Anne Marcus

	Morris Hartfield - Hartfield Parade
	Sonia Galperin - Concord House
	Nissim Levi - 'Kismet', Weel Road & Kismet Park

1. Morris Hartfield - Hartfield Parade

Morris Hartfield was born in Romania in 1869 as Morris Herzfeld but changed his name when he became a UK naturalised citizen. He was a draper by trade with a successful business in London but when he retired to Canvey he bought up considerable areas of land and began building and some of the street names were named after family members, such as Rose Road and there was a Morris Road, now Maurice Road and a Hartfield Parade.

Hartfield Parade still exists and the original wooded shops / premises (such as 'Snugfit') are still there, on the junction of High Street, with Florence Place. In actuality, the parade was built in the garden of his first house, the bungalow, 'Kilcreggan', Oxford Road (location 51.522526, 0.599460). Hartfield Parade also was the location of the first 'Canvey Hall' (actually called 'Kynochs, when at Hartfield Parade) which was run as a club for the benefit of locals as a village hall type of establishment ('a social home and pubic hall for the people of the island') and was much appreciated by the locals. He also built the 'Pavilion' on the seafront, as an amusement centre, but sold out as he did not want to turn it into a club, as it was against his principles.

He was responsible for Samson Lodge (originally his second personal residence, after Kilcreggan, but named after his Masonic Lodge) - now the telephone exchange (opposite no. 9 Oxford Road), Canvey Hall and the Terminus Hotel. His family were more generally involved in the tourism and entertainment business. One of the family, Monty, even converted an old airplane into a café, 'Monty's Mono Bar & Teas', with a trestle table set up under the wind of the plane!

In addition to his property interests he took part in the administrative and political life on the Island, becoming one of the first members of Canvey Island Urban District Council. He was also on the boards of several schools and represented residents on the Ratepayers Association. It was said that he was a very outspoken passionate character and is featured greatly in the Canvey Island Archive, one unusual reference being to Morris keeping a large goose who he often referred to as his watch dog. He died locally in September 1932.
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2. Sonia Galperin - Concord House

SONIA GALPERIN

Sonia Galperin was born in Russia in 1894, daughter of Morris and Yita Sophrin (anglicised as Shoffren). A photo on the Canvey Island history web-site, shows Sonia roughly a year before she joined other members of her family in England in an unusually informal pose for the period. According to her work permit her occupation on arrival in the UK was 'Household Duties' at 60 Park Road, Southend on Sea. She married Nathan Leonid Galperin in 1915 and the couple moved to Canvey Island in 1927

Sonia established a convalescence home for sick London children in a house called 'Concord' situated in Eastern Esplanade next to the flats opposite Concord beach. She later set up an Abbeyfield Home in Sweetbriers Walk, off the High Street, now Venables Close, in 1959. Later she became associated with several Canvey organisations such as the Commonwealth Carnival and the Canvey St. Raphael Club for the handicapped. In recognition of her war-time work for the Aid to Russia Fund she received a letter from Mrs. Churchill.

Sonia was the aunt of Simon Shoffren the founder of Tower Radio, and she lived in one of the San Remo bungalows that were situated opposite the original Tower Radio Shop in the High Street. Sonia died in 1974 whilst staying with her son in Kingsbury.

The site of the house and grounds, is the area of grass, marked off with white concrete bollards, opposite the sign on the concrete retaining wall declaring 'Welcome to Concord Beach' and the house was on the eastern side of the plot near to the current 'Esplanade View' flats, location 51.512823, 0.599809.
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3. Nissim Levi - 'Kismet', Weel Road & Kismet Park

NISSIM LEVI

One of the earliest Jewish residents of Canvey Island was Nissim Levi. Nissim was born in Turkey to parents Moses and Sultana. He married Leah Atkinson, known as Lettice, who was not Jewish, and they and their children settled on Canvey Island in the early part of the twentieth century. Nissim followed his father's profession, importing oriental carpets, and this enabled the family to build a large house which they named 'Kismet'. They were wealthy enough to employ servants and a governess for their children and in retirement Nissim and Lettice travelled the world. They finally settled down on the Dorset coast, dying within days of each other. Whilst the house no longer stands the local park is named 'Kismet Park' and remains the legacy to his time in Canvey. The site of the house, as may be deduced from the historic postcard, appears to be under the modern bungalow at 13 Weel Road (and the two bungalows either side), just off the NW corner of present day Kismet Park. Location: 51.515954, 0.606747. The location of the park is: 51.514870, 0.607699
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