children, though the records for the last three are somewhat uncertain. In 1744 they moved to Groningen and then to the nearby town of Wildervank, where the remaining children were born. Both died in Groningen: Lammert Joseph in 1788, Abigail Isaacs in 1800.

The two eldest sons of Lammert Joseph, Joseph and Isaac, did not enter the family business. They were closely associated with the religious life of the Jewish community and both became Parnassim: They are listed amongst the leaders of the Jewish community of Veendam - Wildervank, which developed from about 1630 onwards. Veendam and Wildervank were small towns which grew up about 30 km south-east of the port of Groningen on the peat moors to meet a growing demand for peat during the 17^th century. Groningen itself flourished on the growing ocean shipping when Holland become the most powerful naval force in Europe.

Lammert Joseph ran a merchanting business in Groningen and was joined in the business by three of his sons.

On the 15^th of June 1781, an agreement was drawn up between Lammert Joseph Van Praag and his wife Abigail Isaacs on the one part and their sons Marcus, Moses and Soloman Lammert Van Praag on the other part to split up the family business. This was agreed in harmony between the parties. Provisions were made for the sharing of the profits and of a sum of 5,000 guelder. Generous provision was made for the daughter, Correste Lammert who was betrothed to Saloman Uri Cohen, of 2500 guelder plus a dowry of other goods. The sons agreed to provide their parents with lifelong maintenance and the agreement goes into details as to how this will be ensured.

In 1796 and 1797, the three brothers reorganised their affairs. Moses and Soloman set up a finance company 'Moses and Soloman Company of Groningen'. On 29^th of February 1796 the company underwrote a loan of 12000 caroli gulden which had been made to Lt. Col. L. S. Riedel. This was to be repaid in annual instalments of 1000 gulden, commencing on the 15^th of September 1797. It was secured up to 3000 gulden by the Lt. Col's wife. This transaction was made and witnessed in Rotterdam. (To get an idea of the magnitude of the loan; the value of the house in Groningen owned by the brothers was 3000 gulden.)

On the 27^th of November 1797 an agreement was reached between Marcus Lammert Van Praagh and Soloman Lammert Van Praagh to split up the family business and the ownership of certain land. Soloman handed over his share to Marcus and received financial compensation. (Moses had presumably already withdrawn, as he is not mentioned on the agreement.)

At this time there was also and agreement between the brothers on the house in the fish market which they had occupied together since 5^th of April 1773. Soloman took sole possession and paid compensation to Marcus and Moses. (Soloman had seven children by this time and Moses had two. When the brothers first occupied the house the were all single men.)

There were also at this time agreements between Moses Lammert Van Praagh and his son Benjamin Moses and with Benjamin Wolf, the son of Soloman Lammert Van Praagh

Later, it will be described how Benjamin Wolf came to England in 1811, during the Napoleonic Wars, after spending about a year in the island of Heligoland on the way. One of his daughters was born in Heligoland and two of his sons were born in London. Selma is the great-grand daughter of the youngest of these sons, Moses, two of whose grandchildren married in 1904. Benjamin Wolf returned to Holland some time after the end of the Napoleonic Wars and settled in Rotterdam.

It will also be described how Benjamin Moses came to England in about 1816 and settled in London with his family, and so the English branch of the Van Praagh family came about. It may well be that Benjamin Wolf and Benjamin Moses lived near each other in Stepney for some time.

Benjamin Wolf's descendants multiplied and prospered in Holland until 1940 after which many died in the Nazi death camps, but some survived the war.

Benjamin Moses' descendants multiplied in England and many went to South Africa, to New Zealand, to Canada and to the USA.

CHILDREN OF LAMMERT JOSEPH AND ABIGAIL ISAACS

CHILDREN OF MOSES AND MINDELE BENJAMIN

CHILDREN OF BENJAMIN AND BARTJE JOSEPH SPEYER

CHILDREN OF SALOMON AND MIETJE WOLF HECHT

CHILDREN OF BENJAMIN WOLF AND SARA MOSES BENJAMIN REYS

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