The Jews’ House. S. Read. 1869. Source: the 1869 Illustrated London News. Click on image to enlarge it
“Passing through the Stone Bow, we begin to ascend the hill on which the Cathedral stands, and as we toil up the acclivity, which in one part is so steep that some compassionate soul has provided a hand-rail to help passencers on their way, we pass, on the left-hand side, one of the lions of Lincoln—the Jews’ House. The house itself exists no longer, but a large portion of the facade still remains. This consists, as in the Engraving, of an ornamented Norman doorway, surmounted by a chimney-gable, from the interior of which, however, the ancient fireplace and mantelpiece have been removed. The exterior still retains traces of a Norman mansion, and such, in its beet days, this Jews’ House must have been. It is said to have been once inhabited by Belaset de Wallingford, a Jewess, who was executed in the reign of Edward I. for clipping the coin of the realm—shearing the flock which bred so fast for Shylock. It is a singular fact that in more than one of our towns the few remains of Norman domestic architecture should be connected by popular tradition with the Jews. There is, however, no reason to doubt that the Jews of Lincoln were both numerous and wealthy, and probably for the latter reason were accused of the most atrocious crimes, to give their needy oppressors an excuse for confiscating their property. In the thirteenth century no less than eighteen Jews were executed on a charge of having crucified a child, called afterwards St. Hugh. This, in the Middle Ages, was devoutly believed to be an annual and regular custom with the Jews, and the story is told by Matthew Paris in all seriousness how that a Jew of Lincoln—one Copin by name—inveigled this Christian child Hugh into his house, and secretly sent invitations to all the Jews in England to be present at the crucifixion of his victim. Copin, under the influence of the rack or a promise of impunity for himself, confessed that others had committed the crime, and acknowledged that it was an annual occurrence. A ballad called “Hugh of Lincoln” is still extant, which enters into the details of this pretended crime. Chaucer repeats the horrid story in one of his “Canterbury Tales.” It is not surprising, however, that these excuses should have been made for destroying and plundering the Jews, when we find, from a note to Hallam's “Middle Ages,” that it was a custom at Toulouse to give a blow on the face to every Jew at Easter, which was liberally commuted in the twelfth century for a regular tribute; whilst at Beziers, in the south of France, another usage prevailed—that of attacking the Jews’ houses with stones from Pahn Sunday to Easter. No other weapon was to be used, but it generally produced bloodshed. The populace were regularly instigated to the assault by a sermon from the Bishop. At length, we are told, a prelate wiser than the rest abolished this ancient practice, but not without receiving a good sum from the Jews. The raison d’ être of these Norman strongholds for the Jews’ houses in mediaeval times may not be unconnected with these popular, not to say episcopal, pastimes” (566).
Related Material
- Henry III and the Execution of Jews for False Accusations of Ritual Murder
- The History of Jews in England from the Middle Ages until Expulsion (1290)
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Bibliography
"Leaves from a Sketchbook: Lincoln." Illustrated London News 54 (4 December 1869): 565-66. Hathi Trust online version of a copy in the Princeton University Library. Web. 30 May 2021.
Last modified 30 May 2021