Jews occupied a precarious position in medieval English society. They performed an invaluable service as moneylenders; a role denied to Christians on religious grounds; but this made them the subject of widespread resentment and exposed them to exploitation. The theologian William de Montibus (d. 1213) characterised Jews as 鈥榮ponges of the king. They are blood-suckers of Christian purses; by whose robbery kings despoil and deprive poor men of their goods'. In 1210 King John ordered that Jews be arrested; and he commanded that they place their wealth at his disposal; two clauses of Magna Carta subsequently dealt with debts owed to Jews by under-age heirs and widows. These thirteenthcentury charters record transactions with Jewish moneylenders.13th century.Harley Charter 43 A 60BLondon; British Library.