Domus Conversorum
Encyclopedia
The Domus Conversorum was a building and institution in London
for Jews who had converted to Christianity
. It provided a communal home and low wages. It was needed because all Jews who converted to Christianity forfeited all their possessions.http://books.google.com/books?id=rD7KpxEhRu8C&pg=PA100&lpg=PA100&dq=%22domus+conversorum%22&source=bl&ots=3TOA6X1yQF&sig=app1v7_1yW9plENXVddHpWqdTrk&hl=en&ei=nkgCSqC5MYXuMrLZpOQH&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7
It was established in 1253 by Henry III
. With the expulsion of the Jews by Edward I
in 1290, it became the only way for Jews to remain in the country. At that stage there were about eighty residents. By 1356, the last one of these died. Between 1331 to 1608, 48 converts were admitted. The warden was also Master of the Rolls
.
The building was in Chancery Lane
. No records exist after 1609, but, in 1891, the post of chaplain was abolished by Act of Parliament
and the location, which had been used to store legal archives, became the Public Record Office
.
"Domus Conversorum" was sometimes used also to describe the living quarters of lay brother
s in monasteries
.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for Jews who had converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. It provided a communal home and low wages. It was needed because all Jews who converted to Christianity forfeited all their possessions.http://books.google.com/books?id=rD7KpxEhRu8C&pg=PA100&lpg=PA100&dq=%22domus+conversorum%22&source=bl&ots=3TOA6X1yQF&sig=app1v7_1yW9plENXVddHpWqdTrk&hl=en&ei=nkgCSqC5MYXuMrLZpOQH&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7
It was established in 1253 by Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
. With the expulsion of the Jews by Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in 1290, it became the only way for Jews to remain in the country. At that stage there were about eighty residents. By 1356, the last one of these died. Between 1331 to 1608, 48 converts were admitted. The warden was also Master of the Rolls
Master of the Rolls
The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal...
.
The building was in Chancery Lane
Chancery Lane
Chancery Lane is the street which has been the western boundary of the City of London since 1994 having previously been divided between Westminster and Camden...
. No records exist after 1609, but, in 1891, the post of chaplain was abolished by Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
and the location, which had been used to store legal archives, became the Public Record Office
Public Record Office
The Public Record Office of the United Kingdom is one of the three organisations that make up the National Archives...
.
"Domus Conversorum" was sometimes used also to describe the living quarters of lay brother
Lay brother
In the most common usage, lay brothers are those members of Catholic religious orders, particularly of monastic orders, occupied primarily with manual labour and with the secular affairs of a monastery or friary, in contrast to the choir monks of the same monastery who are devoted mainly to the...
s in monasteries
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
.