England is the home of one of the most pernicious allegations in the antisemitic arsenal. Originating at Norwich in 1144, the ritual murder allegation originally claimed that the Jewish community abducted, tortured and killed Christian children every year. Although the narrative has undergone significant changes over the centuries, Dr Dean Irwin will explore the conditions in which these allegations emerged and where they developed, with the view to better understand the implications of such falsehoods upon the reality and image of the Jewish community in England.
Having received a School Scholarship to complete his PhD on the records generated by Jewish moneylending activities in 13th century England at Canterbury Christ Church University, Dean is now an independent researcher, interested in all aspects of medieval Anglo-Jewish history.
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