Jacob Josephson was an identity in early nineteenth century Sydney. G. F. J. Bergman describes him as 'an emancipist'. According to H. T. E Holt Josephson was 'a jeweller and a Jewish Christian ... sentenced to fourteen years for having forged £1 notes in his possession'. Josephson arrived in Sydney on the Neptune in May 1818.
In late 1818 Josephson was advertising as a jeweler and silver smith at 'no. 3, Pitt-street' in Sydney. On 27th November 1824, he was robbed of jewelry. The robbery caused some controversy and was recorded in the Sydney newspapers of the day.
Josephson became the stepfather of Sarah Levey on his marriage to Sarah Levey's mother. He supported Levey after the closure of the Theatre Royal in March 1838, dismissing Theatre Royal performers' contract claims and generally acting as Levey's advocate.
A number of libel actions centered on Josephson. Two in 1838 and 1839 involved personalities from Sydney newspapers and magazines. One action was the result of litigation over a short story 'The Devil and the Man of Worth' published in the Australian Magazine, March 1838. This libel was precipitated by mischievous correspondence from 'A Subscriber', published in the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser on 6 March 1838 (2). Another action was over a farewell address and letter personally presented by Josephson and his step daughter, Sarah Levey, to the outgoing Governor of New South Wales, Sir Richard Bourke, in December 1837. The address and letter received a favourable reply from the Governor's private secretary, H. F. Gisborne. This, as Eric Irvine writes, 'outraged the Sydney newspaper proprietors ...' (223). The letters and advertisements Josephson published in the Australian and Sydney Monitor and the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser to counteract this opposition resulted in claims of libel by the papers' editors, between themselves and with Josephson.
Sources: G. F. J. Bergman, 'Levey, Barnett (1798–1837)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/levey-barnett-2352/text3075, published in hardcopy 1967, accessed online 9 April 2014; H. T. E. Holt, 'Josephson, Joshua Frey (1815–1892)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/josephson-joshua-frey-3873/text6167, published in hardcopy 1972, accessed online 29 October 2014; Josephson, Jacob. 'Untitled'. Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (3 October 1818): 2 ; Irvine, Eric. Theatre Comes to Australia St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, 1971; 'Libel Cases.' Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (8 May 1838): 2; 'Supreme Court : Civil Side : Wednesday, June 27 : Cohen v. Josephson.' Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (30 June 1838): 3
