Ephraim Lópes Pereira d'Aguilar, 2nd Baron d'Aguilar facts for kids
Ephraim Lópes Pereira d'Aguilar (born 1739 in Vienna – died 1802 in London) was an important person from a noble family. He held the title of the second Baron d'Aguilar. This special title came from the Holy Roman Empire.
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Contents
Early Life and Family
Ephraim d'Aguilar was the son of Donna Simha da Fonseca and Baron Diego Pereira d'Aguilar. His father was a successful Jewish businessman. He was also a respected leader in his community and gave a lot to charity. His family had originally come from Portugal.
In 1757, Ephraim became a legal citizen in England. He had moved there to live with his father.
Career and Lifestyle Changes
When his father passed away in 1759, Ephraim inherited his title and a large fortune. For a while, he lived a very fancy life in London. He had a big house with twenty servants.
However, during the American Revolutionary War, he lost a huge piece of land in America. It was about 15,000 acres, which is like 61 square kilometers! After this, his lifestyle changed a lot.
He moved out of his grand London home. He also gave up his country houses in Bethnal Green, Twickenham, and Sydenham. His new home in Islington was even nicknamed "Starvation Farm." This was because he was very careful with money, even when it came to feeding his farm animals. In 1778, he also became a freemason, joining a special social group.
Community Roles
Ephraim d'Aguilar was active in his community. He served as the treasurer for the Portuguese Synagogue, which is a Jewish place of worship. His signature can be found on important meeting records.
In 1765, he was chosen to be a "warden," a leader in the synagogue. At first, he didn't want the job and tried to avoid paying a fine for refusing. But he eventually accepted the role. He was elected again in 1770 and remained a member of the synagogue for several years.
Family Life
On December 8, 1756, Ephraim married Simha "Sarah" Mendes da Costa. She brought a very large fortune with her, about £150,000. They had two daughters together. He also had a son.
His daughters were:
- Georgina Isabella d'Aguilar: She married Vice Admiral Keith Stewart. He was the son of a Scottish Earl. After Keith passed away, Georgina married Lt.-Col. Richard Fitzgerald. Sadly, he died in a famous battle called the Battle of Waterloo.
- Caroline d'Aguilar
After Simha passed away in 1763, Ephraim married Rebecca (née Lamego) da Costa in 1767. She was a widow. Later, when Ephraim started his very careful way of living, he and Rebecca separated. After twenty years, they tried to get back together, but it didn't last long.
Rebecca died in 1795. When Ephraim d'Aguilar passed away in 1802, he left a fortune of £200,000 to his two daughters. He had hidden this money all over his home!
Grandchildren
Through his daughter Georgina, Ephraim had two grandsons: Leveson Douglas Stewart and James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie. James married a woman named Mary Elizabeth Frederica Mackenzie. After they married, he added "Mackenzie" to his last name.
