A History of England, Period I. Mediæval MonarchyBright, J. Franck (James Franck)
History
A History of England, Period I. Mediæval Monarchy
Bright, J. Franck (James Franck)
Great Britain -- History
_Archbishops._ | _Chief-Justices._ | _Chancellors._
| |
Baldwin, 1185-1190. | Hugh of Durham, and | William Longchamp,
Reginald Fitz-Jocelin, | William Earl of Essex, | 1189.
1191. | 1189. | Eustace, Bishop of
Hubert Walter, 1193. | William Longchamp, 1190. | Ely, 1197.
| Walter of Rouen, 1191-1194. |
| Hubert Walter, 1194-1198. |
| Geoffrey Fitz-Peter, |
| 1198-1199. |
[Sidenote: Richard seems to begin well.]
[Sidenote: Persecution of the Jews.]
Richard began his reign with some show of penitence. He got
absolution for his disobedience to his father, and gave his
friendship to the existing ministers, with the exception of the
Seneschal of Anjou and Ranulf de Glanvill. It is possible that the
government of this great justiciary had been over arbitrary, for
in England, where his mother acted principally for him, Richard
is said to have freed all those prisoners who were confined by
the orders of his father or the justiciary, but demanded bail for
those who were legally imprisoned. He also seems to have punished
the severity of some of the sheriffs. His coronation pomp was
interrupted by a strange disturbance. The Jews had been ordered
to absent themselves from the ceremony. This strange people had
been admitted to England by the Conqueror; the only capitalists
of the time, their ability and willingness to lend money rendered
them invaluable both to the rising industry of the country and to
the crown; and to their knowledge is due much of the growth in
science which was beginning to be made in this century. So great
was their use, in spite of the heavy usury they demanded, that
they were allowed to establish themselves in various towns, in
districts known as Jewries, to build synagogues, and follow their
own customs. They were not however admitted to full citizenship.
The Jewries, like the forests, were not under the protection of
the common law of the country, but were entirely in the King’s
power. In spite of the evident advantages derived from their
presence in England, their wealth, their foreign manners, their
high usury, and their strange worship rendered them objects at
once of contempt and hatred to the people. Some of them, in spite
of the order forbidding their presence, showed themselves at the
ceremony of the consecration. They were assaulted by the soldiery.
This gave a signal to the the crowd who attacked the detested
people in all parts of the city. Nor was this all; the same feeling
spread throughout England. In some places the Jews gained safety
by conversion; but early in 1190, in Norwich, in Stamford, and in
York, many were put to death. In the last-mentioned place, the Jews
sought refuge in the castle, and being besieged there, determined
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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