Course:History 344 Nasty Families/Religion/Judaism

Jews were expelled without any right to their personal possessions from England in 1290 following a vicious (albeit routine by the standard set in Europe at this time) reign of persecution that had resulted in and outright massacre in London. There would cease to be a Jewish presence in England for the next 375 years until the ban was lifted and King Charles II encouraged the settlement of a small Jewish community.

Secret Settlement

Jewish resettlement of England began in secrecy with the arrival of Marrano merchants in London at the start of the 17th Century. Marranos were Spaniards who had officially converted to Christianity (usually under coercive influence)and behaved as Christians by means of celibrating the holidays of the faith, participating in its traditions, and attending Church services when inside the public sphere of daily life. However, within the private sphere of life these forced converts would often maintain their original faith - with the vast majority of Marranos being Jewish.(1)

Evidence indicates that the Jewish Marranos that settled in London at this time established a formal but highly secretive Judaic Congregation under the leadership of Antonio Fernandez Carvajal - which was practiced within the privacy of its members home. Exactly how known this practice was to the public isn't clear, but the impressive connections these merchant-immigrants brought to England with their Spanish colleagues in the Levant (Middle East), Canary Islands, New World, and Iberian Peninsula may have provided them with a degree of protection from authorities.(2)

Early Attempts at Settlement under Cromwell

Jews received favorable reception from Puritans, particularly those whose attention was geared towards the "End Days" Movement (such as Fifth Adventists), due to the movements understanding that the messiah could not return until their was Jewish presence in 'all the lands of Earth'. This belief was further popularized by the publication of the Dutch-Rabbi Menasseh Ben Israel's "The Hope of Israel" in 1650. This publication had followed the relatively popular, albeit unsuccessful, 1649 Petition of the Jews for the Repealing of the Act of Parliament for Their Banishment out of England by Johanna and Ebenezer Cartwright.(3)

By the mid-17th Century Jewish re-settlement of Britain had become a prominent goal of the island's Puritan population, and received its strongest boost after his publication and growth in popularity, Ben Israel met with Oliver Cromwell in 1650 where it was agreed that the re-establishment of a Jewish popularity would be brought before government. Ultimately, Parliament refused to lift the ban, but by the mid-1650s under Cromwell's direction it became known in Europe that the ban on Jewish settlement in England would cease to be enforced by the new government that emerged out of the English Civil War. By 1655-56 a very small strain of Jewish settlers began to bravely test this promise by emigrating to the island (almost exclusively to London, where this promise regarding the lack of enforcement could be more strongly upheld).(4)

1665 Resettlement under Charles II

During his exile Charles II had grown relatively fond (relative being in comparison to the more common Anti-Semitic attitudes which prevailed across Europe)of Jews, and even found the support of some members of the Jewish faith favorable to the return of the Monarchy in other countries across Europe during his return to England. This ensured that the Jewish population did not loose favor during the transition of government in London.(5)

Opinion in England over this 'Jewish Question' found varying degrees of support on both sides. As was true of most European states Anti-Semitism was a common influence upon the English population. Despite this large factions of the Puritan population did continue to uphold their support for the return of a Jewish population under the guise of scriptural interpretation. The fact that many of the Jews poised for resettlement in England were successful merchants in their own nations furthered the benefits which the authorities felt this influx of immigrants could offer England (who did face typical financial restraints during this period of time). In 1665 King Charles II fell in favor of the Pro-Jewish faction in England and lifted the ban, despite noticeable objects from across the country. Only twenty-five years later the Jewish population was estimated to have been as high as 3000.(6)

Sources

1. Sachar, Abram Leon. "A History of the Jews". (New York: Knopf, 1969), 209.

2. Ibid, 363 - 364.

3. Katz, David S. "The Jews in The History of England, 1485 - 1850". (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994), 109.

4. Ibid, 115 - 117.

5. Ibid, 141 - 143.

6. Ibid.