Pistrucci [q. v.] Evelyn (Diary, 8 June 1653) calls him ‘fantastical Simons (sic), who had the talent for embossing so to the life.’
Among his medals are the following: 1. Earl of Loudon, 1645. 2. William Pope, 1645. 3. Lord Inchiquin, 1646. 4. Albert Joachim the ambassador, 1646. 5. Sir Sidenham Poyntz, 1646. 6. Earl of Dunfermline, 1646. 7. Earl of Lauderdale. 8. Martinay, 1647. 9. Henry Cromwell, 1654.
[Hawkins's Medallic Illustrations, ed. Franks and Grueber; Grueber's Guide to English Medals in Brit. Mus.; Notes and Queries, 2nd ser. xii. 2, 3; Vertue's Medals, Coins, &c., by T. Simon.]
SIMON, JOHN (1675?–1751), engraver, was born in Normandy of a Huguenot family about 1675, and studied line engraving in Paris, where he executed some good plates. Coming as a refugee to England early in the reign of Queen Anne, he took up mezzotint, which was then almost exclusively in vogue here, and practised it with great success. He rivalled John Smith (1652–1742) [q. v.] in the number and quality of his plates, which were chiefly portraits of royal and other distinguished personages, from pictures by Kneller, Dahl, Gibson, Murray, Mercier, Seeman, and others. He also scraped a set of plates from Raphael's cartoons and many others of biblical, historical, and fancy subjects after Laguerre, Watteau, Barocci, and Rosalba. Simon published some of his prints himself at different addresses about Covent Garden, and also worked for Cooper, Overton, Bowles, and other printsellers. His plates are less brilliant than those by Smith, the grounds being less finely laid, but they are highly artistic in execution and excellent translations of the originals. He worked until about 1742, and died on 22 Sept. 1751.
[Redgrave's Dict. of Artists; Smith's British Mezzotinto Portraits; Vertue's manuscript Collections in Brit. Mus. vol. ii. f. 15.]
SIMON, Sir JOHN (1818–1897), serjeant-at-law, born at Montego Bay, Jamaica, on 9 Dec. 1818, was the only son of Isaac Simon, a Jewish merchant, by Rebecca, only daughter of Jacob Orobio Furtado. The latter was descended from Balthasar Orobio, who, on account of his adherence to the Jewish faith, spent three years (1655 to 1658) in the prison of the Spanish inquisition, and whose father, Cæsar Orobio, was burned at the stake. Simon studied at University College, London, and graduated LL.B. in 1841 at London University. In the following year he was called to the bar of the Middle Temple, being, after Sir Francis Henry Goldsmid [q. v.], the first Jew to be admitted to the bar. After practising for two years in Jamaica he returned to England in 1845, and became a leader on the common-law side on the northern circuit. In April 1858 he successfully defended Simon Bernard from the accusation of complicity with Orsini in the attempt to assassinate Napoleon III. In February 1864 he was appointed a serjeant-at-law, and in February 1868 he received a patent of precedence, which gave him the privileges of queen's counsel, with the right of holding briefs against the crown (London Gazette, 9 Feb. 1864, and 21 Feb. 1868). On 27 Nov. 1868 he was returned to parliament in the liberal interest for the borough of Dewsbury in Yorkshire. In the House of Commons he soon commanded attention as an authority on legal questions. He made weighty speeches on the Oaths Bill (1880–3), and on the government of Jamaica in 1884.
In parliament and outside Simon was an untiring advocate of Jewish interests. Besides organising the Mansion House meeting in 1870 to protest against the persecution of the Jews in Roumania and Servia, he entered a vigorous protest in parliament against their ill-treatment in Russia in 1882. He was one of the founders of the Anglo-Jewish Association in 1871. On 24 Aug. 1886 he received the honour of knighthood. Two years later he retired from parliament. He died at Tavistock Square, London, on 24 June 1897, and was buried at Golder's Green cemetery, Hendon. On 12 July 1843 Simon married Rachel, fifth daughter of Simeon Kensington Salaman of Portman Square, London, and sister of Charles Kensington Salaman, the musical composer. By her he had five surviving children—two sons, Charles Moncrieffe Simon and Oswald John Simon, and three daughters.
A portrait, by Mr. S. J. Solomon, R.A., is the property of Lady Simon at 63 Tavistock Square. Simon also figures in Walter Goodman's picture of Bernard's trial, which is likewise at Tavistock Square.
[Jewish Chronicle, 2 July 1897; Dewsbury Reporter, 3 July 1897; Ann. Reg. 1858, Chron. p. 310; Walford's County Families, 1897; Burke's Peerage, 1897, p. 1679.]
SIMON, THOMAS (1623?–1665), medallist and seal-engraver, born about 1623, was one of the sons of Peter (or Pierre) Simon by his wife Anne, daughter of Gilles Germain of Guernsey. He was a younger brother of Abraham Simon [q. v.], the medallist. Peter Simon is described as a native of London, but he probably belonged to a Guernsey family named Simon. His marriage took place at the Walloon church
