This is a copy of the “Singer’s Prayer Book”, fifth edition, 1898. What makes this copy special is that it is stamped PKTP, which stands for Parkhurst Prison. Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight, began as a childrens hospital and prison in 1778. In the nineteenth century, inmates were transported to Australia and New Zealand. It became a high security mens prison, known for the harshness of its regime.
The Siddur is also stamped “Supplied by the Public Service”. It includes the prayer for Queen Victoria.
There had been a convict prison at Portsmouth, with a prison synagogue established in 1865. In 1894 Jewish prisoners and the synagogue were transfered to Parkhurst. The Jewish Chaplain to the prison, financed by the United Synagogue and the Home Office was Reverend Solomon Philip Van Raalte of Portsmouth synagogue, up to his death in 1923. He had been elected Headmaster of the Dalston Jewish Schools in 1890 and then moved to Portsmouth. He moved to Newport, Isle of Wight in approximately 1914.
Who were the Jewish prisoners? I have extracted a lists of Jewish-sounding prisoners from the 1901 Census, and added other information about them:
Julius Black, born 1876, Russia. A traveller. Sentenced to four years for conspiracy in 1898.
James Blumenthal, born 1856, Germany, agent, married. Sentenced with Marcus Leon (below) at the Old Bailey in May, 1898 for obtaining money by false pretenses and conspiracy to defraud.
Abraham Cohen, born 1874, Russia, shoemaker, single.
James Cohen, born 1867, India, tailor, single.
Barnet Emanuel, born 1840, London, hawker, widower, feeble minded.
Benjamin Galric, alias Ben Gerlia and Ben Garlic, born 1868, Russia, tailor, married. Four years for receiving in 1899.
Davis Goldstein, born 1873, Russia, tailor, single.
Solomon Goldstein, born 1855, London, bootmaker, married.
Baron de Gourelle, born 1873, Russia, woodcarver, married. Sentenced to five years in 1897 for receiving stolen goods and then to be re-arrested for extradition.
Alexander Meyer Kelly, born 1876, Hungary, traveller, sentenced for four years for false pretenses in 1898.
Marcus Leon, Agent, born 1842, Germany, married. (see James Blumenthal above)
Mark Levy, born 1878, Spitalfields, London, boot machinist
Moss Levy, born 1881, London, tailor, single.
Percy Levy, born 1869, Germany, watchmaker, married. Three years for receiving jewellery in 1899.
Bernard Lewis, born 1857, Poland, tailor.
Samuel Lewis, born London, 1834, tailor.
Isaac Marcovitch, born 1868, Romania, tailor, single.
Harris Marks, born Poland 1874, baker, lunatic, single. Convicted at the Old Bailey for stealing six choppers in 1898 and sentenced to five years.
Philip Phillips, commercial traveller, born Russia 1876.
Maurice Silver (also known as Moses Silver, Maurice Silverman), born 1872, Russia. Convicted to four years in 1899. A tailor of 29, Brooke Street, Holborn.
Solomon Troubman, born 1885, Russia.
Jewish Miscellanies 