Family File for David Saul MITTMAN - Person Sheet
Family File for David Saul MITTMAN - Person Sheet
NameIrene Sarah PLEETH [1891], [374]
Birth16 Apr 1900, Łódź, Poland [1911]
MemoRussia (1815-1918)
Death22 Dec 1975, 24 Elm Park Ct, Pinner, UK [1890], [1902] Age: 75
Burial24 Dec 1975, London, UK
OccupationShorthand Typist, Walter Seila and Company, Ltd, Corset Merchants (1921) [1911]
FlagsMITTMAN-1
FatherJacob PLEETH (~1867-1925)
MotherLeah ZELKOVITCH (1874-1958)
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Irene Sarah Pleeth was born on April 16, 1900, in Łódź, Poland, a city then part of the Russian Empire and a significant industrial center known for its textile manufacturing. She was the daughter of Jacob Pleeth and Leah Zelkovitch. This period saw Łódź’s Jewish community grow, contributing to the city’s economic life amid the political complexities of the Russian Empire in the early 20th century. By 1921, Irene Sarah had established herself in London, UK, where she worked as a shorthand typist for Walter Seila and Company, Ltd., a corset merchant. This occupation reflected the expanding opportunities for women in office work in post-World War I Britain. She practiced Judaism throughout her life.

In June 1930, Irene Sarah married Lionel Ley in Holborn, London. Lionel, born on October 20, 1902, in the London Borough of Islington, also adhered to Judaism. Their marriage occurred during the interwar period, a time of social and economic adjustment in the United Kingdom. Together, they had one child, Dr. John Barry Ley, born in June 1931 in Hammersmith, London.

Lionel Ley passed away around January 1969 in Westminster, London, at the age of 66. Irene Sarah continued to reside in the London area. Her obituary, published in December 1975, listed her as the devoted mother of John Barry Ley and identified her siblings as Arthur, Sam, and Harry Pleeth, and Diana Lippy, all residing in London, England. Her sister, Evelyn Shack, lived in Baltimore, Maryland, indicating family connections across continents.

Irene Sarah Pleeth died on December 22, 1975, at 24 Elm Park Court, Pinner, UK, at the age of 75. She was buried two days later, on December 24, 1975, in London. Her life connected the industrial landscape of early 20th-century Łódź with the evolving urban environment of London, leaving a documented family line that continued for generations.
Obituaries
From Dec 23, 1975, page 36 - The Evening Sun at Newspapers.com: [1890]

LEY

On Monday. December 22, 1975, IRENE LEY (nee Pleeth), beloved wife of the late Lionel Ley, devoted mother of John Barry Ley, sister of Arthur, Sam, and Harry Pleeth, and Diana Lippy, all of London, England, also, sister of Evelyn Shack of Baltimore, Maryland.

The funeral will take place on Wednesday, December 24, at noon in London, England. In mourning at 3804 Bartwood Road, Baltimore, 21215.
Spouses
Birth20 Oct 1902, London Borough of Islington, London, UK
Deathabt Jan 1969, Westminster, London, UK Age: 66
FlagsMITTMAN-1, STUB-END
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Lionel LEY was born on October 20, 1902, in the London Borough of Islington, United Kingdom. He was raised within the Jewish faith in a city undergoing significant social and economic transformation after the turn of the 20th century. In June 1930, at the age of 27, Ley married Irene Sarah Pleeth in Holborn, London. Irene, born on April 16, 1900, in Łódź, then part of Russian Poland, represented a generation whose families often immigrated from Eastern Europe to seek new opportunities and escape persecution. By 1921, Irene worked as a shorthand typist for Walter Seila and Company, Ltd., a corset merchant, reflecting the expanding roles for women in the British workforce during the interwar period.

The couple established their home in London and welcomed their only child, John Barry Ley, in June 1931 in Hammersmith. Their lives unfolded during a period marked by global economic depression and the looming threat of war. London’s Jewish community, to which both Lionel and Irene belonged, navigated its established traditions alongside the modernizing forces of British society.

Lionel Ley died in Westminster, London, around January 1969, at the age of 66. Irene survived him by several years, passing away on December 22, 1975, in Pinner, UK, and was buried two days later in London. Her obituary noted her connections across the Atlantic, mentioning a sister in Baltimore, Maryland, a common thread among Jewish families with relatives who had also immigrated to the United States. Lionel Ley’s life, documented through these key dates and relationships, illustrates the experiences of a Londoner rooted in the Jewish community during a dynamic century.
MarriageJun 1930, Holborn, London, UK
ChildrenJohn Barry (1931-2023)
Last Modified 16 Apr 2026Created 31 May 2026 using Reunion for Macintosh
Created on Sun, May 31, 2026 PM by David Saul Mittman.
Copyright © 2026 David Saul Mittman. This information is provided for the free use of those engaged in non-commercial genealogical research. Any commercial use is prohibited.