>Jolly at 16:47, 13 December 2021

2021-12-13T16:47:50Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}

{{Infobox person
| honorific-prefix = [[Sir]]
| name = Albert Sassoon
| honorific-suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|Bt||KCB|CSI}}
| image = [[File:Albert Sassoon.jpg]]
| image_size =
| caption = Illustration of Albert Sassoon from [[Vanity Fair (magazine)|''Vanity Fair'']], 16 August 1879
| birth_name = Albert Abdullah David Sassoon
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1818|7|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Baghdad]], [[Mamluk dynasty (Iraq)|Iraq]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1896|10|24|1818|7|25|df=y}}
| death_place = Brighton, England
| death_cause =
| nationality = [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]]
| spouse = {{marriage|Hannah Meyer Moise|1838|1895|reason=died}}
| children = 6, including [[Edward Sassoon|Edward]]
| parents = [[David Sassoon (treasurer)|David Sassoon]] <br/> Hannah Joseph
| relatives = [[Sassoon family|Sassoon]]
| signature =
| footnotes =
| occupation = Businessman, banker, and philanthropist
}}

'''Sir Albert Abdullah David Sassoon, 1st Baronet''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCB|CSI}}, (25 July 1818{{snd}}24 October 1896) was a [[British Iraqis|British]] [[Baghdadi Jews|Baghdadi Jewish]] businessman and philanthropist.

==Biography==

===Life and career===
Sassoon was born on 25 July 1818 in [[Baghdad]], [[Iraq]], into the [[Baghdadi Jews|Jewish]] [[Sassoon family]]. He was educated in [[India]]. After his father's death, he served as head of his family's merchant company 'David Sassoon & Sons' (later called '[[David Sassoon & Co.]]').<ref name="EB1911"/>

Under Albert Sassoon's leadership David Sassoon & Sons established in 1874 in Bombay a new subsidiary, the 'Sassoon Spinning and Weaving Company', which opened several [[cotton mill]]s there.<ref>Vijay K. Seth: "Ascent and Decline of native and colonial Trading - Tale of Four Indian Cities", SAGE Publications India Pvt Ltd., New Delhi 2019, p. 50, {{ISBN|978-93-532-8085-7}}</ref> In 1875 the company built the [[Sassoon Docks]], the first [[wet dock]]s in Bombay.<ref>Joan G. Roland: "The Jewish Communities of India - Identity in Colonial Era", Transaction Publishers, London/ New York 1998, p. 18, {{ISBN|978-0-7658-0439-6}}</ref> The company was also instrumental in the founding of the [[Imperial Bank of Persia]] in 1889.<ref>Between Foreigner and Shi'is, Daniel Tsadik, p. 112, 2007, Stanford University Press,</ref>

After a visit to [[England]] in 1873, Albert Sassoon settled there permanently in 1875 to direct 'David Sassoon & Sons' from [[London]]. The management of the company's affairs in Bombay was left to his younger brother [[Solomon David Sassoon (1841–1894)|Solomon David Sassoon]] (1841–1894).<ref name="Joan G. Roland 1998, p.19">Joan G. Roland: "The Jewish Communities of India - Identity in Colonial Era", Transaction Publishers, London/ New York 1998, p. 19, {{ISBN|978-0-7658-0439-6}}</ref>

Albert Sassoon died in [[Brighton]] in 1896, aged 78, and was buried in the [[Sassoon Mausoleum]], which he had built in [[Brighton]] (England). In 1933 his body was removed and reburied in the [[Liberal Jewish Cemetery, Willesden]] in London.<ref>Sharman Kadish, ''Jewish Heritage in England: an Architectural Guide'' (English Heritage, 2006, pp. 77-78)</ref><ref>Peter Stansky: "Sassoon: the worlds of Philip and Sybil", Yale University Press, 2003, p. 16</ref> A [[mausoleum]] was also built for him in the [[Jewish Cemetery, Chinchpokli]].<ref name=BbM>Prashant Kidambi, Manjiri Kamat, Rachel Dwyer, eds. ''Bombay Before Mumbai: Essays in Honour of Jim Masselos'' (Oxford University Press, 15 August 2019), [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SPerDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT11 p. 11]</ref>

===Philanthropy and honors===
He was a major benefactor to the city of Bombay. Among his gifts was a significant contribution towards the reconstruction of the [[Elphinstone High School]]<ref name="EB1911"/> and the erection of a large equestrian statue of the [[Prince of Wales]], [[Edward VII|Albert Edward]], commemorating his visit to India in 1875. He also financed many scholarships and became a close adviser to the government on educational and building projects.<ref name="Joan G. Roland 1998, p.19"/>

David Sassoon donated [[Rupee|Rs.]] 60,000, while the Government of [[Bombay Presidency]] bore the remainder of the cost of Rs. 65,000, for the construction of the [[David Sassoon Library|David Sassoon Library and Reading Room]] on Rampart Row, [[Kala Ghoda]] in Bombay. Its construction was completed in 1870, and like many buildings in the vicinity such as Elphinstone College, Army and Navy Buildings and Watson's Hotel, it was built using yellow Malad stone. The entrance portico bears his white stone bust.

The [[Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum]], formerly The Victoria and Albert Museum was built with the patronage of many wealthy Indian businessmen and philanthropists including Albert Sassoon, Sir [[Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy]] and [[Jaganath Shunkerseth]].

In 1866 Sassoon was made a Companion of the [[Order of the Star of India]] (CSI), and in 1872 a Knight Companion of the [[Order of the Bath]] (KCB).<ref name="EB1911"/> Around the same time he received "Order of Lion and Sun" from Shah of Persia for "work in Persia and his services in the development of Persian commerce".<ref>Between Foreigner and Shi'is, Daniel Tsadik, page 112, 2007, Stanford University Press.</ref> During his visit to England in 1873 he received the freedom of the city of [[London]].<ref name="EB1911"/> After Albert Sassoon had settled in England he was created [[Baronet]] Sassoon in 1890.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=26019|date=31 January 1890|page=545}}</ref>

===Family===
Albert Sassoon married Hannah Meyer Moise (1823–1895) in 1838. They had six children. The eldest son was [[Edward Sassoon]] (1856–1912), who in turn was the father of [[Philip Sassoon]] (1888–1939) and [[Sybil Cholmondeley, Marchioness of Cholmondeley]] (1894–1989).

Albert Sassoon's father, [[David Sassoon (treasurer)|David Sassoon]] (1792–1864), was a leading [[Baghdad]] merchant and a treasurer under [[Ahmet Pasha (Governor of Baghdad)|Ahmet Pasha]], the Governor of Baghdad. However, he fled after he was implicated in a corruption scandal, moving from Baghdad to [[Bushire]], in [[Iran]], and finally settled in [[Bombay]] (now Mumbai) in 1832, where he founded a large mercantile business, called "David Sassoon & Sons".<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Sassoon, Sir Albert Abdullah David|volume=24|page=227}}</ref>

Albert Sassoon's great-great-great-grandson is the actor [[Jack Huston]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{DNB poster|Sassoon, Albert Abdullah David}}
{{Commons category|Albert Abdullah David Sassoon}}
*[http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13218-sassoon Sir Albert Sasoon profile] in the ''[[Jewish Encyclopedia]]'' by [[Joseph Jacobs]], [[Goodman Lipkind]], J. Hyams

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{{s-ttl|title=[[Sassoon Baronets|Baronet]]<br />'''(of Kensington Gore)'''|years=1890–1896}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sassoon, Albert}}
[[Category:Sassoon family|Albert]]
[[Category:English Jews]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Star of India]]
[[Category:Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1818 births]]
[[Category:1896 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Baghdad]]
[[Category:Iraqi Jews]]
[[Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Burials at Liberal Jewish Cemetery, Willesden]]
[[Category:Founders of Indian schools and colleges]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Members of the Bombay Legislative Council]]
[[Category:19th-century Indian philanthropists]]
[[Category:19th-century British businesspeople]]
[[Category:19th-century British philanthropists]]

Albert Sassoon - Revision history

>Jolly at 16:47, 13 December 2021