Grimsby Hebrew Congregation Grimsby, North East Loncolnshire, Lincolnshire

There has been a Jewish presence in Grimsby on and off since 1182. The first Jews to get a mention were Jeremias de Grimesby and Nehemiah the Jew, they are recorded in the Pipe Rolls of King Henry II. Very little is know about the Community at this time. Unfortunately all that can be said is that by 1290 there were no Jews in Grimsby (King Edward I had all Jews expelled from England at that time). The Jews were not to return until the 1860's, the situation in Eastern Europe coupled with the deep water port facilities and railway connections made Grimsby an attractive place to travel through. The Great Central Railway Company offered cheap package deals from Riga, Libau, Hamburg and Rotterdam to America via Grimsby (railway to Liverpool and Steamer to USA). At the height of the Exodus from Eastern Europe Grimsby saw some 5,000 immigrants a year (approximately 100,000 in total). The Grimsby population swelled from 8,860 in 1851 to 40,000 in 1880, a handful of these immigrants who put down roots were Jewish. The Jewish population is recorded as being 87 in 1871, rising to 450 in 1889-1918 and then gradually declining to 120 in 1982 and dwindling further still to 23 in 1992.

John Berman 2001

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