Ikey Solomon facts for kids
Isaac "Ikey" Solomon (born around 1787, died 1850) was a British man known for handling stolen goods. His story became very famous. He escaped from arrest, was caught again, and then sent to a faraway place called Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) in Australia as punishment.
Many people believe that Ikey Solomon was the inspiration for the character Fagin in Charles Dickens' famous book, Oliver Twist.
Contents
Ikey's Early Life and Marriage
Ikey Solomon was born into a Jewish family in Houndsditch, a part of East London. He was one of nine children. His father, Henry Solomon, also dealt with stolen items and taught Ikey about this way of life. Henry Solomon once said he had worked for "every factory in London." We don't know much about Ikey's mother, but she took good care of his father as he got older.
Ikey married Ann (also known as Hannah) Julian on January 7, 1807. Their wedding took place at the Great Synagogue in London. Ann's father, Moses Julian, was a coachmaster from Aldgate.
Escape and His Wife's Arrest
Ikey Solomon managed to escape from England. He first went to Denmark, then traveled to the United States. He arrived in New York in August 1827.
News of Ikey's escape was a big deal across England. Police quickly started looking into his family.
Officers arrested Ikey's wife, Ann, and accused her of receiving stolen goods. She was found guilty and sentenced to be sent to Tasmania (then called Van Diemen's Land) as punishment. The judge allowed their four youngest children, all under ten, to go with Ann on the ship. Their two oldest sons, John (20) and Moses (19), sailed to Australia separately to join their mother.
Ikey's father was also accused of theft. However, the court allowed him to avoid his sentence because he was very old. Henry claimed he was over seventy years old.
Journey to Join His Family
Ann Solomon traveled on a ship called the Mermaid. She arrived at Hobart Town Penal Colony in June 1828. Back in New York, Ikey learned from newspapers that his wife had been sent to Australia. He decided he would sail to Tasmania to be with her.
Ikey first went to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Then he sailed on a ship called the Coronet to Hobart. He traveled using the name Slowman. This was probably a mistake in how his name was said, rather than a made-up name.
When Ikey arrived in Hobart on October 6, 1828, many people recognized him. Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, was home to many people Ikey knew from his past. Ikey was a famous fugitive because of his escape from London. However, he hadn't broken any laws in Tasmania.
Because of this, the leader of Tasmania, Lieutenant-Governor Colonel George Arthur, could not arrest Ikey without a special order from London. On October 17, 1828, he wrote to London asking for one. This order took a whole year to reach Tasmania.
While waiting, Ikey opened a tobacco shop and general store in Hobart. He also started asking for his wife to be allowed to live with him.
Ann Solomon had first been assigned to work as a servant for a police officer. But they had arguments, and she was sent to Tasmania's Female House of Correction. Ikey asked many times for Ann to be assigned to him. Lieutenant-Governor Arthur finally agreed. Ikey had to promise £1,000 to make sure his wife would not escape. Other local business owners also promised money to help.
Arrest and Return to England
The official orders for Ikey Solomon's arrest finally arrived in November 1829. They came on a ship called the Lady of the Lake. Authorities in Hobart immediately arrested him.
However, Ikey's lawyer brought him before the court using a special legal right called habeas corpus. This right means a person must be brought before a judge to decide if their arrest is lawful. The judge approved Ikey's release because of a small mistake in the London arrest orders. But the judge set his bail very high, at £2,000. Four friends also had to promise £500 each.
Ikey's friends found it hard to gather so much money. So, Lieutenant-Governor Arthur then issued his own arrest order for Ikey. Police arrested Ikey again and put him on a ship called the Prince Regent to be sent back to England.
Newspapers in Sydney and Hobart criticized the governor for not following the rules of habeas corpus. The chief police officer, Thomas Capon, had to go with Ikey on the voyage. This was because the ship's captain would not promise that Ikey would arrive safely.
Trial and Return to Australia
Ikey Solomon's trial at the Old Bailey court in London in June 1830 caused a huge stir. It was reported widely in newspapers and pamphlets of the time. There are many similarities between his trial and Fagin's trial in Oliver Twist. It is very likely that Charles Dickens used Ikey's trial as a basis for Fagin's.
Ikey was tried on eight charges of handling stolen goods. He was found guilty on two of them. He was sentenced to be sent away for fourteen years as punishment. The judge called Ikey "evil-disposed," showing how famous and disliked he had become.
Ikey was sent back to Hobart on a ship called the William Glen Anderson. He arrived in November 1831. He was sent to Richmond prison. In 1832, he became a "javelin man," which meant he was a convict who worked as a guard. In 1834, he was moved to Port Arthur Convict Settlement.
In 1835, Ikey was given a ticket of leave. This meant he had some freedom, but he had to live at least 20 miles (32 km) away from Hobart.
Family Life Changes
When Ikey was released from prison, he moved to New Norfolk. He tried to get back together with his family. However, his two older sons seem to have left Tasmania by then.
Ikey became separated from his wife and children. There were arguments. Most of the children took their mother's side. Some stories say Ikey made the children leave his house. Other stories say the children made their father leave.
Ann Solomon was sent back to the Female House of Correction because of some of these arguments. Her daughter, also named Ann, had to write many requests before her mother was released in September 1835.
Ikey and Ann lived apart for the rest of their lives. The elder Ann Solomon was given a ticket-of-leave in November 1835. She received a conditional pardon in May 1840, which meant she was almost fully free.
Ikey stayed in New Norfolk until 1838. He was living in New Town in 1840 when he received his own conditional pardon. He finally received his full certificate of freedom in 1844.
Death
Ikey Solomon died on September 3, 1850. He was buried the next day in the Jewish cemetery on Harrington Street in Hobart. His belongings were worth only about £70.
The small Jewish cemetery, which might have been the oldest Jewish cemetery in Australia, was destroyed in 2002. It had been officially closed in 1872. After the land was taken by the state in 1945, any remaining memorials were removed. An apartment complex was built on the site over the next ten years.
Ikey in Books and Stories
Ikey Solomon is still known today as the person who might have inspired the character of Fagin in Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist.
Ikey's life has been written about in several books, including:
- The First Fagin by Judith Sackville-O'Donnell, ISBN: 0-9585576-2-4
- Prince of Fences: The Life and Crimes of Ikey Solomons by J.J. Tobias, ISBN: 0-85303-174-6
- The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay, ISBN: 0-14-027365-4. This is a historical novel that was also made into a four-part TV show in Australia.
- Thanks a lot, Guv! – The Stories of Eight Convicts, from Trial in England to Detention and Freedom in Van Diemen's Land by T. Garth Hyland, ISBN: 0-9751610-0-8. This is also a historical novel.
Ikey Solomon was Jewish. How he has been shown in books and history has led to many discussions. Some people argue that many portrayals of Ikey Solomon have been unfair or prejudiced against Jewish people. Bryce Courtenay's character of Ikey in The Potato Factory has recently been part of such discussions. The Fagin character, because of his connection to Ikey, has caused similar debates.
Documentaries About Ikey
- The first Fagin by Helen Gaynor and Alan Rosenthal, Canberra – A.C.T., Ronin Films, 2012
