Page "History of the Jews in England (1066–1290)" Paragraph 18

During Richard's absence in the Holy Land and during his captivity, the Jews of England were harassed by William de Longchamp.

The Jewish community was forced to contribute toward the king's ransom 5, 000 marks, more than three times as much as the contribution of the City of London.

On his return, Richard determined to organise the Jewish community in order to ensure that he should no longer be defrauded, by any such outbreaks as those that occurred after his coronation, of his just dues as universal legatee of the Jewry.

Richard accordingly decided, in 1194, that records should be kept by royal officials of all the transactions of the Jews, without which such transactions would not be legal.

Every debt was to be entered upon a chirograph, one part of which was to be kept by the Jewish creditor, and the other preserved in a chest to which only special officials should have access.

By this means the king could at any time ascertain the property of any Jew in the land ; and no destruction of the bond held by the Jew could release the creditor from his indebtedness.

This " Ordinance of the Jewry " was, in practice, the beginning of the office of Exchequer of the Jews, which made all the transactions of the English Jewry liable to taxation by the King of England, who thus became a sleeping partner in all the transactions of Jewish money lending.

The king besides demanded two bezants in the pound, that is, 10 per cent, of all sums recovered by the Jews with the aid of his courts.