Jewish communities from the 1070s
Jewish settlers arrived in England in about 1070, invited by William the Conqueror. To carry out his building programme (castles and cathedrals) he needed to borrow large sums of money, however Christians whose religious leader is the Pope. teaching did not allow Christians to lend money with interest. Jewish people were therefore encouraged, sometimes forced, to be moneylenders. William wanted them in England so that he could borrow money and so they could help in the administration of his government.
While some Jewish moneylenders - such as Aaron of Lincoln and Licoricia of Oxford - became extremely rich, many Jews simply had ordinary jobs within the communities where they lived. These ranged from doctors to fishmongers. They lived in many parts of England and Wales, sometimes in distinct communities practising their rituals, and sometimes alongside the wider population.
They were allowed to mix freely and were given a 'A written document issued by Henry I in 1100 which established how rulers could treat nobles, the Church and certain laws.' by King Henry I which meant they could go to the safety of the King鈥檚 castles if they were in danger. This meant the general population sometimes saw them as being on the side of the rulers. They also had to pay higher taxes than everyone else in return for protection from the Crown.
It is difficult to get a full picture of the lives of Jews in the 11th and 12th centuries because we do not have any written accounts from Jewish people living at the time. They do appear in some tax records and legal documents and there are occasional buildings recorded, such as the Jew鈥檚 house in Lincoln and the remains of a ritual bath in Bristol, however there is still a great deal that we do not yet know.
Weavers and other artisans
A lot of migrants came to England from the The area of north west Europe that today includes the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg., several small states in what is now Belgium and the Netherlands. Many came as A person living outside their own homeland as a result of war, famine or persecution. from war as it was only a short sea journey to the south of England, where conditions were more peaceful and wages were better.
Weavers were encouraged to come by kings such as Henry III and Edward III who wanted them to pass on weaving skills to English craftspeople. They were attracted by the fact that King Edward III let them set up their own weavers鈥 guild (which meant they could control their own business) and promised to help them if the English guilds caused problems for them. King Edward III also let them work wherever they wanted to. For a time he even stopped English wool leaving the country so the Someone from Flanders in the region that is now part of Belgium. weavers would have to come here to work.
Many other Flemish and Dutch Skilled workmen and craftspeople. came and settled in England. Tailors, Someone who makes and installs windows., brick makers and shoemakers were among the many that crossed by sea to the south east of England. Craftspeople also came from Ireland, Scotland and France to fill a wide variety of occupations; from priests and saddle makers to goldsmiths and bakers.
More guides on this topic
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- Immigration in the Modern era 1900 - present overview - OCR A
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- Migration to Britain c1000 to c2010 - exam preparation - OCR A