Salomons Museum facts for kids
The Salomons Museum is a cool place to visit near Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. It's a museum inside a beautiful old country house. This house used to belong to Sir David Salomons, who was the first Jewish Lord Mayor of London. His nephew, Sir David Lionel Salomons, a clever scientist and engineer, also lived there. The house was first called Broomhill, but now it's just called Salomons. The Markerstudy Group takes care of the museum today.
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The Salomons House: Design and History
The main part of the Salomons house was built in the 1830s. A famous architect named Decimus Burton designed it. The house has a very tall water tower, stables for horses, and a special room for science lectures. Sir David Lionel Salomons also had his own laboratories there. Over the years, more parts were added to the house in 1854, 1863, 1908, 1910, and 1913. This historic house is officially recognized as a Grade II listed building. This means it's an important building that needs to be protected.
Sir David Salomons and Parliament
One of the most important items at the museum is a special bench. This is the bench where Sir David Salomons sat in 1851. From this very spot, he became the first Jewish person to speak in the British Parliament.
The Fight for Equality in Parliament
Before Sir David Salomons, it was very hard for Jewish people to become Members of Parliament (MPs). Baron Lionel de Rothschild was elected as an MP in 1847. However, he couldn't take his seat because he refused to say a part of the oath that mentioned "on the true faith of a Christian." He was elected again in 1850 and tried to take his oath without those words. But Parliament decided that non-Christians could not be MPs.
David Salomons' Brave Stand
In 1851, David Salomons was elected as an MP for Greenwich. On July 18, 1851, he went to Parliament. Like Rothschild, he took his oath but left out the words "on the true faith of a Christian." He then sat on the bench, which is now in the museum. When asked to leave, he stood up and left.
He returned three days later and sat down again. A big discussion started among the MPs. Another MP asked Salomons what he planned to do. David Salomons stood up and spoke. He explained that many people had voted for him, and he was there to represent them. He was the first Jewish person to ever speak in Parliament. He even voted three times before he was asked to leave by the Serjeant-at-Arms, an official who helps keep order.
Changing the Law
Because he voted without taking the full oath, David Salomons had to pay a sum of money. But his actions helped make a big change. The law that required MPs to swear "on the true faith of a Christian" was changed in 1858.
After the law changed, Lionel de Rothschild, who had been elected again in 1857, finally became the first Jewish MP to take his seat. David Salomons was elected again for Greenwich in 1859. He continued to serve in Parliament until he passed away in 1873.
Sir David Lionel Salomons' Amazing Collections
The museum also has many interesting things from Sir David Lionel Salomons. He loved science and new inventions. His collections include:
- Items related to hot air ballooning, showing how people explored the skies.
- Early automobiles, which were some of the first cars ever made.
- A special musical instrument called a Welte Philharmonic-Organ.
- Many of his writings about electricity and other scientific topics.
There is also a collection of Judaica, which are items related to Jewish culture and religion. This includes the tablets of the Ten Commandments from the Salomons family's private Roof-top synagogue in Brighton.
