The Archa System

The Exchequer of the Jews was created in 1194 by King Richard I of England in order to keep track of all records of debts owed to Jewish moneylenders (as well as possessions and property of every Jew in England). The reason was not only to give the Crown an accurate account of what Jews held (and could be exploited), but also to prevent unscrupulous debtors from trying to avoid repayment by criminally destroying records.The method of keeping the records secure was explained here. It included a system of multiple keys needed to unseal and examine the records, and a committee of equal members of Christians and Jews.It was not feasible, however, to expect all records to maintain accuracy if they were kept in a central location lie Winchester (the London seat of the Crown's administration). A system of archæ, or chests, was arranged around England so that records could be kept up-to-date more easily. They could always be summoned to Winchester for examination.Each archa had three locks…