The Jews of Medieval England: Murder, Money, and Expulsion

A Jewish community was established in England shortly after the Norman Conquest. Initially confined to London, from the 1130s onwards Jews began to settle in other parts of the country, where they lived as English Jews for more than two centuries. Their life in England came to an end in 1290 with Edward I’s order of expulsion. As the only religious minority permitted to settle, the Jews occupied a unique legal position in under royal privilege and within English society. The Crown provided many protections and these allowed some Jews – especially before the 1250s - to become extremely wealthy. Equally, Jews were exposed to exploitation, most obviously through excessive taxation, and eventually though accusations of violent acts. In England around 1150 the child murder accusation – one of the most pernicious and enduring anti-Jewish slurs – alleged for the first time that Jews were obliged to murder a Christian child once a year in parody of the crucifixion of Christ.

How is the course structured? 

This self-guided short course is 100% online. The resources are structured but can be dipped into at any time, so you can work through them at your own pace and convenience. Through this unit you can access:

• An introductory lecture setting out the themes and aims of the course
• 4 recorded lectures by experts Professor Miri Rubin and Dr Dean A. Irwin, and a recorded wrap-up discussion session 
• Access to our curated resource unit  

These materials were originally compiled and produced as part of our live short course on The Jews of Medieval England which ran from January to March 2023.