The Original Brexit: History of English Crown and the Jews During the Medieval Period: Fun Facts and Midah Kineged Midah You May Have Never Thought About
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BySerena Solomon

Timeline of Jewish Existence in Britain

Prior to 1066: During reign of Solomon - boats sent to Tarshish (Spain) for commerce. Reference is made to Berat Anach (Country of Tin) (Britain).

11th Century: William the Conqueror encourages Jewish merchants to settle in Britain. Their purpose was to encourage commerce and work as moneylenders (Userers).

12th Century: First Record of Blood Libel - William of Norwich (1144)

Ibn Ezra visits London (1158)

Murder of Harold of Gloucester (1168)

Jews forbidden to hold Arms (1181)

Death of Aaron of Lincoln (1186)

Massacre at York (1190)

13th Century

King John confirms Charter of the Jews - at a price (1201)

Magna Carta signed - 2 clauses related to debt owed to Jews (1215)

Jewish Badge introduced and enforced (1253)

Local Jewish Expulsions being (1231)

Jews Expelled from Britain (1290)

1290-1656 Officially no Jews in England. Unofficially, Jews of Spain, Portugal use England as an escape route from the Inquisition - with the full knowledge and acceptance of the English Crown

1455-1485 War of the Roses

1509-1547 Reign of King Henry VIII

1517-1684 Protestant Reformation

1547-1553 Reign of Edward

1553- 1558 Reign of Mary

1558-1603 Reign of Elizabeth the First

1603-1625 James I

1625-1649 Charles I

1649-1658 Oliver Cromwell

1655 Address by Menashe Ben Israel for official re-admittance of the Jews to England

Prior to Reign of Henry VIII

  • Officially - Jews were not only welcomed but a desired population by the monarchy to promote commerce and as money lenders.

  • Usurers: Christians could not lend money with interest to one another

  • Debtors who die leave the property to the Jew - Jew could own property and land.

  • Because of the extremely high interest rates (monarch gets a portion of the interest and then the money lender) anti-Jewish sentiment grew.

  • Anti-Jewish sentiment promoted by the local church because the Monarch forbid the harassment of the Jew/income source. No Jew = no income source for the King.

  • First recorded blood libel - William of Norwich (St. William). Local noble attempts to protect the Jews

  • First record of Jews required to wear a ‘Marker’ as a means of protection

  • 1290 - As a result of excessive taxation under Kind John (Robin Hood) acts of anti-semitism become rampant. Likewise, cessation on usury laws by the church, the Jews were no longer an asset to the King. Jews expelled.

  • Domus Conversorum: (House of Converts)

REIGN OF HENRY VIII (1509-1547)

  • Height of the Protestant Reformation

  • English Treasury is empty because of War of the Roses

  • Diogo Mendes, Gaspar Lopez 1537-1542

  • England looking to make a treaty with Spain to help fill the coffers - through marriage with Catherine of Aragon (Catholic - daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella)

  • Escape route through Calais and London for Jewish refugees from Spain and Portugal through England (for a price) on their way to Amsterdam

  • King Henry solicits Venetian Rabbis to help petition the Pope for dispensation from the marriage to Catherine of Aragon under the Jewish law of Yibum - levirate marriage

  • King Henry breaks with the Catholic Church and creates a separate church - the Church of England, with the King as it’s a religious leader.

  • (Meanwhile at the same time - Catherine’s sister Isabella of Aragon marries Manuel of Portugal - demands all the Jews of Portugal convert - Manuel dies without issue- Isabella returns to Spain and live out her life in a convent.)

REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I (1558-1603)

  • Claims the throne after death of her sister Bloody Mary (daughter of Catherine of Aragon)

  • Catholic Plots and War with Spain- Defeats the Spanish Armada

  • Reputation of the Jew in Elizabeth’s England

  • Gracia Mendez / Joao Miguez …. Duke of Naxos

  • Miguel and Maria Lopez and Queen Elizabeth

  • Dr. Lopez - doctor, trader and statesman, close confidant of the Queen, ultimately tried and killed for treason.

  • Portrayal in Shakespeare and Marlow's writings

  • The Jewish Refugee

  • The New World: Land, Religion and Power Grab …. And the Jews

  • Dutch West and East Indies companies - owned and/or monopolized by the Sephardic Jewish community of Antwerp/Amsterdam

Oliver Cromwell and the Jews (1649-1658)

  • Menashe Ben Israel - Dutch Jew - asked to move to London by Christians to promote Jewish trade in England.

  • Petitions Parliament to dissolve the Jewish Expulsion