England's Jewish Solution: Experiment and Expulsion, 1262-1290

This book examines the Jewish community in England from 1262 to 1290, during the reign of Edward I. Commencing with a survey of the historiography and heritage of medieval Anglo-Jewry, the book analyzes the Jews' financial value to the Crown and indicates that after 1275 some may have diversified into commodity broking. A further chapter examines the varying fortunes of seven provincial communities, which is followed by the most comprehensive study of debtors to Jews to date, showing the wider impact of Jewish lending. Finally, the reasons behind one of the first European expulsions of the Jews are considered in depth.