Ada Lewis trough
This is the top of a horse trough, at the end of Maidenhead bridge, labelled the "Ada Lewis trough" erected November 1908.
The back story is more interesting than either the structure, or the picture...
Ada Hannah Davis was born in Liverpool in 1844. She married Samuel Lewis in 1867.
Samuel Lewis was born in Birmingham in 1837. He began work at thirteen, sold steel pens, then opened a jeweler's shop, and became a fashionable money-lender, with aristocratic clients.
Samuel and Ada prospered, and owned houses in London and Maidenhead.
On his death in 1901, Samuel left an endowment to set up a charitable trust to provide good quality homes for working people in London. Samuel Lewis Housing Trust susequently became Southern Housing Group, and now owns 24,000 homes. Ada became the wealthiest widow in England, and, at the age of 60 married a guards officer less than half her age. She died in 1906, and was buried next to Sam in Golders Green cemetery.
From the British Journal of Nursing, October 1906...
"We wonder if it is any consolation to those unfortunate persons who borrowed money from the usurer Sam Lewis that much of the £2,500,000 which he left to his wife is to benefit (now that the lady is dead) our chartiable institutions. We doubt it.
But the windfall has caused great glee to many hard-working hospital secretaries. Amongst the charities which benefit is King Edward's hospital fund which gets £250,000. Other bequests are the London Hospital for a ward to be called the "Ada Lewis Ward",” £20,000; to the Sisters of Nazareth, Hammersmith, £20,000; for a home for London working girls, to be named "The Ada Lewis Home” £15,000; for charitable institutions at Cookham and Maidenhead, £15,000; for the relief of the Jewish poor in Dublin, £15,000.
The sum of £10,000 was left to each of the following: Guy’s, Charing Cross, St. George’s, St. Bartholomew’s, University College, St, Thomas’s, and Metropolitan Hospitals, Maidenhead Hospital, Hospital for Consumption, Sussex County Hospital (Brighton), Jews’ College, and the Jewish Board of Guardians for the relief of poor Jews.
Each of the following receives £5,000: Paddingdon Green Children’s Hospital, Evelina Hospital for Sick Children, London Ophthalmic Hospital, and the Jewish Soup Kitchen.
Also Lender to the Lords, giver to the poor and Jewish encyclopedia and Wikipedia
Ada Lewis trough
This is the top of a horse trough, at the end of Maidenhead bridge, labelled the "Ada Lewis trough" erected November 1908.
The back story is more interesting than either the structure, or the picture...
Ada Hannah Davis was born in Liverpool in 1844. She married Samuel Lewis in 1867.
Samuel Lewis was born in Birmingham in 1837. He began work at thirteen, sold steel pens, then opened a jeweler's shop, and became a fashionable money-lender, with aristocratic clients.
Samuel and Ada prospered, and owned houses in London and Maidenhead.
On his death in 1901, Samuel left an endowment to set up a charitable trust to provide good quality homes for working people in London. Samuel Lewis Housing Trust susequently became Southern Housing Group, and now owns 24,000 homes. Ada became the wealthiest widow in England, and, at the age of 60 married a guards officer less than half her age. She died in 1906, and was buried next to Sam in Golders Green cemetery.
From the British Journal of Nursing, October 1906...
"We wonder if it is any consolation to those unfortunate persons who borrowed money from the usurer Sam Lewis that much of the £2,500,000 which he left to his wife is to benefit (now that the lady is dead) our chartiable institutions. We doubt it.
But the windfall has caused great glee to many hard-working hospital secretaries. Amongst the charities which benefit is King Edward's hospital fund which gets £250,000. Other bequests are the London Hospital for a ward to be called the "Ada Lewis Ward",” £20,000; to the Sisters of Nazareth, Hammersmith, £20,000; for a home for London working girls, to be named "The Ada Lewis Home” £15,000; for charitable institutions at Cookham and Maidenhead, £15,000; for the relief of the Jewish poor in Dublin, £15,000.
The sum of £10,000 was left to each of the following: Guy’s, Charing Cross, St. George’s, St. Bartholomew’s, University College, St, Thomas’s, and Metropolitan Hospitals, Maidenhead Hospital, Hospital for Consumption, Sussex County Hospital (Brighton), Jews’ College, and the Jewish Board of Guardians for the relief of poor Jews.
Each of the following receives £5,000: Paddingdon Green Children’s Hospital, Evelina Hospital for Sick Children, London Ophthalmic Hospital, and the Jewish Soup Kitchen.
Also Lender to the Lords, giver to the poor and Jewish encyclopedia and Wikipedia