Return of the exiles

The Jews and the English have always had a rocky relationship

The crowning of Richard the Lionheart at Westminster was a time of great rejoicing for the people, but not all of them. The Jews of the country had only been around since 1066, when they came over from France with William the Conqueror, as bankers and financial consultants. But they were always under suspicion, an attitude hardly discouraged by the Church and this situation came to a head at the coronation. The Jews arrived at Westminster bearing gifts but were refused entry and pelted by mobs, fuelled by rumours that the King wanted them exterminated. This resulted in riots, resulting in the death of thirty Jews and the burning of many Jewish homes. This act was to be repeated all over the country, in places such as York, where Jews committed suicide rather than being killed by a blood-thirsty mob. Their crime? Just being Jews.