Israel Hart

Sir Israel Hart (16 February 1835 – 24 March 1911) was a British merchant and Liberal Party politician.

Background Hart was twice married. He married Caroline Sewill in 1867 but she died the following year. In 1875, he married Charlotte Victoria Moses of Bayswater, London. They had one daughter, Vera Charlotte Hart, who married the son of Emanuel Raphael Belilios, and three sons; Edward Samuel, Arthur Charles and Leycester Israel George who died in infancy.

Hart was knighted in 1895.

Political career

Hart first became active in municipal politics, being elected to Leicester Town Council. He served as a councillor for 25 years and was Mayor of Leicester from 1884-6 and 1893-94. In 1885 he was appointed High Bailiff of the borough of Leicester.

On 29 October 1878 he presented to the council "a handsome ornamental fountain to be placed in the centre of the land fronting the Town Hall Buildings" for the purpose of keeping open a public square for all time. The fountain was designed by Francis Hames, the architect of the Town Hall, and was unveiled by Hart on 24 September 1879; it is constructed of bronze-painted cast iron, Shap granite and Ross of Mull granite. He also presented a free library to the town.

Electoral record

Arms