HO 144/7323 and HO 334/106/15190

            Rabeno Arditi, also known as Robert Arditi and Robert Arditti, was born in Izmir on October 28, 1880 to Moise (deceased by 1927) and Jamila Arditi (née Mordock, living in Turkey), both of whom were identified on his naturalization certificate as “Turkish.” He had a brother in France and a brother and sister in Turkey. Rabeno was educated in Izmir until age 10, and then went to Paris to stay with his brother, where he remained until 1897. In 1897, he relocated to the United Kingdom, where he was apprenticed under another brother, David Arditti, a carpet weaver and restorer. He continued apprenticing under his brother until the end of 1899. In 1899, Rabeno returned to Paris, and after about a year relocated again to England, where he remained from December 1900 until 1904. Rabeno obtained employment with a firm named Tuberville Smith of 9 Great Marlborough Street, W., where he worked until October 1904. He then moved to Belgium, where he worked for a brother-in-law until April 1906. That month, he returned to the U.K. and resided there continuously. Despite his moves back and forth between Belgium and England, the Home Office noted that by 1927 Rabeno had resided in U.K. “about 27 years.” During his time in England, Rabeno made occasional holiday trips to France.

            In 1906, Rabeno started a business in partnership with Levi Nissim, trading as R. Arditi & Nissim, Carpet Weavers and Restorers, 73 Street, Mary Axe, E.C. The partnership was dissolved on November 30, 1911, after which Arditti carried on business on his own account as a carpet restorer, antique dealer, and buyer of goods on commission for various firms in London. He had no regular place of business in London until October 1917, when he opened a business under the name R. Arditti. From August 14 until October 15, 1917, Rabeno resided temporarily at 24 Cleveland Street W., and then relocated to 6 Montpelier Street, S.W., Brompton Road, London. By that year, he was working as a carpet restorer and dealer. Rabeno relocated to 71 Lovelace Gardens, Southend in May 1911, not 1909 as his Memorial states. In December of 1919, he began a partnership with Menahem Eskenazi and traded as Arditti and Eskenazi. The partnership was dissolved in late 1921 because of a slump in business. In April of 1927, the Home Office noted that he was “doing a good business & financially sound” as a weaver & restorer of Carpets” and had “a collection of his own of antiques…which he values at £3000. He was also a carpet dealer. All of Rabeno’s children assisted him in the business. In 1927, the average yearly profits were about £500. Rabeno’s principal work was as a restorer of “valuable old carpets and tapestries.” He also did valuation work for members of the aristocracy and large firms such as Harrods Ltd. and Hampton & Sons Ltd. Rabeno also bought antiques on commission. He maintained an account with Barclays Banks, Brompton Road Branch since 1921.

            He married Ethel Kadune Lilian Galipoliti, a British subject, on January 17, 1903 at the Register Office in Westminster. Ethel had about £500 in her own name and was related to C. Blake, being the daughter of Blake’s brother-in-law. Rabeno and Ethel had five children, including Maurice Moise (born January 7, 1906 in Brussels and registered with Police at Bow Street, Serial No. E.Z. 8247), Leah Amelia (born December 14, 1907 in London); Rachel Lilian (born March 6, 1909 in London), Leon David (born June 15, 1910 in London), and Victor Albert (born December 16, 1913 in Southend). It is possible that his youngest child did not survive infanthood, since Rabeno’s file references another son named Victor Albert who was born January 23, 1914. At the time of Rabeno’s naturalization in 1927, five of his children were living at home. The first four were registered under the last name “Ardiiti” and the last under “Arditti.”  His Memorial of 1926 indicates his desire to have his son Maurice Moise Arditti (born January 7, 1906 in Brussels) naturalized with him.

            On August 14, 1914, Rabeno registered at the Bow Street Registration Office under Serial No. D.5598 as “Robert Arditti” and in 1927 re-registered as “Rabeno Arditi, known as Robert Arditti.” began to use the name Robert when he arrived in England in 1897. Rabeno was exempt from internment on October 4, 1915 and permitted to live in Southend, then a prohibited area (HO letter No. 10287 P.W.). He signed his last name alternately with one or two t’s, but since early 1914, he settled on two t’s. He was known professionally as Robert Arditti and registered his firm under the Business Names Act of 1916 on April 9, 1927. Rabeno’s agents were Pierron & Morley, Solicitors and Commissioners for Oaths, 11 & 12 Southcombe Street, W.14. Rabeno had registered as “Turkish” and in his memorial used the same word to denote his nationality. However, Rabeno’s solicitors stated that he was a “Spanish and Portuguese Jew.” Thus, the Home Office instructed that his memorial should be resubmitted his national identity be indicated as “Ottoman (Spanish Jew).” Arditti last applied for naturalization on August 23, 1926, apparently his fourth attempt. Rabeno was naturalized on October 4, 1927 and identified on his naturalization certificate as an “Ottoman (Spanish Jew).”

            The Home Office noted that Rabeno had an adequate knowledge of English and on another occasion observed that he “speaks reads and writes the English language fairly well.” His dictation test showed two minor spelling errors. He filed for naturalization because he intended to reside permanently in the U.K. and to obtain the rights and capacities of a natural-born British subject. Additionally, he desired the rights and capacities of a natural-born British subject, had resided in the U.K. for over 23 years and had established a permanent business there, all his interests were in The U.K., he married an English wife, had 5 children, four of whom were born in England and one in Brussels. The notes on Rabeno’s file allude to the case of Maurice Moise Arditti (537031).

            His referees were Charles Blake, a retired Metropolitan Police Constable, thereafter a Commissionaire at Drury Lane Theater, of 82 Claverton Street, S.W., who had known Rabeno for 21 years and had first met him through Ethel Arditti, the daughter of Blake’s brother-in-law; Alfred Edward Major, butcher, of 3 Montpelier Street, S.W., who had socialized with him for about 15 years and first met him through Major’s children, who were friendly with Rabeno’s children; Frederick Hampton-Smith, music teacher, of 173 Brompton Road, S.W., who had socialized with him for about sixteen years and was first introduced to him by a mutual friend in the neighborhood; and Henry William Doll, registered medical practitioner of 42 Montpelier Square, S.W., who had first met the applicant eight years previously through visiting him as a patient and saw him nearly every week at sales which both men frequented, though they had never exchanged social visits. On November 30, 1926, the Home Office directed Rabeno to obtain a certificate from the Chief Rabbi declaring him to be a member of a race or community know to be opposed to Government which were at war with His Majesty in 1918.”

            Files 1-3 and 5-6 were destroyed. The file was originally closed until 2028 and declassified on March 25, 2009 at my request.