Norman England.2C 1066.E2.80.931290 History of the Jews in England

1 norman england, 1066–1290

1.1 status of jews
1.2 attitudes of kings
1.3 persecution , expulsion

norman england, 1066–1290

there no evidence of jews residing in england before norman conquest. few references in anglo-saxon church laws relate jewish practices easter. william of malmesbury states william conqueror brought jews rouen england. william conqueror s object may inferred: policy feudal dues paid royal treasury in coin rather in kind, , purpose necessary have body of men scattered through country supply quantities of coin.

status of jews

at first status of jews not strictly determined. attempt made introduce continental principle jews , possessions king s property, , clause effect inserted under henry in manuscripts of so-called leges edwardi confessoris ( laws of edward confessor ). henry granted charter rabbi joseph, chief rabbi of london, , followers. under charter, jews permitted move country without paying tolls, buy , sell, sell pledges after holding them year , day, tried peers, , sworn on torah rather on christian bible. special weight attributed jew s oath, valid against of twelve christians. sixth clause of charter important: granted jews right move wherever wanted, if king s own property ( sicut res propriæ nostræ ).

attitudes of kings

jewish communities in medieval england

gentile-jewish relations in england disturbed under king stephen, burned down house of jew in oxford (some accounts jew in it) because refused pay contribution king s expenses. in 1144 came first report in history of blood libel against jews; came in case of william of norwich (1144). anthony julius finds english endlessly imaginative in inventing anti-semitic allegations against jews. says england became principal promoter, , indeed in sense inventor of literary anti-semitism. in book, julius argues blood libel key, because incorporates themes jews malevolent, conspiring against christians, powerful, , merciless. variations include stories jews poisoning wells, twisting minds, , buying , selling christian souls , bodies.

while crusaders killing jews in germany, outbursts against jews in england were, according jewish chroniclers, prevented king stephen.

with restoration of order under henry ii, jews renewed activity. within 5 years of accession jews found @ london, oxford, cambridge, norwich, thetford, bungay, canterbury, winchester, stafford, windsor, , reading. yet not permitted bury dead elsewhere in london, restriction not removed till 1177. spread throughout country enabled king draw upon resources occasion demanded. repaid them demand notes on sheriffs of counties, accounted payments made in half-yearly accounts on pipe rolls (see aaron of lincoln). strongbow s conquest of ireland (1170) financed josce, jew of gloucester; , king accordingly fined josce having lent money under displeasure. rule, however, henry ii not appear have limited in way financial activity of jews. favourable position of english jews shown, among other things, visit of abraham ibn ezra in 1158, of isaac of chernigov in 1181, , immigration england of jews exiled king s properties in france philip augustus in 1182, among them being judah sir leon of paris.

in 1168, when concluding alliance frederick barbarossa, henry ii seized chief representatives of jews , sent them normandy, , imposed tallage on rest of community of 5,000 marks. when, however, asked rest of country pay tithe crusade against saladin in 1188, demanded quarter of jewish chattels. so-called saladin tithe reckoned @ £70,000, quarter @ £60,000. in other words, value of personal property of jews regarded one-fourth of whole country. improbable, however, whole amount paid @ once, many years after imposition of tallage, arrears demanded recalcitrant jews.

aaron of lincoln believed have been wealthiest man in 12th century britain. estimated wealth may have exceeded of king. king had been led make large demand on english jewry s money surprising windfall came treasury @ aaron s death in 1186. property obtained usury, whether jew or christian, fell king s hands on death of usurer; aaron of lincoln s estate included £15,000 worth of debts owed him. besides this, aaron s large fortune passed king henry of lost on journey royal coffers in normandy. special branch of treasury, known aaron s exchequer, established in order deal large account.

during earlier years of henry ii s reign jews lived on terms non-jewish neighbours, including clergy. entered churches freely, , took refuge in abbeys in times of commotion. jews lived in opulent houses, , helped build many of abbeys , monasteries of country. however, end of henry s reign had incurred ill of upper classes. anti-jewish sentiment, fostered crusades during latter part of reign of henry, spread throughout nation.

persecution , expulsion

persecution of england s jews brutal; recorded deadly massacres @ london , york during crusades in 1189 , 1190.

to finance war against wales in 1276, edward of england taxed jewish moneylenders. when moneylenders no longer pay tax, accused of disloyalty. restricted limited number of occupations, edward abolished privilege lend money, restricted movements , activities , forced jews wear yellow patch. heads of jewish households arrested on 300 being taken tower of london , executed. others killed in homes.

on november 17, 1278, jews of england, believed have numbered around 3,000, arrested on suspicion of coin clipping , counterfeiting, , jewish homes in england searched. @ time, coin clipping widespread practice, both jews , christians involved in, , financial crisis resulted, , according 1 contemporary source, practice reduced currency s value half of face value. in 1275, coin clipping made capital offence, , in 1278, raids on suspected coin clippers carried out. according bury chronicle, jews in england of whatever condition, age or sex unexpectedly seized … , sent imprisonment various castles throughout england. while imprisoned, innermost recesses of houses ransacked. 680 detained in tower of london. more 300 believed have been executed in 1279. afford buy pardon , had patron @ royal court escaped punishment.

edward increasingly showed anti-semitism in 1280 granted right levy toll on rivulet bridge @ brentford passage of goods on it, special tax @ rate of 1d. each jews , jewesses on horse, 0.5d. each on foot other travellers exempt . antipathy culminated in legislating expulsion of jews country in 1290. allowed take carry. small number of jews favoured king permitted sell properties first, though of money , property of these dispossessed jews confiscated. evidence of jewish presence in england have been wiped out if had not been efforts of 1 monk, gregory of huntingdon, purchased jewish texts begin translating them.

from until 1655, there no official record of jews in england outside domus conversorum few exceptions, example jacob barnet, arrested , exiled.