HO 144/7312 and HO 334/106/15403
Efraim Arditti, known as Albert Arditti since his immigration to the U.K., was born in Izmir on December 25, 1888 to Behar Arditti (who in 1927 was living in Izmir), and Behora Arditti, née Arditti (who by 1927 was deceased). Efraim identified both of his parents as “Ottoman (Spanish Jews).” He had one brother in Alexandria, a brother and a sister in Izmir, and another sister in Buenos Aires.
Efraim was educated in Izmir until the age of 13. He then left his native city and traveled with two uncles to France, where he stayed for three and a half years undertaking carpet repairing. In 1905, he came to England and worked in the same trade with another uncle, David Arditti, at 53 Dean Street, E., in London for two years. Thereafter, he was employed for six years for a man who was in partnership with another of Efraim’s uncles, Robert Arditti, at 73 St. Mary Axe, C.E. After that, Efraim worked for one year on his own account at Percy Street, Tottenham Court Road. For the next ten months he was employed by J. Souhami at 37 Newman Street, W. and then for two years was in partnership with David Arditti and Daniel Nahoum in the carpet trade. Efraim dissolved this partnership owing to his uncle’s “slackness in money matters.” From that year, 1916, until at least 1926, he worked for Nissim & Co., Carpet Repairers and Dealers, 58 Houndsditch, E.1., who spoke highly of him. At Nissim & Co., Efraim worked as a carpet repairer and was in charge of the Carpet Repairing Department. In 1926, Efraim was receiving £10 as a weekly salary and an average of £150 annually for special work.
Efraim married a British-born woman named Mary Gronofsky on June 4, 1911 at the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue at Bevis Marks. The couple had no children. He traveled to Paris on holiday and for “family reasons” for three days in August 1913 and for an additional five days in June 1924 for the same reasons. He lived at 154 Harrow Road, Paddington, W.2 from August 9, 1919 to October 5, 1925, and thereafter at 268 Ealing Road, Aperton, Middlesex County. In April 1925, he purchased a house for £1,250 freehold, paying £650 down and with a mortgage of £600 with the Westminster Bank, St. Mary Axe Branch, E.C. By 1926, there was still a £265 outstanding on the mortgage. Efraim maintained an account with that same bank, showing a £122 credit balance. He also possessed certificates issued by the City of Paris to the value of £45.
Efraim was exempted from internment as an “alien enemy” on September 1, 1915 and was exempted from national service (volunteer work of national importance). He registered with police at Bow Street as an alien on January 8, 1917 and again on October 14, 1918. He did not perform any military service during World War I.
Efraim could speak and read the English language well, as attested to by his ability to read and explain a newspaper cutting without difficulty during a Home Office test, but was unable to write English from dictation. Additionally, he could speak and read Spanish, French, and Turkish but could not write them.
Efraim’s agent was J. P. Law, Bridgeway House, W.6. In November of 1926, John Law informed the Home Office that Arditti was “a member of the congregation of Spanish & Portuguese Synagogue” and wondered if he could apply as a “friendly alien.” He first submitted an unsigned letter from the Secretary of the Synagogue of Spanish and Portuguese Jews in London, but the Home Office required a letter from a Chief Rabbi or Ecclesiastical Head. Efraim then submitted a letter from S. Gaguine, Ecclesiastical Head of the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation in London and Principal of Montefiore Theological College at Ramsgate. The letter read: “I hereby certify that Mr. Efraim (or Alfred) Arditti is (1) a member of a Sephardi Community; (2) that the members of such Community were in sympathy with this country in the Great=War in 1928 as being the friend and protector of the Jewish people throughout the world, Ramsgate 8th March 1927. S. Gaguine.”
Efraim’s referees, who vouched for him in 1296, were all employed in the carpet trade. Lewis Levi was a partner in the firm of Levi Sons, Wholesale Carpet Dealers, 58 Houndsditch, E. Lewis resided at 44 St. Gabriel’s Road, Cricklewood, N.W.2 and had met Efraim 16 years earlier when Efraim was working for Lewis’s then employer, who was also Lewis’s brother. Efraim and Lewis had been on “intimate terms of friendship” ever since and for the previous 10 years had been closely associated in business. Lewis had paid personal visits to Efraim’s addresses. Donald Gordon MacDonald was Managing Clerk to Nissim & Co., Carpet Repairers, 58 Houndsditch, E.1. and resided at 19 Woodlands, North Harrow, Middlesex. Efraim and Donald had met six years earlier as fellow employees who became friends, exchanging social visits. Michael Forde was a carpet dealer in business at 10 Chamomile Street, E.C. 3., and resided at 35 Wellington Avenue, South Tottenham, N. 15. Michael had first met Efraim about 16 earlier as a fellow employee, had remained a close friend, and had exchanged frequent social visits. Herbert James Dowling was manager to Levi Sons, 58 Houndsditch, E.1. and resided at 11 Narbonne Avenue, Clapham Common, S.W. 4. Herbert had first met Efraim about ten years earlier as a fellow employee. The two were on friendly terms ever since, continually in contact, and had occasionally visited each other’s residences.
Files 1-3 and 5 were destroyed. When Efraim applied for naturalization for the fourth time on November 20, 1926, he possessed no birth certificate, passport, or other nationality papers and had lived in the U.K. for approximately 22 years. He applied because he intended to reside permanently in the U.K., sought to obtain the rights and capacities of a natural-born British subject, had lived in the U.K. for 21 years and was established in businesses, and desired to restore the nationality of his wife. Efraim was naturalized on November 24, 1927, his certificate identifying him as an “Ottoman (Spanish Jew).” One Home Office agent indicated in his minutes, perhaps referring to Gaguine’s letter, that he did not know what a “Sephardi Jew” was, an indication that the term “Spanish and Portuguese” was the more familiar term to British clerks of the era. Other minutes in the file reference by number the naturalization applications of Joseph Souhami and Moise Anticoni as examples whereby the Home Office required a letter from a Chief Rabbi, as opposed to a congregational secretary.
This file was originally classified until 2028 and declassified at my request on March 25, 2009.