Jacob Elia Abdela
of Manchester
1895 'A GREEK MERCHANT'S FAILURE.
RE JACOB ABDELA. — This debtor, who has traded as Jacob Abdela and Co., merchants and commission merchants, was examined by the Official Receiver. He said he came to this city from Corfu, where he had been in partnership with his brother, about twenty-five years ago. His intention in coming to Manchester was to establish a business, sending out goods to Corfu. He filed a petition in 1883, the cause of his failure at that time being the war in Egypt and the bombardment of Alexandria, which caused him to contract a large number of bad debts. Ultimately he paid 4s. in the pound. The statement of his affairs in his present failure showed unsecured liabilities to the amount of £1,949, and he estimated that his assets would realise £2,526, showing a surplus of £577. As to £2,250 of his estimated assets, that amount was to become due under a contract he had entered into with Marco Eftimiades, of Valona, Turkey, with reference to the shipment of a quantity of timber from Valona to this country. The terms of the cemtract were that the debtor was to receive £1,500 in respect of something like £15,000 worth of timber, and an additional five per cent commission. He bad undertaken to make advances of 30s. per ton on 2,000 tons of boxwood, and 7s. 6d. per ton on 500 tons of ash, alder, and other woods. His object entering into the contract was to pay a composition to his creditors in Manchester. The timber was to be forwarded in three or four shipments a year. He thought the brokers in Liverpool would have assisted him in regard to the shipments. They would, of course, held the timber until it was disposed of. None of the timber, as a matter of fact, had been shipped. About 500 tons were cut. At the meeting of his creditors the opinion was expressed that the Sultan would not permit tbe contract to be carried out, but he (the debtor) held a guarantee from the Bey, that it could possibly be carried out if the money was forthcoming. His creditors did not like, however, to undertake the responsibility of the contract. He had been to Liverpool to endeavour to dispose of the contract, but "in England they had no confidence in affairs abroad." Apart from that contract he had book debts, which he included in his assets, amounting to nearly £300. He attributed his insolvency to bad debts. The debtor was examined at length as to his accounts and business transactions and as to a journey he made to the East of Europe with the consent of his creditors to collect accounts owing to him.— The examination was closed.'[1]
1907 Obituary: 'MR. JACOB E. ABDELA. <br.Mr. Jacob Elia Abdela, who died suddenly Monday night at his warehouse, in Faulkner-street, was a son of Elia Abdela, of Arta, Turkey. He was born at Arta in 1837, and after being educated there and in Corfu, was trained as a shipping merchant. He came to Manchester in 1873, and was from that time engaged the shipment of English goods to various markets in the East. He was naturalised a British subject in 1878. For eight years Mr. Abdela was President of the Greek Jewish Synagogue in Corfu, and during that time received King George of Greece, who paid an official visit to the Jews at Corfu at their synagogue. He took an active interest in the public affairs of that island, and was an active member of the Society of Gemeluth Chasidim of Corfu and Manchester. For ten years he was President of the Jewish Talmad Torah School, and his other work in Manchester has included services as one of the committee of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue.'[2]