Arrival with William the Conqueror
In 1066, the Duke of Normandy, William the Conqueror, seized the English crown. He set up a new administration, bringing many of his French supporters over the Channel, including the first recorded Jews in Britain. These were mostly merchants, who moved to London and began to set down roots. They spoke French and knew some Latin and HebrewThe language of the Jewish people and of Israel. Hebrew is also used more generally to mean the culture of the Jewish people (ie. Hebrew calendar)..
The history of Jews in Britain is one of waves of immigration. This was the first wave, in the 11th century.
Moneylending and Merchants
Jews only worked in a small number of occupations, because of rules from Church authorities and monarchs on what jobs they were allowed to do. Jews were also not allowed to own land. As a result of these restrictions and because Christians were not allowed to lend each other money for interest, moneylending, pawnbroking and trading became associated with Jews, often in a negative way. This greedy, ‘money making‘ image remains one of the most common antisemitic stereotypes still wrongly and harmfully believed about Jews today.
Beyond London
By the 12th century, Jews had established communities all over England. The small community had grown to around 5,000 people, in towns like Lincoln, York, Worcester, and Oxford.
