There were never more than a few thousand Jews in medieval England, but they were envied, hated and misunderstood because of their wealth and beliefs. In an age when expressions of religious conviction could be intense, fanatical and violent, the Jews were easy targets and vulnerable scapegoats. After just over 200 years, the Jewish communities of England were forcibly removed on the orders of Edward I, England becoming the first country to expel a Jewish minority from its borders. The Jews remained excluded for over 350 years, England was not unique in its approach to ‘the Jewish problem’, but it was different in the permanence of the solution it found.

Richard Huscroft is a History Master at Westminster School, London. He graduated from Oxford University with a First in History and was awarded his PhD from King’s College London. His other books include Ruling England 1042-1217. He lives in London.