Meyer Loew Schomberg

Meyer Löw Schomberg , more rarely Schamberg or Chambers (* 1690 in Vetzberg , Hessen , † March 4, 1761 in Hoxton , London ), was a German-Jewish doctor.

Life

Meyer Löw was born in Vetzberg (today a district of Biebertal in the district of Gießen) in 1690 , where his father practiced as a doctor. He enrolled at the University of Giessen on December 13, 1706 and first studied classical philology with Professor Eberwein (1668–1734) and later medicine. After receiving his ad practicandum permission , he practiced first in Schweinsberg , then in Blankenstein . 1710 he asked the university to give him a mandate to the practices of a break to check -Behandlers who had come to him in his district in the way. The university agreed to support it, but suggested that Schomberg obtain a degree, which he obtained on December 21st. J. did too. His brothers Salomon, Hertz and Gerson Löw also received their doctorates from the medical faculty in Giessen.

After practicing in Metz for some time , Schomberg went to England with his family around 1720 and was entered in the list of members of the Royal College of Physicians in London as "a Jew from Fetzburg, a German" on March 19, 1722 . His financial situation was so bad that he couldn't even pay the £ 20 enrollment fee; instead a promissory note was accepted, which still exists today. On January 12, 1726, Schomberg was accepted as a member of the Royal Society and in 1730 joined a Masonic Lodge.

Schomberg practiced for 30 pounds a year as a doctor for the poor at the Great Synagogue in London and thus came into contact with the Jewish upper class of London. He also took young surgeons out to dinner at his home on Fenchurch Street once a week . In this way he could work his way up to one of the leading doctors in London. According to Sir William Browne, his income in 1740 is said to have been 4,000 guineas .

Meyer Schomberg died on March 4, 1761 at his home on Fenchurch Street and was buried in Hackney Cemetery. He left his fortune in equal parts to his two sons Isaac and Alexander; Ralph, Solomon, and Henry each received a shilling .

A portrait of Schomberg by T. Hudson is privately owned.

progeny

Meyer Schomberg had at least seven, e.g. Sons, some of whom were born in Germany, whom he suggested converting to Christianity around 1742 in order to improve their career prospects. The twins Isaac (1714–1780) and Raphael (later Ralph , 1714–1792) and Joel also became doctors. Moses (1720–1779), Salomon (1724–1774) and Ralph became notaries. Henry became the first Jewish officer in the army in 1755 and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Alexander (1720–1804) entered the Navy , became captain and later knighted. One daughter, Rebecca (1719–1742), died young.

Fonts

• Emunat omen . In: Transactions of the Jewish Historical Society of England, 20 (1959–61), 101–11, Hebrew text with English translation by H. Levy (written by Schomberg but not published)

literature

• Munk, William: The Roll of the Royal College of Physicians of London: Compiled from the Annals of the College and from other Authentic Sources - London: Longman, Green, Longman & Roberts, 1861 (2 volumes)
• Singer, Isidore (Ed.): The Jewish Encyclopedia : a Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Costums of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day - New York [et al.]: Funk & Wagnalls, 1901–1905 (12 volumes)
• Wininger, S [alomon] (Ed.): Great Jewish National Biography: with more than 8000 (from vol. 4: 10,000, vol. 6: 11,000, vol. 7: 13,000) biographies of well-known Jewish men and women of all times and Countries. A reference work for the Jewish people and their friends - Czernowitz: "Orient" [et al.], [1925] –1936
• Emden, Paul H [ermann]: Jews of Britain: a Series of Biographies - London: Sampson, Low, Marston & Co, [1944]
• Landman, Isaac (Ed.): The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia in Ten Volumes: an Authoritative and Popular Presentation of Jews and Judaism since the Earliest Times - New York: Univ. Jew. Encycl. Co, [1948]
• Samuel, Edgar: Schomberg, Meyer Löw (1690–1761) , Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004