When this book was published, Rabbi Monusson was Rav (Rabbi) of Grimsby, a port in Lincolnshire, England. I have previously written about his son-in-law, Rabbi Julius Gould of Leeds and his book, Geulas Yisroel.
Rabbi Monusson’s story is somewhat tragic. He was born in Vilna, about 1868. He was educated at Yeshivos (Rabbinical schools) in Vilna, Eisishok and Kovno. He received Semicha (his Rabbinical Diploma) from Rabbi David Tzvi Chen of Chernigov and Rabbi Zev Wolf Weil, the head of the Rabbinical Court of Kiev.
He was appointed a Rabbi in Kiev in 1899, and then in Sednow, near Chernigov in the Ukraine, where there was a pogrom in 1905. The Monusson family was attacked and one daughter was badly injured. They then emigrated and came to Sunderland, in England, to the home of Rabbi Monusson’s brother-in-law, Rabbi Hirsch Hurwitz. Rabbi Hurwitz had been in Sunderland since 1903, and I have previously written about his booklet “The Well of Purification”.
Rabbi Monusson was appointed Rav of Grimsby. He was there by 1912, as he is mentioned in New Year greetings in the Jewish Chronicle that year, and he also has an entry in Ohelei Shem (page 530), a dictionary of Rabbis published in 1912, as Rabbi of Grimsby. His last years at Grimsby were clouded by tragedy. His wife Rose died in 1923, and two daughters, and his elder son all died within the space of two years.
In 1929 he became Rav at Gateshead. There his younger son, Maurice, died, and he himself became seriously ill, with the result that he became completely incapacitated. For the last few years he lived at the home of his son-in-law and daughter (Rabbi and Mrs. Julius Gould of Leeds). He died in August 1936.
Maarchei Adam is a book of sermons for each week of the year. My copy appears to have been Rabbi Monusson’s own copy when he was in Gateshead.
Jewish Miscellanies 