Isaac Solomons ..... The Real Fagin ?

Isaac Solomon, nearly always referred to by the derogatory name Ikey, was one of nine children born in Gravel Lane, Houndsditch, three of his siblings died in infancy. His father, Henry, was a well known local fence, someone who buys and sells stolen property, so when he was growing up it must have seemed only natural to Isaac that he should follow in the 'family trade'. In fact it seems he joined the 'trade' at just nine years old.

In 1807 he married Hannah Julian a local girl and they went on to have six children.

It was in 1810 that Isaac came to the notice of the police, though it’s feasible they were aware of him before, but in June of that year he stood trial at the Old Bailey on the charge of being a pickpocket. He was twenty two years old at the time and not twenty one as shown in the trial transcript below.

http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?id=t18100606-89-defend734&div=t18100606-89#highlight

For his crime Isaac and his co-defendent were sentenced to be transported for life. At this time prisoners sentenced to transportation were usually transferred to be held in one of the prison hulks moored around the coast. Prison hulks were ex navy ships where as many as 600 prisoners could be held at one time. They were brought into use in 1776 as a stopgap to the rising prison population. They were originally intended to be used for two years, instead they were in use for eighty two years.

Circumstances aboard the hulks were appalling, worse even than those at Newgate prison, the men were shackled by both hands and feet, and the cramped and filthy conditions together with a merge diet meant disease was rife, should a prisoner show the slightest sign of disobedience it would mean either a severe flogging or a spell in solitary confinement in a tiny dark cell.

During their time on the hulks men were expected to work, and even though this meant dragging filthy rivers, or any of the most dirtiest jobs the officers could devise, just to have the chance to tread on firm ground and breathe relatively clean air was a welcomed change from the constant swelling waters beneath their feet. It was to one of these old navy vessels, the 'Zetland', that Isaac was sent to await for a vessel which would take them to Van Deimans Land [Tasmania] and away from everything they ever knew.

Now here is where Isaac's story takes a strange twist, it seems likely that the length of waiting time would be as short as possible, for the authorities, if only on monetary grounds would want the prisoners to be on their way to the other side of the world as soon as possible. Checking the records it seems this is what happened to Joel Joseph.

According to the 'Colonial Secretary' Index Joel Joseph arrived at Tasmania on the 'Indian' which departed at Blackheath 18th July 1810 and arrived 16th December of that year, aboard were 275 other prisoners.In the following year in June he is noted on the prisoners list of the 'Lady Nelson' as being returned from Newcastle, this was a penal colony where repeat offenders were sent to experience of a harsher regime of cutting and hauling timber or working in coal mines. In February 1813 he was sent back to Newcastle on the 'Endeavour'.

Nothing more is noted until October when he is recorded as deceased so it can be assumed his last seven years of life were spent in the severe confines of Newcastle penal colony.

So so if his 'partner in crime' was quickly dispatched how did Isaac manage to stay aboard the old hulk for four years, but this it seems what happened, when the four years had passed he was either released or escaped, there is no note of which.

Normally an escaped prisoner would go into hiding, especially if the alternative was transportation for life as in Isaac's case, but instead of doing this Isaac simply returned to his family and carried on with his old 'trade' so perhaps by some error, or good fortune on his part he was released, over the next thirteen years he had his brushes with the law but it wasn't until 1827 that his eastend life was to change forever.

On the 25th April 1827 he was arrested in possession of 6 watches, 3½ yards (1.4 m) of woollen cloth, 17 shawls, 12 pieces of Valentia cloth, lace, bobbinet, caps and other articles all of which were found to be stolen. He was commited for trial and taken to Newgate Prison. It seems sometimes certain criminals enter the popular psyche, as was the case with Isaac for after his arrested pamphlets were printed detailing his exploits be them real or imagined, whatever the case they proved to be very popular.

While in Newgate prison Isaac appealed for a writ of habeas corpus, this is a writ where the prisoner challanges the authority of the court to hold him, if the judge grants him a hearing he gets the right to claim that his confinement is illegal. Of course Isaac knew that he had little or no chance of being granted a hearing, but by simply entering the writ was part of his larger plan, for it would take him to the Court of Kings Bench and for a short time out of Newgate, and a short time was all he needed.

The writ of course was denied and as arranged Isaac was to be taken back to prison by Hackney cab, however unknown to anyone but Isaac the cab driver was his father-in-law. Now comes the puzzle, why if the trip was back to Newgate it shouldn't have taken Isaac and his guards anywhere near the eastend, did the turnkeys 'sanction' the detour, for this is seemed what happened and when the cab arrived at Petticoat Lane Isaac's plan was put into practice, no sooner had the cab drawn to a halt than the guards were overpowered and Isaac set off on his road to freedom.

First he went to Denmark and then made his way to New York, it might have been planned for his wife and children to follow however the police had other ideas. Hannah was arrested and charged with receiving stolen goods, being found guilty she was sentenced to transportation to Tasmania for fourteen years, between the time of her trial and sentencing the pamphlets, as with her husband, began rolling off the press claiming she was a 'harlot, a shrew and a brothel keeper' though none of the claims were proved.

Her four younger children, all who were under ten years old accompanied her. They set sail from Woolwich on the ship 'Mermaid' on the 17th Feburary 1828 and arrived 131 days later on the 27th of June, she shared the ship with ninety nine other women, once they arrived they were taken to the Hobart Town Penal Colony.

Her two elder children John aged 20 and Moses aged 19  travelled to Australia by their own choice first to Sydney then on to Hobart to be with their mother and siblings.

During this period prisoners held in Tasmania made up nearly half of the population, so to cut the cost of housing and feeding those convicted of non violent crimes such as pickpockets they were usually assigned to the households of settlers or emancipated prisoners to act as house servants.

Such was the case for Hannah, she was assigned the household of Richard Newman a local police officer, but evidence shows that Hannah didn't settle well into the life of a servant, and soon following various quarrels she was returned to the penal house. The reason for those quarrels probably had there basis in the following excerpt from the book 'Convict Women' by Kay Daniels. 

[ Few women were able to pervert the assignment system as effectively as Hannah Solomon, she was transported in 1827 for receiving stolen goods. Assignment for Mrs Solomon did not mean that she became a domestic servant; Assigned to the family whom her sons lodged, her 'mistress' did  the work, as her record discloses '1828 Assigned to Mr and Mrs Richard Newman where according to another servant, she was not required to work ''Mrs Newman doing all of the drudgery''.]

Perhaps it hardly surprising that Hannah had somehow managed to arrange the house as almost her own, with her children around her she might have felt she really was the mistress. or  it could be her behaviour was forced upon her by growing up in London's eastend where, like so many other women of her time, to survive she had to use all her wiles and cunning to keep their families one step ahead of the jail or the workhouse.

When the news reached New York that his wife had been transported, and that their children were with her, Isaac had no hesitation in deciding what he should do. First he travelled to Rio de Janero then on to Hobart aboard the vessel 'Coronet' under the name Slowman, whether this was deliberate or accidental it's hard to say. When asked why he risked his freedom to travel to a penal colony he simply replied 'solely to gain the society of an affectionate wife', even though this statement amazed the authorities he never deviated from it throughout his life.

When he arrived in Hobart Isaac found he was amongst old aquaintencies, for many who he had dealt with in the past had found themselves transported for their illegal activities. Although the police were aware of Isaac's noteriety there was little they could do for he hadn't broken any laws in Tasmania. Knowing that he couldn't be arrested for crimes commited in Britain without a warrant from London on the 17th October Colonel George Arthur, the Tasmanian Lieutenant General-Govenor, wrote to Colonial House to request one.

The request was granted and wended its way to London, it would be a year before the reply would be received and during that time Isaac set about making a new life for himself. He did this by opening a tobaconist/general store in Elizabeth Street and began petitioning to have his wife, and thereby his children, assigned to his household.

He made many requests but each was refused, until at last it was agreed on condition that he raised a bond of £1000 as a guarantee that she would not escape, the amount was so great that maybe the govenor used it as a ruse to keep Ann imprisoned and Isaac on the right side of the law until his warrant arrived. Whatever the reason for setting the bond so high it didn't make allowances for Isaac's friends who gathered together to raise the sum.

Among the merchants and publicans who donated between £100 or £200 each was John Pascoe Faulkner, like Isaac he was also a Londoner but maybe this wasn't the reason for his being one of those who stood suritie for Isaac, perhaps he was looking back to the time a quarter of a century before when he had arrived in Tasmania with his father, who like Isaac was also a convicted fence, his mother and sister also travelled with them.

Eventually his father was conditionally released and opened a timber works and a bakery in which his son was involved, in 1814 John took over the bakery, but in the same year he helped seven prisoners escape and was sentenced to 500 lashes and three years hard labour. 

After his release he and his new wife moved to Launceston where as well as building the towns first ever two storey building and public house he started the first newspaper. As well as this he began representing convicts and petty criminals in court. However it seems this wasn't quite enough for with Tom Bateman he is credited with the founding of Melbourne.

Getting back to Isaac this support was successful and Hannah and his children were assigned to his custody. There is one photo which is widely available which purports to be Isaac's shop and the figure in the doorway being Isaac himself, but the original which is held in the Australian archives still survives in it's mounted form. 

On that mount is the name of the photographer Alfred Winter who was in Tasmania in 1860, but by that time Isaac had already passed away. The figure in the photograph has been claimed to be a man named W Legrand a bookseller, but although the man may not be Isaac Solomon this could have originally his shop.

After a year of his arriving in Hobart the warrant for Isaac arrived and he was arrested immediately. As in the past his council entered a writ of habeas corpus, and this time because of a technical fault in the warrant the judge granted Isaac's immediate release with a fixed bail of £2000 but following so closely on the request for his wife's release, this time the funds were unavailable.

So Colonel George Arthur issued a warrant in his own name and Isaac was arrested. As soon as possible he was put aboard 'The Prince Regent' and set sail for England. Some say that he was taken aboard in chains but this isn't confirmed, what is know however that the Chief Constable Thomas Capon was authorised to travel with him on the request of the ships master

When he eventually arrived in England and stood trial it caused a sensation, at this time Charles Dickens was working as a journalist and would have undoubtably attended the trial, it is said that he met and interviewed him and later based his character of Fagin upon him. Isaac's trials lasted from 18th July 1830 until 17th May 1831. Of the eight charges against him he was convicted of two and sentenced to fourteen years transportation.

At the time I suppose he wasn't too disappointed with the sentence seeing that his whole family were living on the other side of the world. He was sent back on the 'William Glen Anderson' arriving in Hobart in November 1831, there were 166 prisoners aboard. Prison uniforms were used as a symbol of humiliation for prisoners who broke the law while incarcerated. The suits garnered the name 'magpies'.

Male prisoners wore canvas trousers, striped cotton shirts and grey woolen jackets. Female prisoners were issued with drab cotton clothing stencilled with 'C' and sometimes had their heads shaved. Other prisoners deemed as political, these were mainly Irish wore all yellow suits the same applied to all prisoners at Port Arthur.

He was sent to Richmond Jail where he became a javelin man, this seems to be a position of trust usually given to the more 'better behaved' prisoners, which gives an insight into Isaac's personality, for although he may have been one of the most notorious fences in London he must have been a very personable man to have been given this position so soon after arriving

A report of a mass execution where 'javelin men' are mentioned.

[ At half-past 4, the Reverend Ordinary arrived, and shortly after, Mr. Carvosso, the Wesley Minister; when, with their assistance, they commenced their religious services, which continued until 7 o'clock, when they received the Holy Sacrament, and were left praying and reading until the solemn sound of the death bell announced 8. - The Sheriff,  Dudley Fereday, Esq., attended by the Under Sheriff, Mr. Hayes, and Mr. George West, the Head Bailiff, accompanied by 14 or 15 javelin-men; in their new uniform, then proceeded into the Gaol-yard.  The coffins were also brought in, and the javelin-men ranked in a column file; and the Military being drawn up, their cell-door was opened, and the last sentence of earthly justice awaited them.  Dreadful moment!]  

He was at Richmond Jail for two years before being transferred to Port Arthur Penal Settlement, and the following year in 1835 he was given his 'ticket of leave' on condition that he lived twenty miles from Hobart. 

When he was released he went to live in New Norfolk to be reunited with his family, by this time his two eldest sons had left Tasmania and were possibly living in Sydney. Whatever Isaac expected from his ''affectionate wife'' it wasn't forthcoming, perhaps Hannah blamed him for her situation and missed her life and friends in London, whatever the reason they were soon quarrelling violently, the children naturally took their mothers part and according to some sources resorted to throwing Isaac out of the home, others say it was the other way around and Isaac threw his children out.

When the altercations reached the notice of the authorities and the result was that Hannah was once again to the 'Female House of Correction'. For the following months her daughter Ann wrote numerous petitions on her mothers behalf which bore fruit in September 1830 when her mother was released. This however brought no reconciliation for Isaac and Hannah for they lived apart for the rest of their lives.

In November 1835 Ann was granted ticket-of-leave and a conditional pardon in May 1840. Isaac remained living in New Norfolk until 1838 then moved to New Town where, in 1840 he too was granted a conditional pardon. Then in four years later in 1844 he was given his 'certificate of freedom' which meant he could now leave the country, but this wasn't to happen and Isaac continued living half a world away from the noisy overcrowed eastend that had been his home for the early part of his life.

Isaac died alone on September 3rd, 1850 and buried at the Jewish cemetery, Harrington Street Hobart. His estate was worth little more than £70. The cemetery was closed in 1872 and in the 1950's an apartment complex was built on the site. Two years ago this public housing was pulled down, and underneath they found the old Jewish cemetery, including the remains of Ikey Solomon. The skeletons were removed and reburied in the main cemetery at Cornelian Bay.

Although he was born nearly 200 years ago the shadow of Isaac Solomons still lives, trapped forever in the pages of 'Oliver Twist'. in the old black and white film directed by David Lean and others, and in the glorious musical by Lionel Bart which first strode the stage in 1960 and has hardly been out of production ever since.

He doesn't seem to have been an aggresive type of villian, for there is no record of him ever being violent.  Someone who by neccessity learned from a young age to survive, and provide for his family, by the only way that he was taught, even if that meant crossing the line of what was and wasn't legal. By the response of those that greeted him in Tasmania, and by his own response in putting his freedom at risk by joining his family there shows that deep down maybe he was a decent man but circumstaces, history and perhaps Mr Dickens chose to paint him another way. However perhaps in Lionel Bart's 'Oliver' he's given a more human touch and maybe that's why the musical has been so popular since he first walked the London stage.