British financier, born at Liverpool on the 21st of December 1832, and came of a Jewish family named Samuel, but afterwards took by royal licence the name of Montagu. Beginning in early life in a very humble way of business he gradually acquired great wealth by enlarging its scope, and he rose to the head of the most important arbitrage house in London. A strong Liberal in politics, he sat in Parliament for the Tower Hamlets from 1885 to 1900; he was a member of the Gold and Silver commission of 1887–90, being himself a bimetallist. He was created a baronet in 1894, and raised to the peerage in 1907. Throughout his life he was a zealous promoter of Jewish interests, founding the loan fund of the Jewish board of guardians, the Jewish working men’s club and several synagogues, and for his work on emigration schemes for the persecuted Russian Jews he made many journeys in Europe and America, succeeding Sir Julian Goldsmid as chairman of the Russo-Jewish Committee. He also helped to establish a modern secular school for Jews at Jerusalem in 1875. He died in London on the 12th of January 1911, being succeeded in the title by his eldest son, Louis Samuel Montagu (1869–1927). His second son, Edwin Samuel Montagu (1879–1924), entered politics, and, after having been Under-secretary for India (1910–4), Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1915), Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1914–6) and Minister of Munitions (1916), was made Secretary of State for India in 1917. His fourth daughter, Lilian Helen (1873–1963), became a well-known social worker and was appointed J.P. for the County of London in July 1920.
