RAKUSEN CHARLES
 
   
RAKUSEN CHARLES
 

Country of Origin:
ENGLAND,LEEDS

Date:
1894.7.16-1958.11.27

Surface Treatment :
English inscription only.

Stone :
White Marble

Family Contact :
Sister Adele List lives in England

 

Stone Found at:
MinZhu 6 Village house No.395

Date the Stone Was Found:
2002.7.23

Size:
70x70cm

State of Conservation :
Broken in three with only two pieces recovered
.

 

 
     

Additional Info
Dr. Rakusen Percival Charlesworth died in Shanghai in 1958. It is the youngest stone we found dated 1958 while very few Jewish people keep leaving in Shanghai. It's possible that Dr. Rakusen was one of the last Jewish people who died and burried in Shanghai. The top piece was covering the sewage watercourse runs out of the house to the field. The second piece was part of the floor in the front yard. At this day the landlords did not want to give us the stone unless we pay them a lot. It was the first time that we met this kind of attitude. All our attempts to convince them did not work. Later that week through Dvir Bar-Gal's connection with the Jewish Chronical of London, we located the Rakusen family in UK. Dr. Rakusen's younger sister Mrs. Adelle List lives in Leeds. With that information we came back to take the stone one week later. This time the landlord hide the stones from us, but after additional negotiation they were willing to give us the stone for 90RMB.

From the family
Dr. Charlesworth Percival Rakusen

He was the eldest of the children and the first son. He was a colourful character, who liked the good things of life. In Shanghai, he ran the O.I.C. Oculists Institute Company, optometrists and opticians. He had a large house, servants, a yacht, and a Rolls Royce car. He married Lucille. There were no children. He seemed to have had various affairs and lived a busy social life. His name was Charles. The additions 'worth' and 'Percival' were his own inventions. Einstein is reputed to have visited him when in China, and I have a photo of Einstein with members of the Jewish community. Charles was interned during the Second World War. He remained in China thereafter probably because of his links there.

 
 
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