Alfred Aaron D Ezra, OBE

Alfred Aaron D EZRA
- born 1872 Poona, India
- died 1955
- father Elias EZRA
- mother Mozelle SASSOON
- married Muriel Helene SASSOON and had children
1) Ruth EZRA
2) Aline M EZRA

LINKS

• http://www.farhi.org/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I24044&tree=F...
• http://www.dangoor.com/TheScribe72.pdf

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Obituary at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1956.tb03033...

ALFRED EZRA.

All those who knew Alfred Ezra will mourn his death. He passed away at his home in Foxwarren Park, Surrey, on 1 August 1955, at the age of 82 after a long illness. Primarily an aviculturist, he was also well known in ornithological circles in England, in India, and indeed throughout the world. Possessed of a great knowledge of birds in general, be had long been an active member of the B.O.U. (which he joined in 1916), the R.O.C. and other societies, attending meetings regularly and helping in every way he could. Shy and unassuming, he was always thinking of the interest and welfare of others, his extraordinary generosity usually remaining unknown.

He constantly supported not only societies, but individuals. Always unpretentious, he nevertheless wrote for the ‘Avicultural Magazine’ and other journals a number of papers full of interesting observations on the numerous rare species which lived and bred in his aviaries. Between 1920 and 1940, his collection of birds counted among the finest assembled anywhere or at any time. Depleted during the war years, it still exists today, but on a reduced scale as ill-health had curtailed his activities. There still are, however, many rare specimens at Foxwarren.

Alfred Ezra was born in India in 1872, the son of Elias David Ezra, his mother being a member of the Sassoon family. He was privately educated in Calcutta, and from the beginning showed a keen interest in birds, which he started collecting when still a child. He came to Europe in 1912 in an unusual way, travelling overland through the Pamirs and Turkestan, hunting rare animals on the march. Ever since he had lived in England, but he kept a close connection with India, where he returned repeatedly. His elder brother, Sir David Ezra, remained there until his death a few years ago, and kept in Calcutta a large private zoo.

Ezra made his home at Foxwarren Park, Cobham, Surrey, in 1919, and the beautiful grounds soon became famous for their magnificent collections of birds and park animals. Besides the annual garden party given for the members of the .4vicultural Society, every congress and meeting of ornithological or zoological groups gathering in England was entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Ezra in a way no one ever forgot.

Alfred Ezra served on the R.O.U. Committee 1923-1926, was the President of the Avicultural Society since 1926, and was a member of Council of the London Zoological Society since 1915. Not only was he the most generous benefactor the Zoo ever knew, but his experience and wisdom was a great asset to the Council, and he richly deserved the Gold Medal presented to him in 1953, the fifth 50 far awarded by the Society. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services during the First World War with Indian Troops in Europe.

His familiar and benevolent presence will be sadly missed in the ornithological world, not only by his own friends, of whom the writer was probably the closest, but by all who had the privilege of approaching him and could appreciate his great, inborn, unselfish kindness. He is survived by his widow, and two daughters, Miss Ruth Ezra and Mrs. Claude J. Morney.

J. DELACOUR