Sam Mendel (1811–1884), the "Merchant Prince", was one of the leading merchants in Manchester during its rise to industrial prominence. He was born in Liverpool, but the family soon relocated to Manchester where his father, Emmanuel, established a rope, twine, and pitch-paper business and then later a hotel, the Manchester and Liverpool (subsequently known as ''Mendel's Hotel''). Samuel first worked in a warehouse on Bow Street belonging to Mr. B. Liebert, and during this time he also travelled extensively. Building on his experience he began his own business and rapidly became one of Manchester's leading textile merchants. He built a large warehouse, Chepstow House, in central Manchester. At first he resided at Greenheys Priory, formerly the family home of

Thomas De Quincey Thomas Penson De Quincey (; 15 August 17858 December 1859) was an English writer, essayist, and literary critic, best known for his ''Confessions of an English Opium-Eater'' (1821). Many scholars suggest that in publishing this work De Quince ...

. He then built a substantial mansion, Manley Hall, in Whalley Range and filled it with an impressive collection of art (much of it acquired with the aid of the noted art dealers

Thomas Agnew & Sons Thomas Agnew & Sons is a fine arts dealer in London that began life as part of in a print and publishing partnership with Vittore Zanetti in Manchester in 1817 which ended in 1835, when Agnew took full control of the company. The firm opened its Lo ...

). While resident there he converted from

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...

High Church The term ''high church'' refers to beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, liturgy, and theology that emphasize formality and resistance to modernisation. Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term originate ...

Anglicanism Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...

and became a trustee of

St Clement's Church, Chorlton-cum-Hardy St Clement's Church is an active Anglican parish church in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, England. Its daughter church, St Barnabas (opened 1951), serves the Barlow Moor estate and south Chorlton. St Clement's is in the Hulme deanery in the dioc ...

, despite not residing in the

Parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

. Along with another trustee,

William Cunliffe Brooks Sir William Cunliffe Brooks, 1st Baronet, (30 September 1819 – 9 June 1900) was an English barrister, banker and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1869 and 1892. Life Brooks was the son of Samuel Brooks, a b ...

, he controversially opposed the building of the new, larger church. He was also the patron of the village brass band. Due to difficulties with his business, caused by the alterations to trade arising from the opening of the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...

, he was forced to sell Manley Hall and to abandon most of his business interests. There was a sale of his art collection at

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...

in 1875. His later years were spent in reduced circumstances in

Chislehurst Chislehurst () is a suburban district of south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Bromley. It lies east of Bromley, south-west of Sidcup and north-west of Orpington, south-east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater L ...

. He died in

Balham Balham () is an area in south London, England, mostly within the London Borough of Wandsworth with small parts within the neighbouring London Borough of Lambeth. The area has been settled since Saxon times and appears in the Domesday Book as B ...

in 1884.Swindells, T. (1905) "Old Deansgate (with two Illustrations)", ''The Manchester Quarterly: A Journal of Literature and Art'', Vol. XXIV.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mendel, Sam English art collectors 1811 births 1884 deaths Businesspeople from Liverpool Businesspeople from Manchester 19th-century English businesspeople