Jacob Behrens

Sir Jacob Behrens (13 November 1806 – 22 April 1889) was an Anglo–German textile merchant.[1] His company, Sir Jacob Behrens & Son Ltd., was established in 1834 and still operates today.[2] Behrens was Jewish and was a prominent member of the Anglo-Jewish Association.[3][4]

Sir Jacob Behrens
Born
Jacob Behrens

(1806-11-13)13 November 1806
Bad Pyrmont, Germany
Died22 April 1889(1889-04-22) (aged 82)
Torquay, England
NationalityBritish / German
Known forTextile merchant
Educator
Philanthropist

Biography

Early life

Born in Bad Pyrmont, Germany, into a family of merchants, Sir Jacob Behrens settled in Leeds in 1834, establishing his business there.[3] He then moved to Bradford in 1838, opening a factory in Thornton Road.[5]

The businessman

Behrens helped to establish the Bradford chamber of commerce.[5] Behrens was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1882 for his work in strengthening trade relations between Britain and France.[5][6]

The educator

Behrens helped to reorganise Bradford Grammar School in 1871, and he helped establish the Great Horton Road Technical College in 1882.[5]

The philanthropist

Behrens was a prominent member of the Bradford Philosophical Society, and founded the Eye and Ear Hospital in Bradford.[3]

References
  1. "Jacob Behrens". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  2. "Official website". The Sir Jacob Behrens group. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  3. "Sir Jacob Behrens". Jewish Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  4. "Sir Jacob Behrens 1806-1889 | Making Their Mark: Bradford Jewish".
  5. "Behrens". Bradford Libraries. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
  6. Tagore, Sourindro Mohun (1884). The orders of knighthood, British and foreign. Calcutta: By author. p. 196. OCLC 39255887.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.