June 13th Jewish Evacuee Children Arrive in Penzance
     

On this day in 1940, one hundred Jewish evacuee children arrived by railway at Penzance with five teachers. They were amongst many thousands of East End children who were evacuated to the county. The children, who had all attended the Jewish Free School in East London,  were billeted with the villagers of Mousehole. Synagogue services were held in Paul Village Hall but, interestingly, they also attended Chapel services since many of their host families were committed Methodists.

The children integrated well and were welcomed by the villagers of Mousehole who taught them to swim, sail and fish.  A report in The Cornishman recorded that ‘Long, long before the train from London bearing the evacuee children was due to arrive every available vantage point overlooking the station was crowded with spectators. One section, composed in the main of children, lined the Cliff, overlooking the arrival platform, waiting to give their visitors a welcome.

Outside, in the station approaches, great crowds had to be controlled by the police and traffic wardens. There was an air of expectancy about, a feeling of curiosity mingled with sympathy for these children sent so far from their own firesides.

For unknown reasons, there was only ever a very small Jewish population in Cornwall but the first purpose-built synagogue in Penzance was built in 1807 largely financed by Joseph Branwell. Branwell was the brother in law of Maria Branwell (April 15th) who married his cousin and Maria’s sister, Elizabeth, in Madron on the same day that Maria married Patrick Brontë in Yorkshire.

 

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