Statute of Jewry

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The Statute of Jewry was a statute issued by Henry III of England in 1253. [1] In response to widespread anti-Jewish sentiment, Henry attempted to segregate and debase England's Jews with oppressive laws which included imposing the wearing of a yellow Jewish badge to invite the Christian public's disdain. [2]

Contents

Context

English Jews were legally under the jurisdiction of the king, who offered them protection in return for their economic function. [3] As "royal serfs", they were allowed freedom of the king's highways, exemption from tolls, the ability to hold land directly from the king, and physical protection in the vast network of royal castles built to assert Norman authority. [4]

Usury, or lending money at interest, was forbidden to Christians of the era. Jews were prohibited from joining workmen's guilds, [5] but were allowed to lend money at interest to non-Jews. The small number of Jews in England, a few thousand out of a total population over one million, thus served a valuable economic function, and were subject to high taxes at the king's discretion. The reputation of Jews as extortionate money-lenders arose, making them extremely unpopular with the Church and the general public.

Articles

The statute had thirteen articles. [1] They contained the following provisions: [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 Hillaby & Hillaby 2013 , p. 104
  2. Stacey 2003 , pp. 51–52
  3. Romain, Jonathon (2013). Royal Jews: A Thousand Years of Jewish Life In and Around the Royal County of Berkshire. Grenfell. ISBN   978-0957698604.
  4. "The History of the Medieval Jews of England: Royal Wards". Oxford Jewish Heritage. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  5. Reuveni, Gideon; Wobick-segev, Sarah (2010). The Economy in Jewish History: New Perspectives on the Interrelationship Between Ethnicity and Economic Life. Berghahn Books. p. 8. ISBN   9781845459864.
  6. Hillaby & Hillaby 2013 , p. 106

Bibliography