MANESSIER DE VESOUL

MANESSIER DE VESOUL (Menssier de Vezou ; d. 1375), "procureur-général" and "commissaire" of the Jews of Langued'Oyl (central and northern France) during the reign of *Charles v (1364–80). He was a member of the family of Héliot de Vesoul, a banker of that town during the early 14^th century, and in 1349 he himself was expelled from Vesoul. It was Manessier who, in 1359, negotiated with Charles, duke of Normandy (subsequently King Charles v) for the return of the Jews to France and then acted as the financial intermediary between the Jews of northern France and the monarchy – to his own personal profit as well. In 1374 he secured a further ten-year extension of the Jewish right of residence in France. When the Jews were once more obliged to wear a distinctive *badge, he and all his family were exempted. It is not certain whether it was this Manessier or a namesake who was involved in a lawsuit in 1365. After his death (between June 28 and October 1375), his children, his eldest son in particular, succeeded to his functions and privileges (which included complete exemption from the payment of taxes). When his son Joseph was converted to Christianity in 1382, he recovered the family properties, which had previously been seized. Nothing is known of the family after this.

bibliography:

L. Lazard, in: Annuaire des Archives Israélites de France, 7 (1890/91), 52–56; R. Anchel, Juifs de France (1946), 115f.

[Bernhard Blumenkranz]