Aaron of York
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Aaron of York or Aaron fil Josce, was a
Chief Rabbi
Aaron appears to have obtained some of his father's money and commercial connection, for he was appointed
Transactions
In 1219 he was appointed by the King to act as a talliator (assessor of tallage) and was among the twelve wealthiest Jews of the Kingdom.
In 1221 on the marriage of the King's sister to Alexander II of Scotland, Aaron paid £14 15s towards her dowry.
In 1223 he paid £43 towards a tallage of £3000, making the second highest payment.
In 1235 Henry III had made an agreement with him that he would only tax him 100 marks, reduced to 60. This was never honoured.
In 1236 Aaron agreed to pay to King Henry III of England 100 marks a year to be free of all taxes (Tovey, Anglia Judaica, Oxford, 1738, p. 108). Notwithstanding this, in 1273 he was
When Henry III went to war in 1243, in his absence Aaron of York was accused of transgressions against the King; these are not recorded. He was sent to prison and managed to leave when he paid a fine of £100. The following year he was accused of forging a deed and was summoned before the King. On threat of imprisonment he paid the sum of 30,000 marks in silver to the King and 200 gold marks as a gift to the Queen. At this time the King was desperate for money as the war in France had not gone well. This left Aaron of York in ruins and the King realised that he was no more of use to him and dismissed him from his office.[1]
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Joseph Jacobs (1901–1906). "Aaron of York". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.
Jewish Encyclopedia bibliography
- Matthew Paris, Chronica Majora, iv.260, v.136;
- M. D. Davis, Sheṭarot, Nos. 93, 102, 108, 109 (autograph), 196-198;
- M. Adler, Jews of Medieval Britain (Cheshire, Sheratt & Huges, 1939)
- Papers of Anglo-Jewish Exhibition, 1887, p. 41;
- Tovey (1738), Anglia Judaica, p. 108;
- R. Davies, "On the Medieval Jews of York", in Yorkshire Archeological and Topographical Journal, iii.147-197;
- Moses Margoliouth (1851), History of the Jews in Great Britain, i.164.
Notes
- ^ M. Adler, Jews of Medieval Britain (Cheshire, Sheratt & Huges, 1939)