OLD PLYMOUTH . UK
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WHO WAS WHO IN OLD PLYMOUTH

ISIDORE COHEN (1880-1950)

Isidore Cohen was the third son of Abraham Cohen and his wife, Henrietta, who were born in the Kingdom of Prussia in 1846 and 1856 respectively.  Presumably after their marriage they moved to New York, United States of America, where their first two sons, Joseph Cohen and Phineas Cohen, were born in 1877 and 1878 respectively.  Apparently Mr Cohen had started selling prams, bicycles and toys in 1870, presumably in New York.  Isidore was the first son born in Plymouth in 1880.  At the time of the census on Sunday April 3rd 1881 Mr Cohen was and general dealer living at number 33 Vauxhall Street, Plymouth.  In 1889 Mr Abraham Cohen was listed as a pawnbroker living at number 45 Frankfort Street, right in the centre of the Town.

Mr Isidore Cohen married Miss Phoebe Robins at the Plymouth Synagogue on August 7th 1907.  A family followed: Godfrey Cohen, born September 22nd 1908; Jacob Cohen, born February 27th 1912; and Henrietta Peggy Cohen, born January 1st 1918.

By the mid-1920s Isidore was running a jewellers at number 44 Frankfort Street and a pawnbrokers next door at number 45.  These continued in 1935, the family being now housed at number 17 Carlisle Terrace, off Carlisle Avenue, Plymouth.  Isidore had gone into partnership with Mr D Fredman and opened an estate agents at number 25 Courtenay Street, Plymouth.

The earliest reference to John Wheel as a trading name was in October 1938 when the Western Morning News reviewed the business's all British selection of toys on show at number 30 Market Place, Plymouth.  This is confirmed by "Kelly's Post Office Directory of Plymouth" in 1939.  During the Blitz of March 1941 Market Place was destroyed and the business was transferred to number 6 Townsend Hill, Mutley Plain.  It is understood that a shop purely selling bicycles was opened at number 6 Drake Street.

On February 27th 1947 Isidore and Phoebe Cohen registered a limited company to acquire the toys, prams, cycles, wireless sets and accessories, and nursery furnishings business previously run by Isidore trading as John Wheel.  It had capital of £2,000 and the registered office was at 6 Townsend Hill.

In 1948 the couple trading as Messrs John Wheel Limited opened a shop at number 52 Mutley Plain, on the southern corner with Ford Park Road, purely for the sale of perambulators.  At some stage during the Second World War number 6 Drake Street, just outside the Pannier Market, was used as the bicycle shop.

John Wheel's shop on Mutley Plain, Plymouth, 1953.
Note the stork.
© City of Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery.

Mr Isidore Cohen, of "Winsford", Compton Park Villas Road, Mannamead, died suddenly on Friday December 29th 1950 while on a visit to London.  He was buried in the Jewish Cemetery in Gifford Place, Mutley, on Sunday December 31st 1950.  The business was continued by his widow, Mrs Phoebe Cohen, their two sons, Mr Godfrey Cohen and Mr Jacob Cohen, and Isidore's younger brother, Mr Herman E Cohen.  Mrs Henrietta Peggy Jackson acted as bookkeeper and typist.

By 1951 the shop on Mutley Plain had been joined by others at 40 and 42 Ebrington Street and a specialist bicycle shop at number 34 Ebrington Street, all operating under the name of Messrs John Wheel Limited and not as Mr Isidore Cohen's.

At 10.30am on Thursday October 30th 1958 they opened a new store at numbers 120 and 122 Cornwall Street.  It was designed by Messrs Narracott and Partners and built by Messrs A N Coles (Contractors) Ltd, of Plymouth.  Blue and white were the dominant colours used in the building: the window pillars were blue and the internal pillars were white.  Even the sun blinds were in blue and white stripes.  The upper floor was in the form of a gallery, which enabled shoppers on the ground floor to get a glimpse of the products on sale above.  The staircase was a special feature of the store.

It is not known when the business ceased.  Mr Herman E Cohen died in 1960; Mrs Phoebe Cohen died on August 30th 1969; Mr Godfrey Cohen passed away on May 20th 1980; Mrs Henrietta Peggy Jackson, of 66 London Road, Stanmore, Middlesex, died on November 29th 1985; and Mr Jacob "Jack" Cohen died in 2006.