A HISTORY OF NORFOLK 



Jews' houses were twice broken into and burned. The citizens paid lo marks 

 for having an inquisition into this,^ and an inquisition, no doubt the one for 

 which this sum was paid, was found recently in the guildhall of the city of 

 Norwich. The jury found that one Simon Quitloc with one Stephen 

 Chicken placed the fire, and that others broke open a chest and stole goods. 

 Also that one William Hodis and one Ralph Muddon broke into the house 

 of another Jew, where fire had not been placed. The court's finding was in 

 favour of the Jews, for orders were given to arrest the felons. In 1250 I 

 find an entry on the Assize Roll for Norwich of an accusation made by 

 Peter de Marisco, a chaplain of Norwich, against Moss and other Norfolk 

 Jews, of burning his house. When, however, the time for trial came on the 

 prosecutor said he was unwilling to proceed with his case, so he and his 

 pledges were fined. We have here, therefore, another example of the Jews 

 gaining the victory when fairly opposed in a court of law. 



The reign of Edward I, like that of his predecessor, affords, up to the 

 time of their expulsion, a good many instances of orders made relative to 

 debts owing to Jews at Norwich, as well as one or two others of more 

 interest. In 1275 it appears that Edward, having granted that no Jews 

 should dwell in the town given in dower to the Queen Mother, deported 

 the Jews of Cambridge to Norwich.^ And in the same year we find a com- 

 mission to John de Levetot to inquire concerning the Christians of the 

 county of Norfolk acting like the Jews in lending money to indigent 

 Christians, taking money after the return thereof and detaining pledges.* 

 In 1280 there are two entries in the Patent Rolls which show the kind of 

 offences of which the Jews were most often found guilty. Thomas de 

 Weyland, for instance, obtained a grant of the term of eight years, which 

 Abraham son of Deulacres, Jew of Norwich, drawn and burned for 

 blasphemy, had in Kelling.* Next we learn that one Isaac, a Jew of 

 Norwich, was hanged for trespass against the coinage.^ In 1286 there was 

 a curious charge made against Isaac, chaplain of the Jews of Norwich, and 

 many others, for breaking into the churches of Sweynsthorp and Newton in 

 Norfolk. It was in this year that all the Jews in England are said to have 

 been arrested. The synagogue at Norwich was destroyed, and four years 

 later the Jews were entirely expelled from England. 



Resuming the general history of the county, we find that in 1292 died 

 Friar Roger Bacon. His discoveries will be referred to in another section, 

 but he was a man of such local importance that his death deserves to be 

 noticed here. 



In 1293* Roger Bigod was in such favour that he obtained permission 

 to refortify his ' house ' at Bungay ; the castle having been destroyed as 

 mentioned above. He was at this time constable of Norwich Castle, being 

 also earl of Norfolk, but in 1300 he surrendered his earldom, castles, and 

 other possessions to the king with the purpose of preventing his brother 

 John from succeeding him, taking a regrant to himself and his heirs male. 

 As he died without issue all the estates fell into the hands of the crown, and 

 thus came to an end in the county the influence of the house of Bigod.' 



' Pipe R. 22 Hen. III. ' Rigg, Select Pleas of Jewish Exch. (Selden Soc), 85. 



* Pat. 4 Edw. I, m. 36<j', ' Ibid. 8 Edw. I, m. 14. ' Ibid. m. \\d. 



• Pat. 22 Edw. I, m. 20. ' W. Rishanger, Chron. et Annal. (Rolls Ser.), 215. 



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