A HISTORY OF GLOUCESTERSHIRE 



crown by Richard of Rothewell and Robert le Rous on 24 August, 1285, 

 fixes it to about that time, but after the expulsion of the Jews from England 

 in 1290. 



First comes * Rentale of the farm of the Lord King of his town of 

 Bristol.' Five items relating to the Jews are apparently all in Wine Street. 

 Robert the Wiredrawer pays ' 8j. for the tenement formerly of Benedict the 

 Jew of Winchester ' ; 6j. is due for the tenement formerly of Giles the 

 Mason; formerly of Mossi of Kent, in Wynchestret (now Wine Street), while 

 Joceus de Reigny, who was bailiff of Bristol in 1318, pays 6s. 8d. 'for the 

 Jews' cemetery near St. Brandan's Hill.' Then comes ' 24.*. from Thomas 

 de Pridie for the king's tenement by the Butchers' stalls,' which in all proba- 

 bility represents the Jewish synagogue itself, or, at all events, from the large- 

 ness of the rent, some large building of a public character. Next comes 

 ' From Geoffrey Justice and Alan Lorymer for the Jews school (pro scolis 

 Judeorum) in Wynche stret which i6s.' The 'which ' is tantalizing. It 

 occurs in most of the items, and represents the beginning of some explanation 

 about the size or former ownership of the property which the copyist 

 omitted, to save himself trouble, or as irrelevant. The 22nd item is still more 

 interesting. ' Of Roger Pert for Walter, parson of the church of St. Philip, 

 for the old school opposite Saint Peter's which (pro -veteribus scolis ex opposite 

 Sancti Petri, que] izd.' 



Here, then, we have first a Jews' school in Wine Street, disused, and 

 another old and disused school in a quite different place in St. Peter's Street, 

 opposite St. Peter's Church. Next follows a list of ' Rents of assize belong- 

 ing to the town of Bristol yearly to be leased at Michaelmas.' It includes 

 among 19 items, ' From the parson of St. Peter's Church for a piece of land 

 under the old school which (pro placea terre sub veteribus scolis quod] i zd. ; ' 

 and the next item but one is ' From a tenement of Joceus de Reigny next the 

 old school (juxta veteres scolas) which, 6*/.' 



The old school being opposite St. Peter's Church is evidence that 

 Leland's statement as to the transfer of the school to the government of 

 Keynsham Abbey is correct, and gives an explanation of it. For the inqui- 

 sition of 1285, already mentioned, includes among the tenancies in chief of the 

 king in the town ' the Abbot of Keynsham for his tenements of his barony [ 

 in Bristol which are in St. Peter's churchyard in the quarter of St. Mary le ; 

 Port (Beate Marie inburgo)? St. Peter's Church was appropriated to Keyns- ; 

 ham Abbey, and if the old school was by that church on the barony of the ^ 

 abbot, this may account for the transfer of the school to the government of 

 the abbey. It is odd, however, to find that Adam de Bucton included among 

 * his tenements in barony ' ' the tenement of the old school, opposite the 

 church of St. Peter,' the next item being two tenements ' opposite the Jewry 

 (ex opposito Judaismi] , doing suit to the hundred of Bristol and also to the 

 Market Court.' St. Peter's Church was only a little way from the old 

 market. The explanation that suggests itself is that the old school had been 

 sold by Keynsham Abbey to Adam of Bucton. 



While the ' old School ' thus appears several times, the Rental contains 

 no mention of the then school. As will be seen, the next town rental which 

 appears to be extant, that for 1532, shows it as existing in one of the town 

 gates, Frome Gate, and there is evidence of its presence there some half a 



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