Jack Cohen was born in Constantinople on April 21, 1888 to Salomon and Tova Cohen, both Turkish. He was married to Marie Cohen, born in 1890 in Constantinople. Both are listed in the 1921 England census as Turkish nationals. Their children were Robert Sidney Cohen (born in 1915), Tova Beatrice Cohen (born in 1918), and Samuel Victor Cohen (born in 1921). All children were born in Shepherds’ Bush, London and were of British nationality. Jack worked as a carpet dealer’s assistant at J. Souhami & Co, carpet dealers, 37 Newman Street, London. He and his family lived in a one-room house.

            Jack Cohen was one of the Ottoman Jews whose cases were dealt by the Trained Investigators and Confidential Enquiry Agents Mole & Ward of London. His naturalization application does not survive. He is mentioned in a letter from the Home Office to Mole & Ward on August 25, 1925, along with Moise A. Alfandary; Simantov Morris Behar; Isidor R. Cohen; Jack Cohen; Selemia Elnecavé; Vitali Elnecavé; Raphael L. Hassid; Isaac Maymon; Isaac Penso; Victor V. Penso; Albert Zara, and Robert J. Zara.[1] He applied for naturalization in 1948 as a Turkish national. At that time, his wife was Darsa and he was a carpet dealer living at 7 Chiswick Lane, London.

[1] TNAUK, HO 144/7223, naturalization application of Moise Abraham Alfandary, Home Office to Messrs. Mole & Ward, August 25, 1925.