Joshua Lazarus, the son of Sephardic shopkeepers, grew up inCharleston—the thirteenth child in a family of seventeen thatspanned 27 years between the first and last-born. Of his numeroussiblings—including Leah andBenjamin—Joshua was closest to hissister Emma, just one year younger thanhimself. They maintained a close relationship even after Joshuamarried, at the age of 39, in 1835. In 1840, Joshua and his wifePhebe took Emma with them on a trip toFrance, where all three had their portraits painted.

Lazarus had immense curiosity, and enjoyed travel throughout hislife. As a young man, he traveled to Europe with his friend JacobClavius Levy on a study tour. While visiting Liverpool on thistrip, the two young Americans fell for the same girl — FannyYates, the daughter of a well-to-do Liverpool family. Ratherthan compete with his friend for her affections, Lazarus withdrew hisattentions and returned to Charleston in disappointment. Yet theencounter was not a complete failure; as it turned out, Lazarus hadalso met his future wife. Nearly twenty years after his first trip toLiverpool, Lazarus returned to marry Fanny’s older sister Phebe,two years his senior. They returned to Charleston to live, and theirson Edgar Marks was born two years later.

Joshua Lazarus was instrumental in the introduction of gas lightinginto the city of Charleston, and served as the president of the GasLight Company for sixteen years, from 1840 to 1856. He was also amajor property holder in Charleston and served as president of a bankin Cheraw, South Carolina. Lazarus also played an important role inthe governance of congregation Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, serving aschairman of the building committee that constructed and dedicated thenew synagogue building in 1841, and as parnas for a decade,from 1851 until his death in 1861. He died in Cheraw.