Sheeny Park

[String o' beads]

How did this place get its name? I used to get taken up North Street to see the daffs by varicose Aunts and Uncles [pretty boring in retrospect] but having done searches I've seen it named as the Jews' Park. There are a few pics on Leodis. Odd place.    

[Phill_d]

I can't say i've ever heard it called that. the Jewish park yes.

[iansmithofotley]

Hi Geordie-exile,My late father always used to go call the park 'Sheeny Park'. It was a common term for the park for the locals in Sheepscar, Meanwood and Woodhouse areas. The North Street area was always a well known area for jewish businesses, particularly 'back street tailors' shops, from the early 1900's.Here is a reference:http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... LAY=FULLIf you Google 'sheeny' and 'sheenie' there is stacks of information on it as it is a derogatory term for a jewish person.Ian.

[Bramley4woods]

Phill_d wrote: I can't say i've ever heard it called that. the Jewish park yes. My old dad ( born 1908 ) called it that, but he grew up around Camp Rd and Servia Rd.In general Sheeny (Lit. meaning "Rag and bone man") was a derogatory term for "Jew", but not around here, where quite a lot of people earned a living in small tailoring shops run by Jewish immigrants, some of whom had paid ships captains to take them to the USA from Europe and had been summarily dumped on the East Coast of England being told this was it ! The USA !Th sight of Jewish immigrants carrying all their possessions in cloth bundles making their way to the cities probably contributed to them being called "Sheenies".More or less opposite the Sheeny Park was the "American Button Company", which pleated skirts and kilts etc. (You needed a Hoffman Press to do that), and at the bottom of North Street at the last bus stop before "The Golden Cross" traffic lights was the "American Express" dry cleaners. I think these names reflect the general desire of the Jewish Immigrants to make it to the USA meet up with family members who'd already got there and set up a business.

[kierentc]

Bramley4woods wrote: In general Sheeny (Lit. meaning "Rag and bone man") was a derogatory term for "Jew", but not around here, where quite a lot of people earned a living in small tailoring shops run by Jewish immigrants, some of whom had paid ships captains to take them to the USA from Europe and had been summarily dumped on the East Coast of England being told this was it ! The USA !Th sight of Jewish immigrants carrying all their possessions in cloth bundles making their way to the cities probably contributed to them being called "Sheenies". i never knew that! i've heard of the term 'sheeny' but didn't know that was where it came from. every day's a school day wasn't that area also a residential one for jews in the early 20th century? i remember reading that <cough> well respected reference book about leeds 'a woman of substance' <blushes deeply> where the heroine emma is looking for work in the leylands area. she meets a jewish man who becomes her employer and he takes her home for tea.i wonder where those houses were? the little london area? or closer to town on the other side of north street where it's all slip roads now?would make sense that this was once a immigrant area, as the jewish population by and large went up in the world by moving just up the road to nearby chapeltown    

[cnosni]

kierentc wrote: Bramley4woods wrote: In general Sheeny (Lit. meaning "Rag and bone man") was a derogatory term for "Jew", but not around here, where quite a lot of people earned a living in small tailoring shops run by Jewish immigrants, some of whom had paid ships captains to take them to the USA from Europe and had been summarily dumped on the East Coast of England being told this was it ! The USA !Th sight of Jewish immigrants carrying all their possessions in cloth bundles making their way to the cities probably contributed to them being called "Sheenies". i never knew that! i've heard of the term 'sheeny' but didn't know that was where it came from. every day's a school day wasn't that area also a residential one for jews in the early 20th century? i remember reading that <cough> well respected reference book about leeds 'a woman of substance' <blushes deeply> where the heroine emma is looking for work in the leylands area. she meets a jewish man who becomes her employer and he takes her home for tea.i wonder where those houses were? the little london area? or closer to town on the other side of north street where it's all slip roads now?would make sense that this was once a immigrant area, as the jewish population by and large went up in the world by moving just up the road to nearby chapeltown     There were lots of street aroun where the TA barracks are and down towards the inner ring road.There was also a church,St Lukes.These i believe were where most of the Jewish immigrants lived.My dad lived on St Lukes Street and at the bottom of their road wasa jewish bakers called Cohens,i seem to remember there is a pic on Leodis of it.

[kierentc]

cnosni wrote: There were lots of street aroun where the TA barracks are and down towards the inner ring road.There was also a church,St Lukes.These i believe were where most of the Jewish immigrants lived.My dad lived on St Lukes Street and at the bottom of their road wasa jewish bakers called Cohens,i seem to remember there is a pic on Leodis of it. oh, ok. so right at the edge of the current little london estate then? i wonder if the houses went right over where clay pit lane is as well? and as far down as meanwood road? i have a work colleague who lived on meanwood road as a child and remembers the terraced houses being there before the newer estate was built. as shes only in her 50s so not a million years ago.i'm guessing from looking at them the little london houses were built in the 60s?so were the old houses still there in the 50s, and did immigrants from asia and the west indies live there after the war? or had the houses been long condemned and dozered before then? and they moved straight to chapeltown and similar?immigration is a fascinating subject. if a bit off the point of the original post, lol.

[cnosni]

Have "lifted" this from Leodis28th January 1907. On the left is St Lukes Terrace to the right, three shops numbers 8, 10 and 12. Workmen are measuring the property prior to demolition. Number 12 had been occupied by Cohen & Son, spirit dealers. Number 10 Goodman, haircutting and shaving saloon. Number 8 a grocers shop.

[fevlad]

what an appalling namethe good old days eh.

[cnosni]

Doh!!