Lionel tcherny

GEDCOM Note

Translation from the Russian of a document held by Patricia Hamilton (grand-daugher)

Licensed by Kiev district Educational board Bookkeeping private courses by A.P. Bobyr March 24, 1906 Main text: Certificate Issued to citizen Lev Tzalevich Cherny born on February 28, 1885 certifying that in 1906 he was accepted to bookkeeping course managed by A.P. Bobyr in Kiev, studied for 2 months and finished the course with very good achievements in double bookkeeping. (Signature and stamp)

Black is the English translation of the Russian name, Tschorny (his brother who settled in the US, opted for the Anglicised version Chorney) Lionel was known as Pops to his children, and Pop-Pop to his (Benjamin) grandchildren. Reputed to have made and lost several fortunes! His youngest son, Sam, left school in July 1932, and there was no money for him to go to university, as his elder brothers had done.

Settled in England with his wife and two oldest children in 1912.

When Sam was born in 1915, his father was described as directory publisher. 136 Petherton Rd. (Above a dairy) Thought to be the compiler of Black's Directory of Anglo-Russian Business, c 1914.

1917/8 Visited New York: this is suspected to be the occasion of the falling out with his brother Nathan, after which the two branches of the family had little contact for two generations. He returned to Liverpool on the American Line ship, the St Louis, on January 29th 1918. His occupation is given as Exporter, and his address as Spring Villa, Richmond Park Row, Clifton. (This may be incorrect, there is a Richmond Park Road, Richmond, but no Row) Interestingly, Lionel's last permanent resident is given as the USA - had Lionel intended to settle in the US?

In 1920, Betty's birth cert gives his occupation as silk dealer, 160 Highbury New Park. By 1927, 160 Highbury New Park was shared by my grandparents and the PLUMMERs and the YATES. Sub-letting, then moved out.

1920 and 1921 London Telephone Directories:

Black L & Co, Exporters & Importers, 3 Finsbury Square, EC2 . Tel No: Clerkenwell 1815 Black Lionel, 160 Highbury New Park, Tel No: North 3835

1920 Electoral Registers Black, Lionel & Sophia at 160 HNP 1921 Electoral Records Black, Lionel alone at 1 Finsbury Square (address of solicitors Herbert Oppenheimer, Nathan and Vandyke) 1927 Electoral Registers Lionel & Sophia at 160 HNP

In 1932 160 Highbury New Park was raided by MI5 as a suspected residence of Russian spies. It is known that the family were still there in January 1932 but may have moved prior to the raid. Certainly, by 1933 Lionel was an estate agent, living at 316 Seven Sisters Road, i.e. letting out rooms in that large house.

"A released Home Office file (HO 144/17917) deals with concern that R.O.P. Ltd. were engaged in dubious activities circa from July 1932 to August 1933. Officials were concerned that this company was being used as a base for communist political activities leading to espionage and sabotage. Apart from the Home Office severely limiting the large number of applicants to join the board of R.O.P. Ltd., there are files which include profiles of communist activists and employees, both Russian and British, and submissions from surveillance officers and ex-employees. For example, in 1932 Volodarsky, clumsily posing as a Romanian journalist, offered bribes to Shell Mex employees in return for oil industry information. Volodarsky was in fact an OGPU agent, posing in Britain under cover of being employed by Russian Oil Products. At this time Volodarsky was living at 160 Highbury New Park, an address associated at the time with many Soviet agents." (Russian Oil Products Ltd http://www.blisworth.org.uk/images/Canal/Arm/ROP.htm)

1937 Telephone Directory Black, Lionel. 316 Seven Sisters Rd, N4 Tel: STAmford Hill 1413. 1938 Telephone Directory Black, Lionel. 7 Adolphus Rd, N4, having taken the phone number with him. the family stayed at this address until Lionel's death

In 1939 he was living at 7 Adolphus Rd, a rent collector. Letting out most of this house - and probably also rooms at Seven Sisters Rd. I know that he owned the Adolphus Rd house, but do not know whether he owned, or just managed the other one.