Sassoon David Sassoon

Origins and early life

Sassoon David Sassoon (1832-1867), a son of David Sassoon, was born in Bombay and educated in Baghdad in biblical and Talmudic learning; he spoke several Eastern languages fluently and was in poor health from infancy.

Work and career

He ran the Chinese branch of David Sassoon, Sons & Co. at Shanghai, then in 1858 went to London and opened a bank in Leadenhall Street - the first of the family to carry the business to England, where his brother Reuben later joined him. The house grew enormously during the American Civil War, when it became a principal supplier of cotton to the British spinning mills. He gave much of his time to Jewish institutions in London: warden of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, member of the council of Jews' College and of the committee of the Jews' Free School, both of which he endowed generously, and Hebrew examiner to the Free School.

He also presided over a committee formed to send help to the Jews of China, Abyssinia and the East. He married his cousin Farha Reuben, who in England took the name Flora; he died at thirty-four.