Basil Henriques

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Sir Basil Henriques

Basil Lucas Quixano Henriques (1890–1961) was a Jewish philanthropist, concentrating his work in the East End of London during the first half of the 20th century.

From a prominent Jewish family, Henriques was educated at Harrow School and University College, Oxford. After serving with distinction in the Tank Regiment during World War I, he married in 1916 Rose Loewe, and they worked together throughout their marriage. In addition to writing reforms to religious Jewish ceremonies, Henriques set up boys clubs for deprived Jewish children, where the members received education, vocational training, recreation and holidays in the country. His attitude to the care of less fortunate children was one of understanding through love and kindness, which was not always the case at that time. In this way he was a forerunner of today's attitude to the social welfare of children. He later became a magistrate, and was knighted in 1955.

From 1923 until 1950, he would frequently send deprived, sick or merely tired children to his country home at Linslade in Buckinghamshire for rest and recuperation. During her widowhood in 1966, Lady Henriques published Years in Stepney, a biography of her husband.

Basil Henriques was the author of several books, mostly concerned with the care of youth, these included: