Queensgate Inverness

[mezentia]

I'm trying to find out what 22 Queensgate Inverness was used for in and around 1908. I know that today it's a butchers, but although the current occupiers started their business in 1911, they didn't move there until much later. I think No 22 might have been a Caledonian McBride office at some point. However, in 1908 it was used to hold a Jewish marriage ceremony.  So was it a Jewish residence, a synagogue, or a Jewish business in 1908? Are there any trade directories for that period that might help, and if so where can I get to see them?

Thanks

David

[Chortlegirl]

Hi David

I hope that some of the following may be of interest.

In James Miller's book "Inverness" (publ 2004) he says that:

"The slowing of the building boom meant that all the sites in Queensgate were not finally filled until 1900 ... The last block in Queensgate, on the corner between the Post Office  and Church Street was built for £25,000 by the sons of the late provost Alexander Fraser and offered accommodation for shops, offices and apartments with, in the centre, a thirty bedroom hotel."

Now if my geography of Inverness is correct (it's been a while since I was there!) the butchers you refer to is Duncan Fraser which is part of the block mentioned above (between the Post Office and Church Street). There's no mention of a synagogue or similar establishment - could the hotel have been the site of the marriage? By the way, this hotel is not the Queensgate Hotel which is on the other side of the street.

Have you tried the website www.ambaile.co.uk ? It's got lots of info on the Highlands including old photos, telephone directories, manuscripts etc. I did a quick search for "Queensgate" but couldn't see anything obvious, but you may have more luck!

Hoping this is of some help.
Lynn

[mezentia]

Hello Lynn

Thanks for the info. I've already been in touch with the butchers: they moved there in 1945, I think they said. I'm not very au fait with Jewish marriages, so I'm not sure if No 22 was a private residence, an office, a synagogue, or what? I'm just puzzled as to why this couple would travel such a long way to get married.

I'll try the link you suggested to see if that turns up anything.

David

[Martin Briscoe]

There is nothing like that marked on the 1903 map of Inverness (Alan Godfrey)

Also I notice that the 1900 telephone directory does not give any property numbers in Queensgate (they do in other streets).  There are certainly a number of solicitors there at that time.

Martin Briscoe

[LAURIE81]

I've just come across this when I was looking through street directories of Inverness.
https://digital.nls.uk/directories/browse/archive/86053375

This is the individual page:
https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn8/8605/86053377.8.xml

It seems a Louis Hirshberg was a Fancy Goods Dealer at 22 Queens Gate, Inverness between 1907 and 1908. I think Hirsberg is a German/Jewish name.

Laurie

[Martin Briscoe]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned but the NLS now have many streets maps of towns in Scotland.

https://maps.nls.uk/towns/inverness.html

Also you can look at Valuation Rolls on Scotlands People, from what I remember they list all properties with some details of them.  They might not appear if not the owner of the business but you can do some searches free.

[Forfarian]

Hirsch is German for 'stag' and Berg is 'mountain'. I don't know anything about Yiddish except that it is related to German.

The 1913 Valuation Roll lists several Hirschbergs, none at 22 Queensgate. See screenshot.

The part of the arcade leading off Queensgate is called Queensgate Arcade. Could Louis Hirschberg's shop have been 22 Queensgate Arcade rather than 22 Queensgate?

Louis Hirschberg married Lottie Kahn in Glasgow in 1899. The marriage certificate wil tell you which religion they were married in, if any.

The 1901 census records that Louis and Lottie, and Louis' brother Nathan, were born in Russia. Both Louis and Nathan were jewellers.

There were at least four children born in Inverness: Natan, 1901; Oscar, 1902; Samuel Jack, 1906; Abraham Moses, 1911.

The 1911 census index lists in Inverness Lottie, 35; Louis, 34; Sydney, 10; Nathan, 9; Oscar, 8; Frederick, 6; Jack, 4; Moses, under 1 year.

The birth certificates and/or the original documents will give the addresses where they lived.

[AlanBoyd]

I'm not sure exactly what is going on here, but evidently L Hirschberg was also an auctioneer and valuator.

7 December 1907: Shetland Times

[manukarik]

Do you have access to Ancestry? There is a naturalisation document for Louis Hirschberg, Jeweller, born about 1879 in Tuckum, Kurland, Riga (Russia, now Latvia) and living at 22 Queensgate in Inverness in 1908. It shows him as married with 5 children (who are listed). Parents = Hirsche Hirschberg and Frederica Rottermund.

I think Tuckum must be Tukums in Latvia.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01tit/

JewishGen https://www.jewishgen.org/ has lots of Hirschberg and Herzberg familes listed in Latvia (including Tukums) and links to contact people who've been researching these families. You can sign up for free and it might be worth a shot?

In 1901-1902 Street Directory, Louis is shown as at 30 Market Arcade, Queensgate (Fancy Goods). As far as I can make out that would be in what is now the Victorian Market.

https://digital.nls.uk/dcn6/8574/85749082.6.pdf Page 126