Simon Dragovitch was born on 11 November 1866 in Warsaw, Russia (now Poland).
On the census that was taken on 31 March 1901 he was shown as aged 33 years and a coat tailor living in three rooms at 6 Vine Yard, Spitalfields, Stepney, London, (now incorporated into Aldersgate Street, London, EC1), together with his wife, Sarah Dragovitch (1869-1924) who was also born in Russia and their five children: Fanny Dragovitch, aged 10 years; Hyman Dragovitch, aged 9 years; Phillip Dragovitch, aged 6 years: Abraham Dragovitch, aged 4 years and Isaac Dragovitch, aged 2 years. Their children were all born in London.
When he completed his census return form on 2 April 1911 he described himself as aged 44 years and a tailor, living in four rooms at 6 Vine Yard, Little Pearl Street, Spitalfields, with his wife, aged 43 years and seven of their children: Fanny Dragovitch, aged 19 years - a filling hand; Hyman Dragovitch, aged 18 years - a cabinet maker; Phillip Dragovitch, aged 15 years - a learning tailor; Abraham Dragovitch, aged 13 years; Isaac Dragovitch, aged 11 years; Pinkus Dragovitch, aged 10 years; Israel Dragovitch, aged 8 years and Hetty Dragovitch, aged 5 years. He stated that he and his wife had been married for 22 years and that his wife had given birth to 10 children of which 8 were still alive.
On the census return form that he completed on 19 June 1921 he recorded himself as Simmon Dragovitch, aged 55 years, 6 months, a gentleman's tailor employed by S.Goldstein & Sons at 96 Bethnal Green Road. He was living in five rooms at 52 Chambord Street, Bethnal Green, London, with his wife, Sarah Dragovitch, aged 55 years, 1 month and six of their children: Fanny Dragovitch, aged 29 years who was working at home as a tailoress; Abraham Dragovitch, aged 24 years who was an out of work hat cutter who had last been employed by D. Benjamin, Ladies Hats at 26 Heneage Street, Spitalfields; Isaac Dragovitch, aged 22 years, a tailor presser employed by I. Golstien at 22 Rupert Street, London, E1; Pinkus Dragovitch, aged 20 years, an out of work cabinet maker who had last been employed by B. Kauffman, Cabinet Maker at 4 Gossett Street, Brick Lane, London; Israel Dragovitch, aged 20 years and a gentleman's tailor employed by D. Kahanovitch at 213 Brick Lane, London and Hetty Dragovitch, aged 15 years, a blouse machinist working for M. A. Cohen Blouses at 11 Virginia Road, Shoreditch, London.
When the England and Wales Register was compiled on 29 September 1939 he was still residing at 52 Chambord Street, Bethnal Green. The register confirms that he was a widower, that his date of birth was 11 November 1866 and that he was a retired tailor. Also recorded at the address was his daughter, Fanny Dragovitch, a single woman whose date of birth was 14 September 1891 and who was on unpaid domestic duties.
He was killed, aged 73 years, on the night of 7th/8th September 1940 in the Columbia Market Air Raid Shelter which took a direct hit from a bomb and his in the Federation of Synagogues Edmonton Cemetery, 291 Montagu Road, London, N18 2NF.
His death was incorrectly registered as aged 70 years in the 3rd quarter of 1940 in the Bethnal Green Registration District, London.
He is shown as 'DRAGOVITCH Simon 70' on the Columbia Market air raid shelter memorial in the Rose Garden, Old Market Square, Ravenscroft Park, London, E2.
He is also commemorated on the , on the and in that is kept just outside the entrance to St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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