Charles Dickens (February 7, 1812)

Dickens' best-known Jewish character is Fagin, the detestable thief and corrupter of Oliver Twist. He based the character loosely on the notorious Ikey Solomon, who was transported to Australia after a high-profile life of crime. A fascinating story in itself.

Why would I list Dickens here if his most famous Jewish character is so defaming of Jews? Well, interestingly, after he wrote the book Dickens received a letter from a Jewish woman who complained about his stereotyping of Jews, and he actually regretted his excess, and wrote a more likable (though less famous) character to make up for it. I've read the exchange of letters in which Dickens became much more sympathetic to Jews, who were not really well-liked in his time, and I appreciate how he was open-minded to changing his views. Unfortunately, the character he wrote in atonement is nowhere near as memorable as Fagin.

First Fleet arrives in Australia, January 26, 1788

Among the convicts on the first convict ship to Botany Bay near modern-day Sydney were many Jews – they can be identified because at their trials they took the oath on the Old Testament. Esther Abrahams (whose exact birthdate is unknown) may be the best-known of these Jewish convicts. She had been convicted of stealing a piece of lace, and therefore was deported on the ship. In Australia, she lived with and later married George Johnston, who was a prominent politician in the colony, and she is considered the First Lady of Australia. 

The role of Jews, especially Jewish convicts, in the colonial history of Australia is interesting – they were known to be Jews but had little religious life during the early years. The best known is Ikey Solomon, a colorful rascal who escaped prison in England (where I think he faced the death penalty) and paid his way to Australia to join his also-convicted wife. I read the original pamphlet (early 1800s) about his anti-social exploits in the Australian National Library. Quite a story!