Emanuel Emanuel
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Emanuel Emanuel
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Emanuel was the first Jewish mayor of Portsmouth, holding office from 1866-1867.
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Emanuel was born in London in 1808, and his family later moved to Portsmouth, where they were registered as silversmiths, watchmakers, and merchants.
Prior to 1845, Jews were excluded from many political posts in Britain as all those who accepted the positions were to be sworn in under an oath 'on the true faith of a Christian'. Emanuel was a vocal campaigner against this restriction, and petitioned multiple times for changes to be made to the process. Some town councils, such as in Portsmouth, were sympathetic to his campaign, and he was permitted to stand as Alderman without having sworn the oath. Traditionally, this would have incited high costing penalties to Emanuel, but these were never enforced by his peers.
According to the Portsmouth Evening News, ‘Portsmouth was always tolerant to the Jews, and they have responded most notably thereto. Mr. Emanuel Emanuel, the first Jew to enter the Town Council, which he did in 1844, rendered himself liable to a fine of £500 every time he voted, but no one took action against him’.
As Alderman, Emanuel set about a number of projects to improve the quality of life in Portsmouth, including improvements to sanitation, and the construction of the Clarence Esplanade. Portsmouth Evening News reported that Emanuel was ‘one of the first’ to seek Southsea’s development, having ‘realised the great possibilities’.
He also fought against the continuance of the Free Market Fair, which, by some accounts, had become unruly with the overconsumption of alcohol.
Emanuel married Julia Moss, with whom he had four sons and two daughters.
In 1930, Portsmouth Evening News remembered him as being ‘as genial as he was generous, and Portsmouth will ever be indebted to him for the great developments he initiated’.
Emanuel Emanuel Memorial Drinking Fountain
The Esplanade, Clarence Pier