Edward Lawrence Levy

My wife is descended from one of Edward Lawrence Levy’s uncles, Charles Lewis (they changed their name from Levy to Lewis), who was her GG Grandfather..

Edward Lawrence Levy was the son of Lawrence Levy who was a Sheriff’s Officer for Middlesex and also dabbled in the theatre – he owned the lease of the Victoria theatre at one point.

Edward Lawrence was articled to my wife’s ancestor Charles Lewis (as stated in the case of Gibbs 1846 as reported in The Daily News, 22 January 1846). The case of Levite v Lewis (see The Times, 21st June, 1864) illustrates the break down of the relationship with his uncle, probably as a result of Edward Lawrence’s unprofessional behaviour.

I haven’t yet finished ploughing through all the newspaper reports of Edward Lawrence’s frauds, but he certainly seems to have achieved notoriety.

This whole wider branch of the Levy family is interesting and its members appear in the press many times from around 1820 into the 1890s, usually relating to their money lending, professional and unprofessional activities, and through their marriages they have close links with the top professional classes and aristocracy, but analysing and recording it all is a large undertaking.

Robert Ward