Appendices Vol 8

<plain_text><page sequence="1">APPENDICES I. Proposed Publication of the Sources of Anglo-Jewish History from 1206 to 1290. Report by Sir L. Abrahams, Dr. I. Abrahams, and Dr. Stokes. 1. We have been asked by the Council to recommend what, apart from the preparation of Vol. III. of the Jewish Plea Rolls, should be the next large publication on the pre-Expulsion period to be undertaken by the Society. We recommend a collection of the sources for Anglo Jewish history from 1206 (the date at which Dr. Jacobs1 Jews of Angevin England ceases) to a year to be fixed as proposed in 3 (B) below. The collection would probably cover practically the first half of the thirteenth century?i.e. the latter part of the reign of John and the first half of Henry III. For this period the Jewish Plea Rolls, so far as they exist, are already available in the Society's Calendars. 2. There are two reasons for regarding such a collection as very valuable, and as a work which ought to be undertaken in the near future. (1) The period witnessed the beginning, and possibly the most serious instances, of systematic (as distinct from sporadic) persecution of the Jews by the Crown and by other elements of society, leading to tie degradation of the comparatively prosperous Jewry of the twelfth century to the broken populace which was expelled by Edward I. It thus has great human, economic, and constitutional importance. (2) Very little has been done by the Society or by modern writers towards placing the sources for the history of the period within the reach of students. In this respect the contrast with the periods before 1206 and from 1272 respectively is striking. Dr. Jacobs' book gives nearly all the material for the former period. For the latter there are: {a) 360 pages in the Calendar of Plea Rolls for the four years from 1272 to 1275; (b) the Essay of Sir Lionel Abrahams on the Expulsion, with 189</page><page sequence="2">190 APPENDICES. ample references to sources; (c) various publications, with many docu? ments in the volumes of the Society's Transactions. But, as regards the intervening period, the Calendar of Plea Rolls contains no entry for years from 1206 to 1217, and from 1220 to 1244; and there are similar gaps in the latter part of the reign of Henry III. The other accessible materials are some chapters in Dr. Stokes's Studies in Anglo Jewish History, some brief essays on special points by other writers, and a considerable number of references to Jewish matters scattered through the Calendars of State Papers, which latter, though accessible to students, have not yet received the full attention they deserve. These publications contain only a part of the known material. Much is to be found only in such rare books as the two volumes of Prynne's Short Demurrer, Madox's History of the Exchequer, and the early publica? tions of the Record Commission ; and the remainder has to be tracked, with no little inconvenience orexpense, in the Rolls' Series of Chroniclers. Besides this known but half-hidden material, it may be hoped that research would discover some, perhaps many, records at present un? known. The series of Hebrew Shetaroth published by M. D. Davis would also have to be carefully used, and with them some of the un printed corresponding Latin deeds in the British Museum. There are, moreover, a considerable number of Jewish deeds and documents in the Westminster Abbey Archives, and probably also in Oxford and the town and municipal treasuries of cities where Jewries formerly existed. Besides this, the Hebrew literary sources would need thoroughly search? ing for possible references to the Jews of England. To do for the thirteenth century, or at least the first half of it, the work that Dr. Jacobs did for the twelfth?viz. to collect, arrange, and publish in a convenient form all the sources for the period'?would be a great boon for the student of the pre-Expulsion age. It would enable the Anglo Jewish history of the period to be adequately written, which has not yet been done. 3. The following plan of operations seems suitable :? (A) The Council to appoint a small Committee to prepare a plan for a publication of the kind proposed. The Committee should include among its members the Treasurer, since the question of expense will be very important. The Committee should have power to add to its number, and to negotiate with possible editors of the proposed work.</page><page sequence="3">APPENDICES. 191 (B) The plan should provide for the following, among other, points. A subsidy to be made, if required, to ensure the necessary time being devoted by competent students to the progress of the work. An Editorial Committee to decide doubtful points and to give general guidance to an editor?should it be found advisable to appoint one. The collection of material to proceed chronologically, so that the Edi? torial Committee may stop it when as much has been collected as can be printed for the available amount of money. (N.B.?It is important to notice that the work can really stop without much disadvantage at any year suggested by financial considerations.) The complete treatment of the whole period between 1206 and 1272 (or 1290) would probably require several volumes. (C) The questions of Introduction, Notes, the abbreviation of some documents (especially legal documents largely made up of common form), jormat, and so on, need not be discussed now. No doubt they would, in part, be dealt with in the plan and, in part, left for considera? tion after some progress had been made with the primary work of collecting material. (D) It would also be desirable to prepare a new edition of Dr. Jacobs' epoch-making work, so as to incorporate fresh material, to make some necessary emendations, and to bring it into closer rela? tion with the proposed continuation. But for the present it is not suggested that this revision be undertaken. ii. Report oj the Sub-Committee (Messrs. A. Abrahams, 0. M. Picciotto, Israel Solomons, and the Rev. M. Rosenbaum) on Post-Expulsion Publications. Our first meeting was held on June 10,1917, and various suggestions were made. It was resolved to ask Mr. Lucien Wolf for an interview. An appointment was made for the 27th idem, when we conferred with him.</page><page sequence="4">192 APPENDICES. Our final meeting was held on July 8th. In result we submit the following :? A. Recommendations as to Volumes to be Published. 1. (a) That Mr. Wolf's book on the Canary Inquisitions be taken in hand and published forthwith. (b) That the names appearing therein be followed up in Beth Holim and other records, and that the information so obtained be published as an appendix. 2. That the period of William III. be documented, and that Mr. Israel Solomon's book on Haham Nieto be considered as belonging to that period and to have priority of publication after the Canary volume has been issued. 3. That a bibliography be planned in such a way as to automatic? ally keep itself up to date. (See Addendum.) 4. That a series of small volumes be arranged on : (a) Men of the Re-Settlement and After. (b) Provincial Congregations. (Where small the latter to be treated in groups, and no volume to exceed 100 pp.) B. Recommendations as to Subjects suitable for Papers or Lectures. 1. That papers be invited on : (a) Anglo-Jewish Physicians. (b) Jewish Influence on Finance. (c) An Inquiry into the Extinction of Jewish Families (up to 1871). (d) The Jews of England in the Napoleonic Wars. 2. That a course be arranged of: Talks on Anglo-Jewish History, to be given by collectors of documents, books, engravings, etc. In conclusion, we have to record our sincere appreciation of the help rendered to us by Mr. Lucien Wolf, of whose suggestions we have freely availed ourselves. August 6, 1917.</page><page sequence="5">APPENDICES. 193 ADDENDUM. The Bibliography of the Exhibition should be corrected and brought up to date by: (a) Asking for the use of interleaved copies. (b) Advertising for information of private collections, including engravings. (c) Referring to booksellers' lists. (d) A systematic exhaustion of the British Museum Catalogues. (e) References to magazines and newspapers (Jewish or general). It should be arranged in card index form to allow for the constant addi? tions expected, and cross reference cards of subjects should form part of the plan. Cards should be printed with a suitable heading, to be supplied to those asking for them. These cards to be returned when duly completed and kept in the Mocatta Library. Everybody should be invited to send details of anything new they may come across. Every three months, and before incorporating the new cards in the general collection, alphabetical lists on perforated gummed paper should be printed, to be supplied to those who apply for them. The first volume of the new catalogue should be published three years hence, and a supplement every three years thereafter. Under this heading we include a series of Calendars, which we suggest should be made of State documents : those in the British Museum ; those of the Historical MSS. Commission, as well as of references in the Record Office and in the City of London Library in the Guildhall. Quotations should be given in full where short, and an abstract only where too long for complete reproduction. These Calendars will themselves suggest subjects for papers?which they should precede to prevent theories being put forward which have afterwards to be contradicted by the discovery of new facts. In view of the expense and of the limited number of members who would make real use of these Calendars, etc., we recommend that they be not pub? lished for the present, but be typewritten or otherwise prepared in triplicate ; one copy should be deposited in the British Museum, another in the Mocatta Library, and the third be available for lending. Under (b) and (e) we understand that the catalogue of Mr. Solomons is ready, and we recommend that its publication be commenced in the next volume of the Transactions, in terms of the announcement in the Preface to the Seventh Volume. VOL. VIII. N</page><page sequence="6">194 APPENDICES. NOTES. A. 1. (a) The documents to be published contain a great deal more than a mere list of names (although these are important in themselves), as they include nearly all of those of the first Re-Settlement community. (6) We had under consideration the editing of the Beth Holim Burials Book, with annotations from : i. Births, Mohel and Marriage Records. ii. The Dower Society, Charities and Finta Lists. iii. Officers and Officials. iv. Denizations and Directories. v. Jewish Brokers. vi. Wills and Letters of Administration. vii. And Coats-of-Arms. Fascinating as such a volume or volumes would be, we were reluctantly com? pelled to refrain from this recommendation, both because of the time and expense involved and because the examination of tombstones now in progress has already revealed the inaccuracy of the existing Beth Holim list. We have consequently limited ourselves to the names appearing in the Canary documents, and we hope that it will be practicable so to complete the life's history?where that life ended here?of the pioneers of the Re-Settlement. 2. We also had under consideration suggestions regarding the periods of Henry VIII. and Elizabeth, but we decided that these were outside our reference. And indeed these suggestions did not go beyond " Documenting " or " Calendaring " these reigns, so that they would fall under our general recommendations. We have made our special recommendations to William III., but it will be seen that we have really covered a much longer period. This should include the whole of the, time necessary for the large influx from Holland and elsewhere to have settled down and thus to have consolidated the Re-Settlement. It appears useless to suggest further research when material of such value as the two volumes we have named is only awaiting publication. B. i. Provincial congregations were dealt with some years ago in the Jewish Press. These articles could be amplified and form the basis of this series. 2. The course is meant to familiarise our members with the valuable private collections, whose owners would talk to us about and show us some of their treasures.</page><page sequence="7">APPENDIOES. 195 III. The American Jewish Historical Society. (A) April 15, 1917. Sir,?I have the pleasure of offering to the American Jewish Historical Society, on the completion of its first twenty-five years of existence, the cordial congratulations of the Jewish Historical Society of England. We watch your activity with keen interest and pleasure ; for the two Societies have similar objects and both have peculiar diffi? culties to meet, because the conditions from which the Jewish race has suffered in the past render specially arduous the reconstruction of its history. For overcoming the difficulties in the way of our work, in England, the achievements of the American Jewish Historical Society must always be helpful?besides being very welcome for their own sake. It is therefore with much gratification that we learn?from the series of your publications treasured in our Mocatta Library in London ?how great has been your success : and we are confident that you will long continue to do work of the greatest benefit to us and to all students of Jewish history. With renewed congratulations and hearty good wishes, Believe me, dear Sir, Yours sincerely, Lionel Abrahams, President of the J.H.S.E. To the President of the American Jewish Historical Society.</page><page sequence="8">196 APPENDIOES. (B) American Jewish Historical Society, S.E. Cor. Broad and York Streets, Philadelphia, Pa. May 24, 1917. Sir Lionel Abrahams, K.O.B., President, The Jewish Historical Society of England, 18 Porchester Terrace, W, 2, London, England. Sir,?Your communication, dated April 15th, and your cablegram, tendering the congratulations of the association over which you so ably preside to this Society, on the completion of twenty-five years of existence, came duly to hand, and we beg to assure you and the officers, council, and members of the Jewish Historical Society of England of our heartfelt appreciation of your good wishes. For many years now the American Jewish Historical Society, steadily devoted to the study of Jewish history, has cast sympathetic eyes across the sea, fully comprehending that in your association there are gathered a band of students imbued with ideals similar to our own. May we not express the hope and the wish that it be given us, and those who will come after us, to enjoy the advantage of your co-opera? tive stimulus in our identic work ? With reiterated expressions of our appreciation for your felicita? tions and of our regard, we are, Sir, Yours obediently, On behalf of the American Jewish Historical Society, Cyrus Adler, President. Albert M. Friedenberg, Corresponding Secretary.</page><page sequence="9">APPENDICES. 197 IV. The Jewish Historico-Ethnographical Society, Petrograd. Lohdon, May 28, 1917* Dear Sir,?At the last meeting of the Council of the Jewish Historical Society of England I was asked to send to you, as the President of a Society in Russia with somewhat similar objects, our congratulations on the improved position of the Jews in Russia, and our earnest hopes that the improvement will be permanent and progressive. It is with sincere pleasure that I convey this message to you, and to the members of the Jewish Historico-Ethnographical Society. I am, dear Sir, Yours sincerely, Lionel Abrahams, President of the Jewish Historical Society of England. M. VrNAVER, Jewish Historico-Ethnographical Society, Petrograd. V. Arthur Davis Memorial Lecture. Report of Sub-Committee appointed by the Council of the Jewish Historical Society of England. The Sub-Committee, consisting of Dr. I. Abrahams, Rev. S. Levy, Dr. and Mrs. R. N. Salaman, G. Tuck, Esq., and I. Zangwill, Esq., beg leave to report as follows :? 1. The collaborators in the edition of the Festival Prayers, planned and in part edited by the late Arthur Davis, being desirous of devoting a portion of the profits of that work to a memorial of its originator, have constituted a Fund to be entitled The Arthur Davis Memorial Fund. The founders of the said Fund are : Herbert Adler, Esq., Mrs. R. N. Salaman, Mrs. S. B. Schryver, and I. Zangwill, Esq.</page><page sequence="10">198 appendices. 2. The purpose of the Fund is the " Fostering of Hebraic Thought and Learning." 3. At its meeting of April 26, 1917, the Council of the Jewish Historical Society of England adopted the proposal to organise an Arthur Davis Memorial Lecture, in conjunction with the Arthur Davis Memorial Fund, and the Sub-Committee was required to pre? pare a scheme for submission to the Council. 4. The Sub-Committee thereupon approached the founders of the Fund, who have made the following proposals : I. The Arthur Davis Memorial Fund shall pay to the Jewish Historical Society of England a minimum of ten guineas annually for six years. II. The whole sum paid over shall be expended by the Society as an honorarium for an annual lecture to be described as The Arthur Davis Memorial Lecture, and given on the Society's premises and under its auspices. The Society, provided its selecting body contains a representative of the founders, shall select a lecturer and make all the arrangements. III. The subject of the lecture shall be calculated to carry out the object of the Fund, viz. to " Foster Hebraic Thought and Learning." and the lecturer shall be chosen irrespective of creed or sex, and not restricted in his or her treatment of the theme, once the subject has been approved. The lecturer should, however, try to strike a mean between philosophy or scholarship and popular needs. IV. The copyright of the lecture shall rest with the founders, but, should it be published by the founders, the Society shall have the right to acquire for circulation or sale among its members copies at cost price. 5. The Sub-Committee now recommends to the Council the adop? tion of these proposals. 6. The Sub-Committee further suggests that, as the founders of the Fund are desirous of arranging the first lecture without delay, the Sub-Committee be empowered to make, with the representative appointed by the founders of the Fund, the necessary arrangements for the first lecture. Gustave Tuck, Treasurer. On behalf of the Sub-Committee.</page></plain_text>