Sketches of Anglo-Jewish history

Preface

It is singular that few enlightened and wealthy communities know so little of their own early history, as the Jews of Great Britain. Yet few races indeed present more vicissitudes for description, or possess records offering a more interesting and extended field for investigation. Perhaps the mart, the exchange, the counting-house, may have absorbed, in former times, and under especial circumstances, energies which, if directed to literary pursuits, would have de¬ served and commanded success. Certain it is that no chronicler has narrated the earlier struggles of the Jews when they returned to these isles after centuries of banishment, and no writer has attempted to depict the gradual rise and progress of the Jewish community in London. Nay, the archives of the older Synagogues, which are treasures of curious information, remained until the present time buried in obscurity, their very existence being scarcely known. Some few of the elder officials had a glim¬ mering of their contents, but to the vast majority of even the Jews themselves these books were as hidden and impene¬ trable as the Yedas or the Zend Avesta. In addition to being jealously guarded, they were written in the Spanish and Por¬ tuguese languages, or in the Jewish-German dialect, which rendered them thus necessarily understood but by few. The author has had the privilege of being permitted not only to

VI

PREFA CE.

inspect these valuable registers, but to study them closely, with the kind assistance of the Synagogue officials ; and months have been devoted to this labour. At the same time, he made continuous and diligent researches in all quarters where information on the subject that engrossed his attention was likely to be obtained. Libraries, public and private, were ransacked ; friends good-naturedly unlocked ancient memories of past events on his behalf, and placed the correspondence of departed relatives at his disposal ; eminent members of the Jewish community volunteered valuable information. Great care has been exercised to ensure accuracy; and it has been sought, so far as practicable, to obtain a confirmation of all statements and communications before any fact has been held out to the public as authentic.

The result of the labours of the author appeared in print in the Jewish Chronicle , in a series of papers entitled “ Sketches of Anglo- Jewish History.” As these papers were written pari passu with the progress of the researches, they necessarily bear the character of journalistic essays, rather than of a complete history. Whilst, therefore, the work in question does not aspire to rank as a regular history, the author claims to be the first Israelite who has given a full and connected account of the vicissitudes passed through by the Jews of Great Britain, from the days of the Saxon kings until the middle of the present century. He also claims to have brought to light a mass of original in¬ formation, the very existence of which was all but unsus¬ pected. These papers, therefore, must prove of greater interest to Jews than to Christians. But though they were written by a Jew for Jews, the author trusts that Christians, whose faith was founded by members of the Jewish race, will find in these chapters, in addition to that which is entirely new, much that may be of interest also to them. He hopes that as Christians learn to know better, they will also learn to like

PREFA CE.

Vll and appreciate better, Englishmen of the Jewish faith, whose inner life has unreservedly been laid open before them ; and that the former may look with a less prejudiced eye on the foibles of the latter. He trusts that Christians may respect and esteem the many good qualities which their Jewish fellow-countrymen possess, sympathise with them in their struggles to elevate themselves, and heartily stretch forth to them the hand of friendship.

The writer, by permission of the late Editor of the Jewish Chronicle , now offers u The Sketches of Anglo- Jewish History” to the public in a separate form. These articles have been carefully revised, facts re-arranged in a closer chronological order, important additions made, errors recti¬ fied, and the general utility of the work has been consider¬ ably enhanced.

t i r l

Contents

CHAP. PAGE

I. THE RETURN OF THE JEWS TO ENGLAND ... 25

II. THE FIRST SYNAGOGUE IN LONDON ... 32

Introduction

The early history of the Jews in this country is necessarily obscure and uncertain.

It has been surmised that the ancient Jews traded with the ancient Britons, and that the former visited and even dwelt in this island. This is pure speculation. Leaving on one side legendary times, we find the presence of Jews in Eng¬ land under the Saxon Kings fully attested. The first mention made of the Jews in any document connected with English history, is found in the canons of Ecbright, Archbishop of York, which contain an ordinance that no Christian shall presume to eat with a Jew or shall judaise, whatever that may have meant. These canons were issued in the year 740 or 750 c.e., for the government of the province of York. We see therefrom that not only there were Jews in England at that period, but that they were deemed of sufficient import¬ ance for the ruling powers to warn the guileless Christians against their seductions.

It is related in the history of Croyland Abbey that in 833 Whitglaff, King of the Mercians, having been defeated by Egbert, took refuge in that Abbey, and in return for the pro¬ tection and assistance received, he granted a charter to the monks of Croyland, confirming to them all lands, tenements and gifts bestowed upon them by his predecessors and their nobles, by Christians and by Jews. It is asserted that the

INTRODUCTION.

Jews were banished from England at the beginning of the eleventh century and that they returned with William the Conqueror. This statement has not been satisfactorily proved; but certainly many Jews settled in this country under his reign. He encouraged their immigration from Rouen ; and he appointed a city, the name of which has not been preserved, for their residence in England. Numerous Jews subsequently took up their abode at Oxford. They be¬ came possessed of most of the houses in the parishes of St Edward and St Aldate there, which were from this circum¬ stance called Great and Little Jewries. They also erected a Synagogue. Some of their houses being frequented by scholars for purposes of instruction, in course of time they came to be distinguished by the name of halls, as Moyse’s Hall, Jacob’s Hall, and Lombard’s Hall.

Under William the Conqueror, William Rufus, and Henry I., the Jews were well treated, and increased in numbers and in wealth. It is astonishing what sums of money, enormous for those days, the Jews commanded. William Rufus, who was far from being a devout Catholic, especially befriended them. He even shocked the feelings of the enlightened populations of the day, by holding public intercourse with the enemies of Christ. He ordered a theological contest to take place in London between Christian bishops and Jewish rabbis, and he swore by the face of St Luke that if the rab¬ bis conquered, he would become a Jew. The controversy was carried on in fear and trembling by the bishops, but happily the Jews were covered with confusion. At least so say Christian historians. The reader may perhaps remember the answer of the lion, when a man showed him the figure of a brother lion subjugated by a hunter. It is you who have painted the picture, the Jews may truly say to the Christians. Indeed the Jews had the audacity of alleging that the sup¬ posed victory had been won by fraud, and that in reality they had themselves obtained the best of the argument.

Rufus was not in good odour with the Church, and he was looked upon as little better than a Jew. He promised the Israelites, of course for a “ consideration,” not to permit any of their body to embrace Christianity. A certain Israelite offered the King GO marks to induce his son Stephen, who

INTR on UCTI ON.

had abjured the paternal faith, to revert to Judaism. Said the King to the youth : “ Get thee hence quickly and obey, or by St Luke’s face I will cause thine eyes to he plucked out of thine head.” The hold youth, instead of obeying the im¬ perious monarch, reproved him for not being a good Chris¬ tian, and insisted on following his new religion ; upon which, it is said, the King allowed him to depart, returning to the father one-half the sum paid. Rufus gave the priests still greater offence by not filling up bishoprics as they became vacant. He retained in his own hands the incomes of the empty sees, which were sold to the highest bidders. Mean¬ while the benefices were farmed out to Jews. It appears that the latter were making great progress and even gaining pro¬ selytes. The Church, alarmed at the ground won by the Jews among Christians under the reign of Henry I., sent monks to preach against the Israelites in various cities. At this period the latter had only one burying ground in all England, and thither they were constrained to carry their dead from all parts of the country. It was called Jews’ Garden, and was situated in St Giles’, Cripplegate, on the spot occupied by the present Jewin Street in London.

The tranquillity and protection enjoyed by the Jews under the first three Kings after the Conquest, soon came to an end. Their hopes of enjoying a permanent and safe asylum in Eng¬ land were frustrated. Their persecutions began, and increased in proportion to their wealth. Enormous taxes and contri¬ butions were laid upon them, and their payment was enforced by cruel outrages and unendurable bodily torture. Crimes of every kind, the most absurd and the most groundless, were laid to their charge, and were eagerly believed by an ignorant and fanatical population. Riots were excited against them on the most frivolous pretence, or without any at all. Their houses were periodically pillaged and burnt, and they them¬ selves outraged and murdered. The history of the Jews of those days presents an almost uninterrupted record of deeds of blood and rapine, perpetrated too often in the name of re¬ ligion, by the followers of a creed which theoretically preaches charity and love to all men. In the ninth year of Stephen, the Jews for the first time were accused of the crime of cruci¬ fying a child at Norwich. The reason alleged for the sup-

INTRODUCTION.

posed deed was that it was intended in derision of the crucifixion of Christ. Similar atrocities were attributed to the Jews at Gloucester and at St Edmondsbury. One of the imaginary victims was canonised, and his tomb became a seat of miracles as active as the shrine of our Lady at Lourdes. Other charges at random were laid at the door of the Jews.

One day the complaint was that they had advanced money to some adventurers who proceeded to Ireland against the King’s orders. Another time it was that they had received in pledge some of the holy vessels in the church of St Edmondsbury. At each accusation treasure was squeezed from the unhappy Jews. There was method in the madness of their persecutors, for the offences of the Jews were never detected unless the King’s coffers were manifestly empty. At one time Henry II. extorted a large sum from them, banish¬ ing those who did not comply with his requests. On a sub¬ sequent occasion a tallage of a fourth part of their goods was levied from them. When funds were required for the King’s journey to the Holy Land, an especial tax was raised for the purpose. The whole population of the kingdom was assessed at £70,000, while the share of the Jews amounted to £30,000 according to some authorities, or to £60,000 according to others. Individual Jews too were heavily fined. One Jurnett, a Jew of Norwich, was mulcted at different periods in the then very considerable sum of 7525 marks. During this reign the Jews were permitted to purchase ground for ceme¬ teries outside all the cities in which they dwelt.

The accession of Richard I. to the throne was celebrated by wholesale massacres of the Jews. The King, of whom England is so proud, was a zealous Christian, and he enter¬ tained a proper hatred against the Jews. He issued a proclamation forbidding any Jews to enter the palace at Westminster during the coronation. The Jews augured ill from this beginning ; and to endeavour to soften the King’s heart, some of their principal men gathered from various parts of the country. Attired with brave apparel and loaded with rich gifts, they ventured to approach the gates to wait for the arrival of Richard. The crowd behind, swaying and surging in its excitement, pushed the Jews within the prohibited precincts. The attendants forcibly

INTR OjD UCTION.

dragged forth the hapless suppliants, and showered heavy blows on their devoted heads. The mob beset them, fell upon them, wounded some and killed others. A report was now raised that the King had ordered all the Jews to be put to death for disobedience to his commands. The populace be¬ gan their work of destruction. The Jews were maltreated and killed. Their houses were found to contain immense wealth behind plain exteriors, and they were plundered and burnt. The children of Israel had thriven notwithstanding all ill-usage, and their silver had proved inexhaustible, like the oil of the Shunammite. After numerous Jews had perished with their families by sword and by fire, the King despatched Ranulf de Granville, Lord High Steward, with some of the chief nobility, to quell the riot. The mob paid no attention to the King’s representatives. A considerable force was sent to the city next day, when the work of destruc¬ tion had been completed, and after the blood of Jews had flowed in torrents. Killing was no murder in those days as far as Jews were concerned. Some of the rioters were appre¬ hended, but it was not considered worth while to punish them, for their victims had only been Jews. Three men wrere hanged, one because he had robbed a Christian dwelling, and the other two because by setting fire to the house of a Jew, they had endangered the safety of the neighbouring Christian habitations. A few Jews had sacrificed their faith to save their lives. A certain Benedict who had submitted to baptism, prayed the King to be permitted to return to his former creed since he had acted on compulsion. The King re¬ ferred the question to Baldwin, Archbishop of Canterbury, who with blunt good sense exclaimed : “ Why, if he is not willing to become a servant of God, he must even remain a servant of the devil.” Benedict, however, soon afterwards died from the effects of the ill-treatment he had suffered.

The example of London was sooner or later imitated by several country towns. Wherever intending crusaders ap¬ peared, the Jews fell victims to popular fury. Fierce soldiers and fanatic monks who had taken up the cross, preached against the Jews. Autos da f6 were performed at Norwich, Stamford, St Edmondsbury, Dunstable, Lynn, and York. Cries of “ Death to the Jews ” rang throughout the length and breadth of the land. At York especially a fearful tragedy was perpetrated. The mob began as usual to follow their pastime of plundering and burning Jewish houses. The dwel¬ ling of Benedict, who had already succumbed in London, and who was a native of York, was sacked and destroyed, and his widow, children, and numerous relatives were slaughtered like wild beasts. The popular frenzy increased, and the Jews, with their portable treasures, took refuge in York Castle. They had reason to suspect that the governor was secretly plotting for their surrender, and that a considerable part of the booty was to be the price of his treachery. During the temporary absence of the governor, the Jews closed the gates against him. The sheriff of the county happened to be at York with a number of armed men. It was represented that the Jews had perpetrated an insult on the King’s authority. The sheriff was persuaded by the governor, and an order for the attack was given. The mob joined the soldiers in the onslaught. When the sheriff perceived the mad fury of the mob and the storm he had raised, he repented the order, and publicly revoked it. It was in vain. The rabble could not be refrained. The Church joined in the assault. “ Destroy the enemies of Christ! Destroy the enemies of Christ!” shouted a canon of the Prsemonstratensian Order, as he rushed to the front rank of the assailants. Daily the priest was at his post, until a stone rolled from the battlements over his head and silenced his zeal for ever. The Jews fought with desperate valour. They offered large sums of money for their lives, and for once Jewish precious metal was refused. When they saw their inevitable doom staring them in the face, a council was called. A rabbi, a man of great learning, asked whether it was not better for the children of Israel to render up their souls voluntarily to their Maker, than to submit to the tortures to be inflicted b}r their enemies. Those who were not willing might leave. With few excep¬ tions the assembly assented. To find a parallel for such conduct, we must refer back to the days of the siege of Jerusalem. Every head of a family cut the throat of his wife and children, and then cut his own. The survivors threw the dead bodies over the heads of their enemies. They then burnt their apparel, cast their treasures into the sinks, and set

INTR OD UCTION.

fire to the castle. The rabbi was left to the place of honour. He killed Joachim or Jacinus, one of the principal Jews of York. Joachim was a friend of Benedict; with whom he had been to London, and he had narrowly escaped from death during the massacre of the Jews in the capital. Hie labbi then met death at his own hands. The few remaining Jews ran to and fro on the battlements amidst the flames, beseeching for their lives, and offering to receive baptism. Their terms were accepted, but no sooner were the assailants admitted within the gates, than the poor wretches inside were all slain.

The King sent directions to his chancellor, the Bishop of Ely, to inquire into the matter, and to punish the offenders. These as usual escaped, some having fled to Scotland, others pursuing their journey to the Holy Land, while those who were captured were released on their own recognisances. The governor of the castle was deprived of his office, and the principal inhabitants of York paid a fine to the King, lhese were the only penalties inflicted for a barbarous outrage that cost the lives of 1500 peaceable individuals, whose only crime was that they belonged to that race whence had spiung the founder of Christianity !

Kichard I. on his return from Palestine took the affairs of the Jews into his own hands. They became subjected to certain special regulations, and were to be regarded as private property of the Crown. The King appointed itinerant Justices to make inquiries into all the disturbances that had broken out in his absence. They were to take an account of the property that had been stolen from the Jews, and also of the debts owing to all members oi the community on moitgage or otherwise. In the same year were passed deciees foi the registration of all the estates and possessions of the Jews. Lo bond was to be valid unless executed in the presence of two Jewish lawyers, two Christian lawyers, and two notaiies. Special Justices were also instituted for the Jewish Exchequer, Scaccarium Judceorum. Their office seems to have consisted not only in collecting the funds payable by Jews to the na¬ tional Exchequer, but in trying actions at law wherein a Jew was concerned. Originally the office was entrusted to Jew ,-5, and in the great Boll of the tenth year of Kichard I. we find that Benedictus de Talemunt and Josephus Aaron, tw o Jew s,

INTRODUCTION.

were termed Justiciarum Judceorum. Subsequently, Jews and Christians were employed conjointly, but often Christians alone. Their annual salary was fixed at forty marks, which was the sum enjoyed by the barons, though doubtless their perquisites were considerable.

The bonds or contracts between Jew and Christian were called Starrs, from the Rabbinical Hebrew term Shetar, which signifies a contract. Three copies were usually made of these securities, one of which was deposited with the creditor, one with a magistrate, and the third with a person of note. The term Star Chamber, subsequently given to a court of law, is probably derived from the name of the apartment where these Starrs were deposited for safe keeping.

The foreign commerce of the Jews acquired considerable importance under the reign of Henry II., and enabled them to amass wealth, notwithstanding the periodical and syste¬ matic spoliation which they underwent. The Jews were the first to introduce into this country the use of bills of exchange. It was not only in trade that the Jews surpassed the Chris¬ tians. The former constituted the most enlightened portion of the population of Europe. They were the principal factors of civilisation. Ho educated classes existed in those days. The priesthood, with a few honorable exceptions, were steeped in fanaticism and ignorance. The higher classes consisted of amiable and indolent bullies, who, under the pretence of redressing wrongs, wandered about Europe, leading a very questionable existence under the title of knight-errants, and of robbers who, rejoicing in the names of earls and barons, enriched themselves by preying upon their weaker neighbours. The little learning that was found in the world dwelt mostly among the Jews and the Moors. The Jews in Spain held the principal chairs of mathematics in the Mahomedan Uni¬ versities of Cordova and Seville. The Jews of that country were pre-eminent in all the sciences then known, and their brethren abroad drank also freely from the tree of knowledge. Jews taught geometry, logic, and philosophy in the Univer¬ sities of Oxford and of Paris. They instituted schools or colleges in London, York, Lincoln, Oxford, Cambridge and Norwich ; and thither flocked Jew and Gentile to hear dis¬ tinguished rabbis expound the principles of arithmetic, of

Hebrew, of Arabic and of medicine. The celebrated Aben Ezra visited England, it is believed, in 4919 a.m. , or 1159 c.e., and here lie delivered some lectures and wrote two works in Hebrew. The skill of Jews as physicians in the dark ages has often been mentioned. King, baron and knight, were glad to summon them to their side when sick or wounded. The Jewish leech, by. the numerous cures effected through his superior attainments, excited the envy and animosity of the monks who professed to restore health through the aid of relics. The Jews, it was rumoured, were acquainted with cabbalistic secrets and with ungodly sciences ; their cures were carried out by incantation and witchcraft, and in time the Jews to their other virtues added that of being sorcerers.

It is probable that John Lackland before his accession to the throne of England had had many dealings with the Jews. He was accustomed to “borrow” from them, and he knew full well their financial value. He was afraid lest they should take alarm at the persecutions of his predecessors, and betake themselves to other lands, with their gold and their silver and their precious jewels. Whether John laid a crafty plan to entice Jews into this country, and then wring from them their hard-earned treasures ; or whether at first he really did mean well towards them, and then his weak vacillating nature was moved to cruelty by stern necessity, we are un¬ able to say. Certain it is that in the beginning of his reign he appeared determined to win their confidence and to attract foreign settlers to these shores. He seemed to heap favours upon them. He gave them the right of electing a presbyter or high priest, or in other words a chief rabbi. When a certain Jacobus or Kabbi Jacob was appointed to the office, the King gave him a patent with a safe conduct, in which he addressed the rabbi in affectionate terms and styled him clilectus et familiaris noster. The King in the second year of his reign also signed two charters, one extending to the Jews of England alone, and the other comprising those of Normandy. The Jews might dwell freely and honorably where they chose. They might hold lands and be entitled to all their privileges as in the time of Henry II. If a Jew died the King would not disturb his possessions, provided he had heirs who could answer for his debts and forfeitures. The oath of

TO

INTR OD UCTION.

a Jewish witness was to be as valid as that of a Christian witness. Actions at law, where Jewish interests were at¬ tacked, were to be tried before a jury of Jews. All the King’s subjects were hidden to defend the Jews and their chattels as the property of the King. The Israelites paid the King for these privileges a sum of 4000 marks. When in the fifth year of his reign the citizens of London heaped indignities on the heads of the Jews, John sent a sharp reprimand to the Mayor, in which he stated that he attributed the late out¬ rages to the fools and not to the wise men of the city, and he ended by placing the Jews under the Mayor’s protection.

These measures of conciliation had the desired effect. Jews came over from the continent, and relying on the King’s favour, applied themselves to the pursuit of wealth. True, their position was insecure, and the people scowled at them with hatred and jealousy. But they looked upon the promises of the King as their safeguard, and they were tolerably easy. A sudden change came over John. He met opposition on every side, and here were subjects for whom no one would lift up a finger. The Jews became his victims. If formerly they were scourged with whips, now they were scourged with scorpions. A tallage of 66,000 marks was laid upon them, which was an immense sum for those days. Nearly every Jew, man, woman, or child, was dragged to jail and put to torture. Estates were confiscated, and barbarous torments were employed in dragging forth from them the secrets of their wealth. In a great many instances the victims were deprived of an eye. Abraham was the name of the unhappy Jew of Bristol, who lost one tooth a day by refusing to give up the sum demanded, until seven teeth having been torn from his aching jaw, he saved his one remaining molar by paying a ransom of 10,000 marks. Again and again John extorted money from the Jews, and when he was unable to reach them they were pillaged by the barons. The King plundered the Jews because they were his property. The barons robbed them because they wrere the property of their enemy the King. The warriors of the Magna Charta under¬ stood so little the commonest principles of freedom, that whilst they were in London to collect their forces they sacked the houses of the Jews, and after carrying away all their

INTRODUCTION.

ii portable valuables they rased these dwellings to the ground, and took away the stones to strengthen the city walls.

A favourite practice of King John had been to grant any habitation or property belonging to a Jew, and by him tenanted, to some minion of his, as it suited his whim or his interest. For any man may give away his own, and the Jews were only chattels of the Crown. However, the rights of the King as derived from Jewish claims, pressed too heavily on the debtors, and when the Great Charter was signed, two clauses were introduced regulating these ques¬ tions. If a man died indebted to a Jew, the latter was to receive no interest until the heir became of age. The wife was to attain her dower, and the children their mainten¬ ance ; and the debt was to be liquidated from the residue of the estate. Altogether the power of the creditor was sensibly diminished.

Happier days for the Jews seemed to break in the early days of the reign of Henry III. The Earl of Pembroke, and afterwards his successor Hubert de Burgh, administered the kingdom for the Koyal Minor with fairness and impartiality. The Jews were treated as members of a common humanity, and not as wild beasts to be hunted down and killed. Mea¬ sures were adopted for their especial safety. Those who were con¬ fined in prison were released. In each town where Jews lived twenty-four burgesses were chosen to protect their persons and property. The Israelites were exempted from the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical courts. The old Justices in the Exchequer were dismissed for corruption, and others supposed to be more immaculate were appointed. Finally, and that was a ques¬ tionable measure, the Jews were ordered to wear a special badge over their attire, consisting of two broad slips of linen or parchment affixed to their breasts. This cannot be con¬ sidered otherwise than as a mark of degradation. The reason alleged for the regulation was that the Jews might be recog¬ nised without difficulty, so that there should be no pretext for their ill-usage.

Once more the Jews were encouraged by good treatment to immigrate into this country. As we have said, the Jews un¬ derstood the elements of trade better than their Christian neighbours. By means of their superior knowledge, and by