England must have even then been a kind of
sheltering haven, for in 1287, when a sudden anti-Semitic panic occurred
to drive the Jews out of the kingdom, it was estimated that 15,660 had
to cross the silver streak. Nominally, they were not allowed to return
until Cromwell's time, 364 years after. It was in 1723 Jews were
permitted to hold lands in this country, and thirty years after an Act
was passed to naturalise them, but it was repealed in the following
year. Now the Jews are entitled to every right and privilege that a
Christian possesses. It is not possible to say when the Jewish community
of this town originated, but it must have been considerably more than a
hundred and fifty years ago, as when Hutton wrote in 1781, there was a
synagogue in the Froggery, "a very questionable part of the town," and
an infamous locality. He quaintly says:--"We have also among us a
remnant of Israel, a people who, when masters of their own country, were
scarcely ever known to travel, and who are now seldom employed in
anything else. But though they are ever moving they are ever at home;
who once lived the favourites of heaven, and fed upon the cream of the
earth, but now are little regarded by either; whose society is entirely
confined to themselves, except in the commercial line. In the synagogue,
situated in the Froggery, they still preserve the faint resemblance of
the ancient worship, their whole apparatus being no more than the
drooping ensigns of poverty. The place is rather small, but tolerably
filled; where there appears less decorum than in the Christian churches.
The proverbial expression, 'as rich as a Jew,' is not altogether
verified in Birmingham; but, perhaps, time is transferring it to the
Quakers. It is rather singular that the honesty of a Jew is seldom
pleaded but by the Jew himself." No modern historian would think of
using such language now-a-days, respecting the Jews who now abide with
us, whose charitable contributions to our public institutions, &c., may
bear comparison with those of their Christian brethren. An instance of
this was given so far back as December 5th, 1805, the day of general
thanksgiving for the glorious victory of Trafalgar. On that day
collections were made in all places of worship in aid of the patriotic
fund for the relief of those wounded, and of the relatives of those
killed in the war. It is worthy of remark that the parish church, St.
Martin's, then raised the sum of L37 7s., and the "