Licoricia of Winchester

Had he not tested positive fir covid the Prince of Wales was due yesterday to unveil a statue in Winchester of the thirteenth century Jewish female moneylender Licoricia who lived in the city. She was a significant source of money for  King Henry III but who was eventually to be found murdered, stabbed to death along with her Christian woman servant, by an unknown hand in 1277. She must have been quite elderly at the time. Such was her repute that her death was recorded by the Jewish community in Germany. The statue is situated on Jewry Street, where she would have presumably lived, and close to the site of the royal castle.

The Smithsonian Magazine has an article about Licoricia which sets out her recorded career from 1234 until her death snd assesses her place and part in the Jewish community of thirteenth century England at Meet the 'Most Important' Jewish Woman in Medieval England

This looks at the difficulties the Jewish community faced as well as the possibilites for making money that they enjoyed by lending to Christians, as well as the risks which proved fatal in the case of one of her sons, who was hanged for coin clipping.

The BBC News website has an article with links to others about the appeal to erect the statue and about a forthcoming book about Licoricia at Prince Charles cancels statue unveiling after catching Covid

The story of Licoricia opens up insights into the lives of groups whom one might pass by - women, businesswomen, widows, Jews and financiers - and rescues her from the anonymity of hiding in the Chancery and Treasury records of the thirteenth century.