Louis Leedman
1861—1935

Jenny Leedman
1867—1905
He was a tailor and she was a tailoress. They met at a boarding house at 124 Queen Street, Woolahra, a suburb of Sydney.
Louis Leedman and Jenny Cohen were married in a synagogue at 2 Mary St, Surrey Hills in Sydney on the 29th of April, 1888. He was 27 years old and she was 20.
However to go back further, Louis was born in Kovno, Russia on 17th February 1863 according to his application for naturalisation, although from his death certificate he appears to have been born in 1861.  According to Auntie Roc, his mother died soon after and he was dumped on his Granny—who didn't want him much either, and at the mature age of 12 he joined a band of Jewish people who were migrating to England because of Russian persecution and left his home and walked to England. History does not reveal whether he swam the channel, but he may have, because he was a man of rare persistence.
He was befriended in London by a Jewish Welfare Society and became a somewhat indifferent tailor. I say this on good authority because he seemed to spend most of his later life doing other than his trade, i.e. shop-keeper, produce merchant and finally a farmer.
So, bored with tailoring he emigrated to Australia and to quote from his naturalization papers he arrived per the Ruisqarooma Steamship in Melbourne in November 1880.
He was in Melbourne for six months and then Sydney and Sunny Corner,  New South Wales for fourteen years.

Little is known about Jenny's side of the family, other than that Woolf Cohen, Jenny's father had followed a similar course. He too had been born in Russia, suffered Russian persecution, in fact had been shot in the knee (so I presume he didn't walk to England) but had arrived and settled with his wife,(whose maiden name was Rebecca Murtova) in Liverpool, where Jenny was born. The family migrated when Jenny was 13, so she too, arrived in 1880. She was actually to live only 25 years in Australia. Soon after their marriage in 1888 Louis and Jenny had two sons, Cecil born in 1889, and Charles in 1891. Louis by this time, completely self educated could read and write English fluently. He was an ardent Liberal supporter and was quite a sought after speaker. Indeed he was approached to stand for Parliament, but was so sensitive of his foreign accent and concerned that he would be laughed at that he turned it down.
Later Louis's spirit of adventure reasserted itself. This was also coupled with a strong wish to make a better life for his family. Gold had been discovered in Western Australia. Louis left his wife and family with her family in Sunny Corner and set out for Coolgardie and later Menzies.
Believe it or not there was a five year gap before they all rejoined him - Jenny, Cecil, Charlie & Jenny's parents and brother and sister. He returned to his trade i.e. tailoring, and it was interesting to find in an old edition of the Menzies Miner (a weekly newspaper) that he placed the following advertisements in December, 1896
"At Mr Leedman's a new lot of goods to meet the Christmas demand has just been stocked. A splendid lot of tailors goods have been displayed and special inducement in the way of moderate prices for best material is offered during the present season. In men's mercery of all kinds and descriptions there is ample stock. A staff of capable workmen is kept on the premises and orders for suits can be made -up on the briefest notice. The quality of goods obtainable in this shop in the shape of gent's suits is equal to anything obtainable in the metropolis and the price comparatively quite reasonable."

This could hardly be called high pressured sales talk although the following advertisements are a little more eye-catching. A most delightful advertisement obviously relying on readers to read it in full, presenting a genteel and honest summation of his business. The advertisement was in the 'Menzies Weekly Times', Saturday November 6th, 1897 and continued in subsequent editions about a dozen times.

NO SHYPOO
TAILORING

All work made on premises and fitted on before finished.

WE HAVE
Suits from 4.4s
Trousers from 1.5s

A large and well selected stock to choose from.
L. Leedman and Co.
Fashionable Traders
Shenton Street

Following an article of a great fire in Menzies this advertisement appeared in the Menzies Weekly Times on December 24, 1897.

FIRE! FIRE!

Great sale of salvage stock
Bargains for Christmas
Goods slightly damaged: Less than Half Cost

GENUINE! GENUINE!
L. Leedman and Co.

Later he left tailoring (though his father in-law Woolf Cohen was by this time an established tailor) and became a "produce merchant". Actually he managed a grocery shop for Silbert and Sharp and built it into a thriving business, selling the best of apples, cheese and butter etc. It was what one would call a superior shop - for Grandpa had 'flair'.

After the family reunion two more children had been born, Ethel in 1898, and Harry in 1902.

On the 6th of August 1905 at the age of 38 Jenny died. The cause of death is officially stated in her death certificate as enteritis, but it was actually a miscarriage. There was no doctor in Menzies and she endured the 90 mile train journey to Kalgoorlie and died in Kalgoorlie Hospital and was buried on the 7th August 1905 ,in Kalgoorlie Cemetery.

At this time Cecil was 16, working as a bookeeper in his fathers shop, Charles had won a scholarship and was a student at Christian Brothers College in Perth, Ethel was 7 and Harry was 3.

ANECDOTES ABOUT LOUIS

When Harry was quite young he wasn't strong and developed pneumonia. So Grandpa, remembering an old wives tale, proceeded to shoot stray cats, skin them and wrap the boy in the skins. When one skin became cold he shot another cat. Anyway he saved his life, so one branch of the family should feel thankful. Charlie, who had nicknames for everyone, from then on called him Sos, (as in sausage) as did everyone throughout his life.
As stated, Louis was a staunch Liberal voter, and Auntie Roc remembers him mounting a tremendous campaign for Gregory (Liberal) opposition for Buzzacot (Labour). Despite the fact that Labour was very strong in Menzies, so effective was his canvassing that they fought it out inch by inch.
He was enterprising. A football team came up from Kalgoorlie to Menzies regularly by train on Sundays, with their families. There was a boarding house and cafe called Fenwicks which really couldn't cope with all the customers, and Louis opened his shop on Sunday and ran in opposition, providing tea, sandwiches and cakes. Fenwicks were so incensed that they threatened to burn down his shop. In fact it created such a stir that he didn't repeat the performance.
He was interested in mining and bought a mine called Dreadnought, but couldn't afford to work it. However there was a prosperous mine in Kalgoorlie called "The Great Fingall" and Louis offered them Dreadnought. They accepted and were prepared to pay him 10,000. But on the day of settlement the Boer War was declared and all negotiations were cancelled. To use Auntie Roc's words they "crayfished out", but Louis, blessed with a resilient nature, soon recovered.
Louis became a British subject on the 24th February, 1906, and took the Oath of Allegiance which reads:

"I, Louis Leedman swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Edward VII, his heirs and successors according to law. So help me God!"

After Jenny's death the family continued living behind the shop. They had a series of impossible housekeepers, until the advent of Chrissie Richards. Chrissie was a kindly soul and a stern methodist who mothered them all. She came with them to Perth and they lived in Rokeby Road Subico.
Louis became a partner in a tailoring business with Mr Rosen. In 1914 war was declared And Louis and Rosen started making army uniforms. He also travelled around the country taking orders for suits.
However in 1916 he decided to buy a farm. His lifelong friend from Menzies, Sam Finkelstein (known as "Old Sam"), was farming in Shackleton, so he bought a holding adjacent to him and their friendship was renewed. Louis, the supreme optimist and Sam the complete pessimist, were the best of friends. By this time Cecil and Charlie were in the army, Ethel was teaching and Harry was in South Australia at an agricultural college. Chrissie refused to go to Shackleton with Louis because she didn't consider it respectable, so at the age of 55 he married Chrissie, who was 50.

The year was 1916 and it was a bumper year for marriages, Louis married Chrissie, Cecil married Blanche, Charlie married Brightie and Woolf Cohen married - a widow.

Louis and Chrissie left Shackleton approximately ten years later. The sale of the farm included a building on the corner of Hay & Pier Street, which was sold after his death for a pittance. He and Chrissie lived in Mount Lawley until his death. Perhaps I have not said enough about Louis as a person. He was above all, as I have said, the supreme optimist. He was public-spirited, outgoing, intelligent, philosophical, humorous and I would like to think there is a little of Louis in all of us. He was not religious but he had all of those Jewish characteristics of persistence, humour and a belief in his faith and a determination to succeed.

The above article was prepared for the 1980 Leedman Reunion by Molly Worsnop, Cecil and Blanche's daughter.

The next generation.
Louis & Jenny had four children:
Ethel(Roc), who married Sam, the son of  Sam Finkelstein- Louis' old friend from Shackleton.  Sam became a much loved doctor who had a surgery in his home at Walcott St. Mount Lawley;
Charlie, who became a renowned surgeon in Perth. He was awarded a Military Cross and Bar for bravery in the WW1, a very rare honour, and just below a Victoria Cross in recognition of valour.
Cecil, who continued in the family tradition as a produce merchant - he was also a gifted musician:
 & Harry (Sos), who became a leading Perth dentist with a practice on St Georges Terrace.

Succeeding generations produced four doctors, Bob, Bruce, Peter and Danny, two lawyers, David and Jim (who also became the leader of the House of Assembly in the ACT,and was made a member of the Order of Australia), PhD's. Charles and Ashley, and a score of very successful and reputable people in business.

There was a family reunion in 1980.  About 50 of Louis' descendants celebrated the centenary of his arrival in Australia.  Roc, Sam and Brightie were present.

Thirteen years later, in 2003, we gather again to celebrate.  Some of the oldies are missing.  Many new ones have joined us.  We come from many ethnic backgrounds—Louis would have been glad to embrace the other ethnic groups who have joined his Lithuanian heritage.

 We comprise Jews, Protestants and Catholics.  We are doctors, lawyers, business managers.  We live in Western Australia and in eastern Australia too.  We are family.  We are Australian.  Louis would have liked it and I think he would have liked us.

Web Editors note:
Any errors and omissions are accidental and I would appreciate ab email containing corrections and additions.
Heather Leedman. email: heather@leedman.com.au