Isaac Gershon “I.G.” Alexandor
Birth: May 2, 1882 in Liverpool, England
Death: August 21, 1964 in Surrey, B.C.
Plot: Row C – Plot 43
Inscription:
פ נ
יצחק גרשון בן יוסף
נפטר יג אלול תשכד
ת.נ.צ.ב.ה
IN LOVING MEMORY
ISAAC GERSHON
ALEXANDOR
May 2 1882 – Aug. 21 1964
Translation of inscription:
פ נ
(Abbreviation of Hebrew: “Buried here”)
יצחק גרשון בן יוסף
(Hebrew: Yitzhak Gershon ben Yosef)
נפטר יג אלול תשכד
(Hebrew: passed away 13 Elul 5724)
ת.נ.צ.ב.ה
(Abbreviation of Hebrew: “May his/her soul be bound with the bond of life.”)
In Loving Memory
Isaac Gershon
Alexandor
May 2 1882 – Aug. 21 1964
Biography:
Fur Merchant, husband and father
Isaac Gershon Ginsberg Alexandor, known as I.G., was born in Britain and later in life came to live in Victoria. Family lore held that his mother, Fanny Bach Ginsberg, was related to the composer, Johann Sebastian Bach.
Isaac was a fourth-generation furrier. His great-grandfather had been a leading raw fur merchant in Leipzig for 45 years, instituting raw fur auctions which became the world-wide standard. I.G’s grandfather was one of the original founders of what became London’s largest raw fur auction. The trade was handed down the patrilineal line. Known as furriers of “high repute,” the family business included a chain of twenty fur stores in across Britain.
In the first few years of the 1900’s, Isaac’s brothers Alexander “Alex” Jacob (A.J.)(1880-1973), Abraham “Abe” Ernest (A.E.) (1889-1962) and his sister, Julia Bernstein (1887-1980) and brother-in-law, Judah Bernstein all immigrated to Montreal. Soon after, A. J. established and owned the firm A.J. Alexandor Ltd., which became “known all over the Dominion” as the largest chain of retail furriers in the British Empire. The firm operated fifteen shops in Central and Eastern Canada with branches in Montreal, Windsor, London, Hamilton, Ottawa, Quebec, and Halifax. A.E. managed the Ottawa branch before eventually settling in Victoria and becoming the owner and proprietor of Foster’s Furs. He is buried in this cemetery.
According to the 1901 British Census, I.G. was living at home with his parents and siblings in Staffordshire, U.K. In Britain, the last name was Ginsberg. Isaac sometimes adopted Ginsberg as his middle name. A family story tells that Alexander, “A.J.” was deeply in love with the family’s maid named Dora. However, his parents weren’t comfortable with his involvement with a non-Jewish woman and sent him to Montreal. Still deeply in love and missing Dora terribly, Alexander combined their first names and came up with the last name of Alexandor. All three brothers living in Canada changed their last name to Alexandor.
According the 1921 Canadian Census, Isaac immigrated to Canada in 1916. By 1925 he was the manager of the Hamilton branch of A.J. Furs Ltd. until he moved to Berkeley, California. He continued working as a fur merchant in California.
A travel document dated 1941 indicated that Isaac legally changed his last name from Ginsberg to Alexandor in Hamilton, Ontario in 1924. However, the 1921 Canadian Census listed his name as Isaac Alexandor and revealed that Isaac was married to Sarah “Sadie” Alexandor and that they had two daughters, Hilda Victoria, who was 13 at the time, and seven-year-old Rosie Estelle. Both daughters were listed as being born in the United States. The family rented a brick single family home in Wentworth, Ontario, now part of Hamilton, for $45.00 a month. Isaac was recorded as a manager who had not missed a day of work and had earned $2400.
The Windsor Star reported on June 18, 1929 that Mr. and Mrs. I.G. Alexandor were among the guests celebrating the 25th wedding anniversary of his brother and sister-in-law A.J. and Bessie Alexandor. The employees of A.J. Furs held a banquet and dance at the Place Viger Hotel in Montreal. When Bessie died in 1930, I.G. attended her funeral in Montreal.
According to the 1931 Census of Canada, I.G was still married to Sarah and their daughters Helda and Estelle were living with them in their Hamilton home.
In 1931, I.G.’s standing as a Freemason was challenged when he was charged by the Senior Warden of the Buchanan Lodge No. 550, G.R.C., Hamilton for “soliciting money and and receiving same from an applicant for initiation into Buchanan Lodge in order to insure his admission into the lodge.” This charge led to his suspension for “unmasonic conduct”.
The Daily Colonist reported in December, 1931 that I.G. came to visit his brother A.E. and intended to stay a few days. Border Crossing Documents from June 29, 1943 described I.G. as having grey hair and hazel eyes and a tattoo on right forearm. He is listed as divorced and stated his intention of “remaining” in Canada. However, the Victoria Daily Times on December 12, 1945 reported that I.G. of Berkeley, California had been visiting with his brother A.E. and was “planning to return in the early part of January to make his home in Victoria.”
On December 19, 1945, the The Victoria Daily Times reported that I.G. Alexandor of Berkeley married Mrs. Annabelle Bean of Victoria in a small wedding at the synagogue. The couple went “on a trip to the coast cities and upon their return will take up residence at 15 Linden Avenue.” Annabelle was the widow of Eli Bean who died in 1940. Their marital home was 15 Linden Avenue.
The 1946 City Directory for Victoria listed I.G. as a furrier married to Annabelle and living at 15 Linden. The 1949-1955 Victoria City Directories listed: “Alexandor Isaac G (Annabel) retired home 1023 Fairfield.”
Parents:
Fanny Rachel Bach (1855-1912)
Chaim “Joseph” Ginsberg (1857-1926)
Siblings:
Susan ‘Susie’ Ginsberg born 1878
Alexander “Alex” Jacob Alexandor (1880-1973)
Ada Ginsberg Lush born circa 1885
Julia Ginsberg Bernstein (1887-1980)
Abraham “Abe” Ernest “A.E.” Ginsberg Alexandor (1889-1962)
Solomon Alexandor Ginsberg born in 1893
Spouse:
Sarah “Sadie” Alexandor born circa 1881
Annabelle Kebrick Bean (1894-1968)
Children: (with Sadie)
Hilda Victoria Alexandor born circa 1908
Rosie Estelle Alexandor born circa 1914
Additional images:
The Jewish Cemetery of Victoria, British Columbia 