Preface Vol 6

<plain_text><page sequence="1">PREFACE. The present volume of the " Transactions of the Jewish Historical Society of England " includes, besides Papers read at its meetings, (a) a full Report of the festival celebrating the Jubilee of Political Emancipation, (b) the text of Sir Robert Grant's Bill of 1830, (c) a reprint of the late Prof. Maitland's essay on the " Deacon and the Jewess," (d) various Biblio? graphies and Appendices, (e) a number of illustrations, (/) Laws, lists of members, balance sheets, and (g) Index. Mem? bers will observe that they have already received a consider? able portion of the volume in the shape of advance fascicules. The present method is to issue such fascicules as soon as the authors of papers prepare them for publication; subsequently these fascicules are repeated in volume form, with fresh matter, and with illustrations. By this method unreasonable delay in presenting the papers is avoided. Several fascicules of Vol. VII. have, in accordance with this policy, already been issued to members. In addition to these fascicules of Vol. VII. of the " Trans? actions/' several publications have been issued since 1908. These include Vol. II. of Mr. J. M. Rigg's " Calendar of the Plea Rolls of the Exchequer of the Jews"; Mr. H. S. Q. Henriques' two volumes, " Jews and the English Law" and " Jewish Marriages and the English Law"; and Macaulay's " Essay and Speech on Jewish Disabilities," edited by Mr. I. Abrahams and the Rev. S. Levy, M.A. (a second edition of vii</page><page sequence="2">viii PREFACE. which was called for and supplied). Dr. Stokes' volume on various pre-expulsion problems, with special reference to the Jews of Cambridge, is also nearly ready. The meetings of the Society held since those recorded in Vol. V. of the " Transactions " have been as follows :? 1908, July. 13. General Meeting. The Rev. S. Levy, M.A., re elected President for the Session 1908-1909. Nov. 30. Celebration of the Jubilee of Political Emanci? pation. 1909, Jan. 18. Annual General Meeting. Paper by the Rev. Dr. H. P. Stokes on " Jewish Surnames and Titles before the Expulsion." ? March 8. Paper by Mr. Herbert A. L. Fisher on " Napoleon and the Jews." ? June 21. General Meeting. Dr. S. A. Hirsch elected President for the Session 1909-1910. Paper by Mr. Albert M. Friedenberg, entitled " A Note on some Anglo-Jewish Law Cases." ? Dec. 19. Annual General Meeting. Presentation to the Rev. S. Levy, the retiring President and Honorary Secretary, Presidential Address by Dr. S. A. Hirsch. 1910, March 7. Paper by Mr. Israel Solomons on " Satirical and Political Prints on the Jews' Naturalisation Bill of 1753." ? March 21. Paper by the Rev. A. A. Green, entitled " Leaves from the Old Minute Book of the Exeter Hebrew Congregation." ? July 18. General Meeting. Mr. Lucien Wolf elected President for the Session 1910-1911. ,, Dec. 12. Annual General Meeting. Presentation to Dr. M. Epstein, Honorary Secretary. Presidential Address by Mr. Wolf on the Jews in the Canary Islands. 1911, March 27. Paper by the Rev. Michael Adler, B.A., on " The Jews of Canterbury during the Middle Ages."</page><page sequence="3">PREFACE. IX 1911, May 15. Paper by Mr. Coleman P. Hyman son "The Development of Australian Jewry." July 10. General Meeting. Mr. Lucien Wolf re-elected President for the Session 1911-1912. Cen? tenary Memorial Paper by Mr. Louis Zang will on " Richard Cumberland." Jan. 12. Annual General Meeting. Presidential Address by Mr. Lucien Wolf on " The Early History of the Society." Feb. 12. Dr. H. P. Stokes in the Chair. Paper by Mr. Hilary Jenkinson on " The Tallies of the Exchequer of the Jews." June 3. Paper by Mr. Sidney Mendelssohn on "Jewish Pioneers in South Africa." July 1. General Meeting. Mr. Elkan N. Adler, M.A., elected President for the Session 1912-13. Paper by the Rev. T. Harris, M.A. The office of President was filled by the Rev. S. Levy, M.A. (1907-9), Dr. S. A. Hirsch (1909-10), and Mr. Lucien Wolf (1910-12). Mr. Levy had also acted as Honorary Secretary from 1901 till 1909; in 1910 Dr. M. Epstein succeeded to this post. On Dec. 19, 1909, a silver salver, suitably inscribed, and at the same time a framed address, was presented to Mr. Levy. The following is the text of the address :? JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND To the Rev. S. Levy, M.A. Your colleagues on the Committee of the Jewish Historical Society of England feel that they cannot allow the present occasion to pass without expressing their deep esteem for you personally, and their sense of the invaluable services that you have for so many years rendered to the Society. As Honorary Secretary and as President you have, with rare ability and devotion, concerned yourself with every branch of the Society's work. You have enhanced its importance on the old lines, and have extended its scope in new directions. The Celebrations of the 250th Anniversary of the White 1912,</page><page sequence="4">x preface. hall Conference and the Juhilee of Parliamentary Emancipation owed their initiation and success to you. In the laborious work of organising the Society's Headquarters in the Mocatta Library at University College you bore a great share. You have been instrumental in obtaining for the Society the Contributions of foremost English and Foreign Historians. Your own Papers have been an ornament to the Society's Volumes of Transactions, in the editing of which you have had a considerable part. And you have done all this while also filling the secretarial functions with precision and assiduity. Besides these services you have endeared yourself to us by your amia? bility and courtesy, and we have all had many reasons to appreciate your Character and Personality. It is to us a matter of deep regret that you are resigning your present Offices, but we are happy to have your assurance that your interest in the Society will continue unimpaired and undiminished. You are so closely associated in our minds with the Society that we should feel the latter distinctly weakened were your guiding hand withdrawn. That we shall go on enjoying your aid mitigates our sense of loss, but does not entirely reconcile us to it. You have, however, fully earned the right to leave in other hands part of the duties you have hitherto performed, and we desire to put on record our profound gratitude for your work, and our affectionate regard for yourself. London, YMh December, 1909, Many additions have been made to the Mocatta Library and Museum, as has already been indicated in the Reports and Supplementary Catalogues issued by that institution. The Library is now open on the five days, Mondays to Fridays, from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m., and also on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings until 9.30 p.m. No deposit is now re? quired on books borrowed from the Library. Several gifts of books and MSS. have been made to the Society, and these have been deposited on loan in the Mocatta Library. The Society is represented on the Committee by Dr. Epstein, Mr. B. Elkin Mocatta, Mr. Israel Solomons, Sir Isidore Spielmann, Mr. Gustave Tuck, and Mr. Lucien Wolf. The official address of the Society is at the Mocatta Library and Museum, Univer? sity College (University of London), Gower St., W.C. Exchanges of publications have been arranged between the</page><page sequence="5">PREFACE. XI Society and the Lehranstalt f?r die Wissenschaft des Judentums in Berlin, the Budapest Landes-Rabbinerschule, and the Royal Historical Society. The Society has, as before, been a con? stituent of the Union of Jewish Literary Societies, and has both from its own income and from the Asher I. Myers Memorial Fund made gifts of books to various schools, colleges, and public institutions. The Society was represented by the President and Hon. Secretary at the Universal Races Congress, and the Rev. S. Levy, M.A., was deputed to give evidence before the Royal Commis? sion on Public Records. Some progress has been made in carrying out the desire to preserve copies of inscriptions in ancient cemeteries. The Society has also been endeavouring to formulate a scheme by which communal archives and other valuable objects should be preserved at the Mocatta Library. Prof. J. H. Hollander of Baltimore, Dr. S. Reinach of Paris, and Dr. J. T. Medina of Santiago de Chile, have been added to the list of Corresponding Members. The Society gratefully expresses its indebtedness to Lady Grant, Mrs. Picciotto, Mr. Israel Solomons, the authorities of Corpus College, Cambridge, Mr. Lucien Wolf, and Messrs. Methuen &amp; Co. for kind permission to reproduce illustrations and other materials contained in the volume. The Society has to deplore the death of several who were prominently associated with it, notably the late Chief Rabbi, Dr. H. Adler. A special meeting of the Council was held on July 31, 1911, to express the Society's sense of its loss. The present volume of Transactions is inscribed to his memory. The death of Dr. Friedl-ander, Major Martin Hume, Mr. Myer Davis, Mr. H. C. Lea, Prof. Charles Gross, Dr. H. Gross (of Augsburg), and Mr. Percy M. C. Hart, has deprived the Society of friends who devoted much of their time to Anglo-Jewish research.</page><page sequence="6">XU PREFACE. The best memorial to these men will be increased activity in the work which they had at heart. Unfortunately the finances of the Society do not permit of the extensive expendi? ture which some of its most cherished plans would entail. It is intended early in 1913 to make a special appeal on occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Society's foundation. In the meantime, it is hoped that members will strive to increase the list of subscribers, and thus enable the Council to fulfil several most necessary undertakings.</page></plain_text>