Edgar Israel Cohen

In 1903 the firm was amalgamated with Cresswell Brothers and Schmitz, Henry Marks & Sons, becoming the public company, International Sponge Importers Limited.

This was agreed and in 1889 a prospectus was published indicating that Mr C. D. Harrod was leaving the business on health grounds and a limited company was being formed to buy his holdings for £100,000.

He remained on the board for many years, becoming a director of Harrods Buenos Aires when it was created in 1914, and involved with the takeover of Dickins & Jones in 1914 and Swan & Edgar in 1920.

In 1907 Cohen became involved with The General Motor Cab Co., a business established to create a large fleet of taxis in London based on the Paris system.

Cohen was the managing director for the business, responsible for the purchase of the vehicles, spares, garaging, training and negotiations with the authorities in London and with the drivers.

His son-in-law, Frank Brighten, provided costumes for London productions and his daughters, Hilda and Madeline (Maddie), were both involved with the theatre.

[7] Cohen's house parties were lavish affairs and many of the celebrities of the period from the world of entertainment attended such as Enrico Caruso, Leslie Stuart, Auguste van Biene, Lewis Waller and many others.

[9] Cohen's son, Stanley, inherited his love of gambling but got into debt and embezzled money from the International Sponge Importers Limited, where he had been a director and manager for 26 years.

His visitors included business associates, jockeys, trainers, people seeking financial support, entertainers asking for introductions and inventors looking for funding.

However, Lemoine continued his quest for money and persuaded Sir Julius Wernher of De Beers to part with several thousands pounds.

She was the daughter of Charlotte Abrahams and Solomon Beyfus, who was an East End trader and bill discounter living in Bedford Square, London.

When they first married, Cohen and Ada took a neighbouring house in Bedford Square but in about 1891 moved to 4 Hall Road, St John's Wood.