Seals and synagogue
Following on from contact with recent and current projects by Oxford Jewish Heritage, I’ve been scanning a series of title deeds in the college archives relating to Balliol’s acquisition in the 14th century of the site of the former synagogue in Oxford. I hope that making images of the deeds available will help and encourage further study of the history of the Jewish community in medieval Oxford. In addition to the story their content helps to tell, many of these documents are beautiful and evocative objects with interesting seals. Here are a few photos:
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- Queen Margaret confirms the grant by the executors of William Burnell of property in Oxford to Balliol College (Salter 201) 1314
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- detail of initial
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- seal of Margaret of France, reverse
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- seal of Margaret of France, obverse
You can see the B.9 series over at our flickr page, and other deeds also relating to the former site of the synagogue as B.11. Full transcripts (Latin only) of most of these deeds are available in HE Salter’s The Oxford Deeds of Balliol College. OHS vol LXIV, 1913. It hasn’t been digitised – yet – but hard copies are often available on amazon or abebooks.
- outline of medieval Jewish history in Oxford from oxfordchabad.org
- Oxford section of JTrails – the National Anglo-Jewish Heritage Trail
- Oxford Jewish Heritage
- Jewish Historical Society of England
Balliol College Archives & Manuscripts 