Charles Joseph Semon (1812–1877) was born in Danzig in 1812 of

German Jewish The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321 CE, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (c. 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish commu ...

descent. He came to

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

, England, in the middle of the 19th century and soon built up one of the most important textile export houses in the town. His expertise was not only running a successful textile export business but also as a leading light in Bradford's municipal affairs, charities and education.

Chamber of Commerce

Semon was an active member of the

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to a ...

from its foundation and was Vice President in 1871. It was on his initiative that the Chamber of Commerce made representations to the Government of the day for the conclusion of a commercial treaty with

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

which brought great benefit to the textile industry of the town and to Romania.

Mayor

Semon was the first foreign as well as the first

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

Mayor of

, elected in 1864, he served until

John Venimore Godwin John Venimore Godwin was an early photographer and Mayor of Bradford in 1865-1866. Life Godwin was born on 23 December 1814 in Dartmouth. He was the son of the Reverend Benjamin Godwin and his wife, Elizabeth. His father was the Baptist minist ...

took over the following year. Semon also served with distinction on the municipal council for a number of years. He was made Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant of the

West Riding of Yorkshire The West Riding of Yorkshire was one of three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the riding was an administrative county named County of York, West Riding. The Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire, lieu ...

Philanthropy

Charles Semon, a major philanthropist, paid for and built a convalescent home in

Ilkley Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, in Northern England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is a ward within ...

on the

Yorkshire Moors The North York Moors is an upland area in north-eastern Yorkshire, England. It contains one of the largest expanses of heather moorland in the United Kingdom. The area was designated as a National Park in 1952, through the National Parks and A ...

in 1874. He handed it over to

Corporation in 1876 with an endowment for its upkeep. Charles Joseph Semon died in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

in 1877. He was buried in Bradford. In his will he bequeathed £35,000 for the benefit of educational institutions in

References

External links

* Bradford's Anglo Jewish Histor

{{DEFAULTSORT:Semon, Charles 1812 births 1877 deaths Emigrants from the Kingdom of Prussia to the United Kingdom Businesspeople from the Kingdom of Prussia Textile arts of England Mayors of Bradford Businesspeople from Bradford 19th-century English businesspeople 19th-century English politicians