“It is well known that, before the banishment of the Jews under Edward I, their contracts and obligations were denominated in our ancient records starra or starrs, from a corruption of the Hebrew word, shetàr, a covenant…. These starrs, by an ordinance of Richard the first … were commanded to be enrolled and deposited in chests under three keys in certain places; one, and the most considerable, of which was in the king’s exchequer at Westminster …. [T]he room at the exchequer, where the chests containing these starrs were kept, was probably called the starr-chamber, and, when the Jews were expelled [from] the kingdom, was applied to the use of the king’s council, when sitting in their judicial capacity.” 4 William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England 263 n.a (1769).
starr
starr (stahr), n. [fr. Latin starrum fr. Hebrew sh’tar “a writing”] Hist. A Jewish contract (esp. for release of an obligation) that Richard I declared to be invalid unless it was placed in a lawful repository, the largest being in the king’s Exchequer at Westminster. Pl. starra, starrs.
