The Statute of the Jewry (''Statutum de Judaismo, 1275'') was a

statute A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...

issued by

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...

in 1275. It placed a number of restrictions on

Jews of England The history of the Jews in England goes back to the reign of William the Conqueror. Although it is likely that there had been some Jewish presence in the Roman Britain, Roman period, there is no definitive evidence, and no reason to suppose tha ...

, most notably outlawing the practice of

usury Usury () is the practice of making unethical or immoral monetary loans that unfairly enrich the lender. The term may be used in a moral sense—condemning taking advantage of others' misfortunes—or in a legal sense, where an interest rate is ch ...

.Prestwich, Michael. Edward I p 345 (1997) Yale University Press. .

Context

Since the time of the

Norman conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

, Jews had been filling a small but vital role in the English economy. Usury by

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

was forbidden at the time by the Church of Rome, but Jews were permitted to act as

moneylenders In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that de ...

and bankers. That enabled some Jews to amass tremendous wealth, but also earned them enmity, which added to the increasing

antisemitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

sentiments of the time, due to widespread indebtedness and financial ruin among the

gentile Gentile () is a word that usually means "someone who is not a Jew". Other groups that claim Israelite heritage, notably Mormons, sometimes use the term ''gentile'' to describe outsiders. More rarely, the term is generally used as a synonym for ...

population.

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassal o ...

returned from the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...

in 1274, two years after his accession as

King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the constitutional form of government by which a hereditary sovereign reigns as the head of state of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiw ...

, and found that land had become a commodity, and that many of his subjects had become dispossessed and were in danger of destitution. Jews traded land for money, and land was often mortgaged to Jewish moneylenders. In January 1275 Edward's mother, the Queen Dowager

Eleanor of Provence Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291) was a French noblewoman who became Queen of England as the wife of King Henry III from 1236 until his death in 1272. She served as regent of England during the absence of her spouse in 1253. ...

, expelled the Jews from all of her lands, a precursor to the Statute enacted later the same year. As special direct subjects of the

monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

, Jews could be taxed indiscriminately by the King. Some have described this situation as indirect usury: the monarch permitted and encouraged Jews to practise usury and then taxed the profit. In the years leading up to the Statute, Edward taxed them heavily to help finance his forthcoming military campaigns in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, which began in 1277. One theory holds that he had exhausted the financial resources of the Jewish community when the Statute was passed in 1275.

Provisions

* Usury was outlawed in every form. * Debtors of Jews were no longer liable for certain debts. * Jews were not allowed to live outside certain cities and towns. * Any Jew above the age of seven had to wear a

yellow badge Yellow badges (or yellow patches), also referred to as Jewish badges (german: Judenstern, lit=Jew's star), are badges that Jews were ordered to wear at various times during the Middle Ages by some caliphates, at various times during the Medieva ...

of felt in the form of Two Tables Joined on his or her outer clothing, six inches by three inches. * All Jews from the age of 12 on had to pay a special tax of three pence annually. * Christians were forbidden to live among Jews. * Jews were licensed to buy farmland to make their living for the next 15 years. * Jews could thenceforth make a living in England only as merchants, farmers, craftsmen or soldiers. The provisions applied to both men and women. The license to buy land was included so that farming, along with trading, could give Jews an opportunity to earn a living with the abolition of usury. Unfortunately, other provisions along with widespread prejudice made this difficult for many. After fifteen years had passed, it was discovered that Jews widely but secretly continued to practice usury, leading Edward I to issue the

Edict of Expulsion The Edict of Expulsion was a royal decree issued by King Edward I of England on 18 July 1290 expelling all Jews from the Kingdom of England. Edward advised the sheriffs of all counties he wanted all Jews expelled by no later than All Saints' D ...

in 1290.Parkes, James (1976). ''The Jew in the Medieval Community'', Hermon Press, p. 394. .

References

External links

BBC article on the statute

The Statute of Jewry
in the

Statutes at Large ''Statutes at Large'' is the name given to published collections or series of legislative Acts in a number of jurisdictions. The expression "statutes at large" was first used in the edition of Barker published in 1587. England and Great Britain ...

. {{UK legislation 1270s in law 1275 in England 13th century in England English laws Jewish English history Disabilities (Jewish) in Europe Economy of medieval England Edward I of England Christian antisemitism in the Middle Ages