Friday, 8 August 2025

Harris Endbinder (1886 - 1975)

Harris Endbinder is the husband of Rachel Levinson, the sister-in-law of Minnie Glynn, my 1st cousin 2x removed. Endbinder family HERE. Levinson family HERE. Glynn family HERE

Parents: Lewis Endbinder (1859 - 1943) and Bluma Jackson (1858 - 1943)

Tombstones for Lewis and Bluma Endbinder. They are both buried in the Rice Lane Jewish Cemetery in Liverpool, England

Born: 1 June 1886 in Skud, Kovno, Russian Empire, nowadays Skuodas, Klaipedos, Lithuania

Hebrew name: Yehoshua Heshil, son of Mordechai Yehudah

Siblings
  • Sarah Endbinder (1888 -1954) married Solomon Levitt (1876 - 1963) in Liverpool, England in (July - September) 1909
  • Sophia Endbinder (1890 - 1968) married Louis Brizman (1883 - 1955) in Liverpool, England in (January - March) 1916
  • Annie Endbinder (1895 - 1967)
  • Benjamin (Bertie) Endbinder (1897 - 1955) married Isabel Shapiro (1899 - 1982) in Liverpool, England in (July - September) 1923
  • Samuel Endbinder (1893 - 1961) married Fanny Zassman (1898 - 1978) in Liverpool, England in (October to December) 1923 
  • Philip Endbinder (1899 - 1960) married Fanny Cohen (1902 - 1997) in Liverpool, England in (January - July) 1923
  • Florence Endbinder (1901 - 1974)
  • Maurice Endbinder (1905 - 1976) married 1) Annie Moore (1908 - 1987) in Liverpool, England in (January to March 1931), 2) Eunice Ruck (1909 - 1984) in Bournemouth, England on 2 December 1973

Naturalization
The family were naturalised in May 1907 when Harris was 20 years old. The came to Liverpool in the early 1890s


Lewis Endbinder an Alien, now residing at 41, Bengal Street, Liverpool has presented to me, the Right Honourable Herbert John Gladstone one of His Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, a Memorial, praying for a Certificate of Naturalization, and alleging that he is a Subject of Russia having been born at Skud, Kowno and is the son of Joseph and Esther both Subjects of Russia - of the age of forty-five years- a cabinet maker - is married and has nine children under age residing with him viz. Harris Endbinder aged 20 years, Sarah Endbinder aged 18 years, Sophie Endbinder aged 16 years, Simon [Samuel] Endbinder aged 13 years, Annie Endbinder aged 11 Years, Benjamin Endbinder aged 9 years, Philip Endbinder aged 7 years, Florence Endbinder aged 5 years, Maurice Endbinder aged 1 year.

Bengal Street in Liverpool, England, no longer exists. It was located in the Edge Hill area and was compulsorily purchased and demolished around 2005 as part of area and road improvements

Occupation: Clothier store owner (draper and outfitter)

World War 1
As this table shows, Harris was a conscientious objector and appeared before a military tribunal in 1916 but I don't know what the outcome was. Two of his younger brothers served; Bertie (Benjamin) enlisted in October 1914 with the 8th Irish King’s Liverpool Regiment and Samuel in May 1916 with the Royal Garrison Artillery. The details given above are "WNI (Pelham) (Work of National Importance under the Pelham Committee) Details of Court Martial: WNI (Pelham) (Work of National Importance under the Pelham Committee) 13.6.16 to 26.7.16 Asked to be allowed to work with Polish Relief Fund, Zionist Hall, Bedford St, Liverpool. His CO was questioned."

I found a reference to the case in  Wilcock, Evelyn. The Revd John Harris: issues in Anglo-Jewish pacifism, 1914—18,
Jewish Historical Studies, Vol. 30 (1987-1988), pp. 163-177. The part concerning Harris is excerpted below


In 1916 the crux of the matter was that Friedeburg had refused a tribunal testimonial to a pacifist. The pacifist, H. Endbinder, a draper from Ellesmere Port on the other side of the Mersey, was an ex-member of his congregation, and a fellow Freemason. When taken to task for this by the Jewish Chronicle, Friedeburg justified his refusal by explaining that although he knew Endbinder, he had no knowledge at all of his pacifist views and was therefore not in a position to testify on his behalf or on behalf of any pacifist who applied to him.  Endbinder had to turn instead for a character reference to a Christian clergyman, Revd Arthur Price, and this was what offended John Harris.

'It is because respect has been denied to the Jewish Conscientious Objector,' he wrote to The Jewish World on 22 March 1916, 'that I have entered this controversy. In the opinion of the Conscientious Objector, Jewish or otherwise, and in my own opinion, all war is wrong. My reading of my religion does not prevent me from holding that view. It strengthens me therein. I would not suggest for one moment that it is the view of the majority of English Jews. None the less, as a Jewish Minister, I claim my right of perfect freedom to hold and express my conscientious convictions and to assist those who hold similar convictions.'

Married: Rachel (Ray) Levinson in (July to September) 1918 in Liverpool, England. Ray was 21 and Harris age 32

Children
Their first child was born in 1920 when Harris was 34 and Ray 23. Their last child was born in 1926 when Harris was 39 and Ray 29

Census details
1901
In 1901 the family are living at 8 Binney Street, Liverpool, England. Harris's father Lewis is age 42 and a cabinet maker and his mother Betsy is age 40. The children are Harris age 15 and already employed as a travelling draper on his own account, Sarah age 13 and already working as a tailoress, Simon age 7, Annie age 5, Benjamin age 3, Philip age 1 and Sophia age 11


1911
In 1911 the family are living at 118 St Pauls Road, Seacombe, Cheshire in a 7 room house. Harris's father Lewis is age 51 and a furniture dealer. His mother is Betsey age 50 and the children are Harris age 25 and a draper and outfitter on his own account, Sophie age 21, Simon age 18, Annie age 16, Benjamin age 14, Philip age 11, Florence age 9 and Maurice age 4



1921
Rachel and Harris are now married but I cannot find any trace of them or their infant daughter Sylvia in the 1921 census suggesting that there is a serious transcription error, they were not in the country on the night of 19 June 1921 or the record has since been mislaid or lost

1939 Register
In 1939 the family are living at 24 Caithness Drive, Wallasey, Cheshire, England. Harris is a managing director of a store, Ray is a housekeeper and Sylvia is a student. The two youngest children are redacted


Lodge membership

Harris joined the Prudence Lodge on 20 September 1909 (2nd row from the bottom)

Electoral Register
In the 1925 electoral register Harris's address is listed as at 70 Mulgrave Street, Liverpool, England. I don't know if he lived or worked there but the property no longer exists, now being the site of the Al-Rahma mosque

Directory
In a 1923 directory Harris is listed as a draper with premises at 46 - 50 Station Road, Cheshire

Death
16 October 1975 (6 Shevat 5271) in Liverpool, England at age 89. He is buried in the Rice Lane Cemetery in Liverpool, England, plot c01.15

Burial record for Harris Endbinder


Tombstone for Harris Endbinder. "In memory of Harris Endbinder died 16th October 1975 aged 89 years. Deeply mourned by his sons, daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, relatives and friends"

Hebrew translation: "Here is buried an honoured man
Mr. Yehoshua Heshil, son of Mordechai Yehudah
Passed away 11 Marcheshvan 5736.
May his soul be bound up in the bond of life"

Obituary
H. ENDBINDER

Mr Harris Endbinder, who died last week in his 90th year, was one of Liverpool's earliest Zionist pioneer workers.

In 1905, when the Tsarist Russian pogroms were at their height, Mr Endbinder, then only 19, was hon. secretary of the Liverpool Zionist Central Committee which organised a public protest meeting supported by all sections of the wider community and many city leaders. A resolution-for which Dr Chaim Weizmann and Mr W. H. Lever (later Lord Leverhulme) spoke- protested against the massacres of Jews in Russia.

Mr Endbinder became president of the Shivath Zion Young Men's Zionist Society. Educated at the Liverpool Hebrew School, Hope Place, he was an active committee member of its Old Boys' Association before the First World War. (The Jewish Chronicle - Oct 24 1975)

Probate
ENDBINDER, Harris of 41 Ballantrae Rd Liverpool died 16 October 1975 Probate Manchester 18 18 August £45,305 76210970ZU

Place of Birth
Harris Endbinder was born in Skud, Kovno, Russian Empire, nowadays Skuodas, Klaipedos, Lithuania


Residences
In the 1901 census the family are living at 8 Binney Street, Liverpool, England. The street no longer exists


In 1911 Harris and his family were living at 118 St Pauls Road, Seacombe, Cheshire, England. The property appears to have been demolished in 2024


In the 1939 register the family are living at 24 Caithness Drive, Wallasey, Cheshire, England


In 1961 the family were living at 54 Dudlow Lane Mossley Hill Liverpool, England


At the time of his death in 1975 Harris was listed as living with his daughter Sylvia and her family at 41 Ballantrae Rd Liverpool, England
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