Asher Lehmann Meyer Gluckstein was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
HIs family chose the surname Gluckstein (lucky stone) when living under Napoleonic rule in Bremen (now in Germany). As a young man, knowing 4 languages and Hebrew he found work as an itinerant teacher. In 1819 he found a fixed position in Rheinberg as a religious teacher. Here he met the illiterate Helena, and, with her 5 months pregnant, married her in 1819.
In 1824 anti-Jewish feelings and restrictive laws caused him to lose his job. They decided to move with their 3 boys including Samuel (1821-73) to the Netherlands, but first faked his death so that the family they left behind did not suffer reprisals. In Arnhem Lehmann returned to the teaching of languages and took up writing educational books. They moved to Rotterdam but here his linguistic skill were not needed.
In 1832, with Samuel's help, he created an optical street show which they called 'Polyrama Panoptique'. This proved popular and as they took it around the Netherlands, they learnt about buying and selling, and commerce generally.
In 1841 business took a downturn and Samuel was (apparently falsely) accused of some dodgy dealing so the family moved to Antwerp. But the problem followed Samuel so it was decided that he should move to London, and once he had a business established he could send for the family, including his 6 younger siblings.
Arriving in London in 1843, Samuel became interested in the cigar business and learnt the skill of making cigars. In 1845 he married Ann Joseph and their first children, twins, Julia and Lena, were born 9 months later. Ann and Samuel both worked in the fledgling cigar business, with their home being the business premises. In 1847 Lehmann, Helena and their 4 youngest children arrived in London.
Lehmann was too old for physical work but the 3 older children were put to work in the home workshop. He died at his home, 35 Crown Street, which we now know as Charing Cross Road, the section between Oxford Street and Cambridge Circus.
The business flourished and in 1863 Samuel's daughter Lena, aged 17, was married to Barnett Salmon, a 34-year old cigar salesman chosen by Samuel specifically for the good of the business.
J. Lyons & Co. tells the story of the family's later business activities.
has (sorry, link has died) some lovely images and videos.
Practically all our information comes from our reading of the splendid , a history of the family that built the J. Lyons empire.
Additional information: (which gives his birth year as 1794).
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