Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, so I thought I’d do a piece about the Anglo-Jewish community during the Georgian era. Once I began my research, I realised it would be better to set the scene with a broader history of Jewish communities in England, and then Britain.
Jews in Medieval England
The first Jews came to England from Rouen at the request of William I after his victory over King Harold in 1066. They were financiers, and William wanted them to settle in England to provide funds for the Crown.
Jewish communities grew in York, Leicester, Norwich, Winchester, Gloucester, and Oxford. However, Jews could not own land outside of towns or join the craft guilds that oversaw manufacturing. So, they took the only means of gainful employment open to them and became moneylenders. It was illegal for Christians to make loans charging interest.
This, and their close connection to the Crown, meant that they flourished in the trade and financial sectors. As a result, the Crown taxed Jewish incomes heavily. A large percentage of the ransom paid for Richard I came from Jewish taxation.
By the 13th century, hostility towards the Jewish community had increased, while laws regarding Christians and money lending relaxed. Jewish incomes became less valuable as a source of taxation for the Crown. Henry III followed Europe’s lead and imposed stronger restrictions on Jewish communities, limited the building of synagogues, and imposed segregation.
The 1275 Act ended the Jewish right to lend money at interest and Jews found it increasingly difficult to earn a living. Many Jews emigrated and taxes fell. When Edward I came to power, he no longer viewed Jews as a valuable resource, the Christian Church continued to whip up popular discontent against Jews and they were eventually expelled from England in 1290. Apart from their personal belongings, all other property was seized by the Crown.
Between the 14th and mid-17th centuries, there was no Jewish community in England. Some remained, and some converted to Christianity, but Jews had no official right of residence or worship at that time.
Anglo-Jewish Communities in the 17th and 18th Centuries
Now, Oliver Cromwell is often portrayed as a leader who imposed religious doctrine on society, however, his post-civil war government advocated religious tolerance and made it possible for Jews to re-settle in Britain from the 1650s.
Many Jews fled persecution in Spain and Portugal to seek refuge in Britain, but they did not have full rights or protection under the law and they continued to suffer abuse. With the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, many believed Jews would once again be expelled, but Charles II recognised the potential value that Jewish trade and wealth brought to the country and made policy to protect Jewish traders in London from threats to their livelihoods.
Deror avi – Own work
18th and 19th-century Jewish Communities in Britain
As Jewish communities prospered once more, and made a valuable contribution to government coffers, the Jewish Naturalisation Act of 1753 provided a route to emancipation for Jews settled in England.
However, the bill provoked anti-Semitic unrest and the threat of violence was so great that the bill was repealed.
Regardless, the Jewish community continued to flourish and integrated with British society, taking on various professions ranging from peddlers and hawkers, to bakers, tailors, and manufacturers. The most prosperous rose to become an Anglo-Jewish elite of financial magnates. However, British law did not allow Jews full rights until the late 1800s.
Jewish Immigration to Modern Britain
One might think the most significant period of immigration was before the second world war, but it was actually between 1870 and 1914, when 200,000 Jewish immigrants arrived from Russia and eastern Europe.
Tens of thousands of Jews fled Nazi territories in the 1930s and 40s. Some settled in the UK, but many moved on. Thousands of Jewish children were a part of the Kindertransport and given homes in Britain.
By the end of the 20th century, there were a quarter of a million Jews living in the UK.
Sources
Excerpt from The Jews of Great Britain 1650-1815 by Todd M. Endelman
Excerpt from The Jews of Georgian England 1714-1830 by Todd M Endelman
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