English Economic History: Select Documents - Various

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Exhibition Papers); Rigg, Select Pleas of the Exchequer of the Jews (Selden Society); Rye, Persecution of the Jews in England (Anglo-Jewish Exhibition Papers); Abrahams, The Expulsion of the Jews from England.

      John by the grace of God, etc. Know ye that we have granted to all Jews of England and Normandy that they may freely and honourably reside in our land, and hold of us all things that they held of King Henry, our father's grandfather, and all things that they now hold reasonably in their lands and fees and pawns and purchases, and that they may have all their liberties and customs as well and peaceably and honourably as they had them in the time of the aforesaid King Henry, our father's grandfather.

      And if a plaint shall have arisen between Christian and Jew, he who shall have appealed the other shall have witnesses for the deraignment of his plaint, to wit, a lawful Christian and a lawful Jew. And if the Jew shall have a writ touching his plaint, his writ shall be his witness; and if a Christian shall have a plaint against a Jew, it shall be judged by the Jew's peers.

      And when a Jew be dead, his body shall not be detained above ground, but his heir shall have his money and his debts; so that he be not disturbed thereon, if he have an heir who will answer for him and do right touching his debts and his forfeit.

      And it shall be lawful for Jews without hindrance to receive and buy all things which shall be brought to them, except those which are of the Church and except cloth stained with blood. And if a Jew be appealed by any man without witness, he shall be quit of that appeal by his bare oath upon his Book. And in like manner he shall be quit of an appeal touching those things which pertain to our crown, by his bare oath upon his Roll.

      And if there shall be dispute between Christian and Jew touching the loan of any money, the Jew shall prove his principal and the Christian the interest.

      And it shall be lawful for the Jew peaceably to sell his pawn after it shall be certain that he has held it for a whole year and a day.

      And Jews shall not enter into a plea save before us or before those who guard our castles, in whose bailiwicks Jews dwell.

      And wherever there be Jews, it shall be lawful for them to go whithersoever they will with all their chattels, as our own goods, and it shall be unlawful for any to retain them or to forbid them this freedom.

      And we order that they be quit throughout all England and Normandy of all customs and tolls and prisage of wine, as our own chattel. And we command and order you that you guard and defend and maintain them.

      And we forbid any man to implead them touching these things aforesaid against this charter, on pain of forfeiture to us, as the charter of King Henry, our father, reasonably testifies. Witnesses; Geoffrey Fitz Peter, Earl of Essex; William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke; Henry de Bohun, Earl of Hereford; Robert de Turnham; William Briwere; etc. Dated by the hand of Simon, Archdeacon of Wells, at Marlborough, on the 10th day of April in the second year of our reign.

      And the justices appointed to the guardianship of the Jews are commanded to cause these provisions to be carried into effect and straitly kept on pain of forfeiture of the goods of the Jews aforesaid. Witness the King at Westminster on the 31st day of January.

      By the King and Council.

      The King, etc., to the sheriff of Kent, etc. Know that we caused to be assessed before us upon Salle, a Jew, a tallage to be rendered on Wednesday next before Whitsunday in the thirty-seventh year, and because the same Jew rendered not his tallage on the said day, and on the same day received a command on our behalf before the justices [appointed to the guardianship of the Jews] that within three days after the aforesaid Wednesday he should make his way to the port of Dover to go forth there with his wife and never to return, saving to the King his lands [rents and tenements and chattels]: We command you that by oath of twelve [good and lawful men] you make diligent enquiry what lands [rents and tenements and chattels] he had on the said day, and who [holds or hold the same] and how much they are worth, saving the service, etc., and how much they are worth for sale; and that you enquire also by oath, etc., what chattels he had in all chirographs outside the chest, and what they are worth, and to whose hands they have come, and that you cause proclamation to be made that none of Salle's debtors hereafter render a penny to him—let the proclamation be made in every hundred, city, etc.—and that you take into our hand all the lands, rents and tenements and chattels aforesaid, and keep them safely until [we make other order thereon]; and let the inquisition come on the morrow of Holy Trinity.

      Devon. Because Jacob of Norwich, a Jew, dwells at Honiton without the King's licence, where there is no community of Jews, the sheriff is ordered to take into the King's hand all goods and chattels of Jacob, and to keep them safely until [the King make other order thereon], and to have his body before [the justices appointed to the guardianship of the Jews] on the octave of Holy Trinity, to answer, etc.; and to certify [the Treasurer and Barons of the Exchequer] what goods [and chattels] of the said Jacob he has taken, On the same day, etc.

      Henry, etc., to all, etc., greeting. Whereas we have given and granted to Edmund, our dearest son, Aaron, son of Vives, a Jew of London, with all his goods

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