Licoricia of Winchester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Licoricia of Winchester
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| Died | 1277 Winchester, England
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| Spouse(s) |
David of Oxford
(m. 1242; died 1244) |
| Children |
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Licoricia of Winchester (born in the early 1200s, died 1277) was a very important Jewish woman in medieval England. She was a successful moneylender, a wife, and a mother. Even though Jewish people faced tough times in 13th-century England, Licoricia became very successful. She made smart marriages and was great at business. She even had a close connection with King Henry III.
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Licoricia's Early Life and Career
Licoricia's name was a bit unusual for her time. Many people in the early 1200s, both Christian and Jewish, chose unique names. Because her name wasn't very common, her life story is easier to trace in old records.
Licoricia first appears in official records in 1234. At that time, she was a young widow with three sons: Cokerel, Benedict, and Lumbard. She also had a daughter named Belia. She started lending money in the early 1230s. Sometimes she worked with other Jewish people, and sometimes she worked alone with a lawyer. She was one of the very few Jewish people who worked at the highest level of finance. Most other Jewish people had different jobs, like metalwork, being scribes, doctors, or traders.
Her Marriage to David of Oxford
In 1242, Licoricia married her second husband, David of Oxford. He was known as the richest Jewish man in England. David wanted to marry her so much that he ended his previous marriage. King Henry III even helped make sure their marriage could happen.
Licoricia and David had a son named Asher, who was born in 1243. Sadly, David died in 1244. After his death, Licoricia was held by the King at the Tower of London. This was to make sure the King got his share of David's money. This share was a huge amount: 5,000 marks! A large part of this money was used to rebuild Westminster Abbey and the shrine to Edward the Confessor.
Licoricia was released in September 1244. She went back to live with her family in Winchester. There, she continued David's business and started new ventures of her own.
Licoricia's Business Success
Over the next 30 years, Licoricia became a very powerful businesswoman. She lent money to people all across Southern England. At that time, several other Jewish women were also important in finance.
Her clients included King Henry III himself and his wife, Queen Eleanor of Provence. She also lent money to important nobles, like Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester. This was before he led a rebellion against the King in the Second Barons' War (1264–1267).
Her Children's Lives
Licoricia's son, Benedict, became the only Jewish guildsman in medieval England. This was very unusual. Being a guildsman allowed him to own buildings and houses and be a citizen. These things were usually impossible for other Jewish people.
Her son Asher, by David of Oxford, was put in Winchester Castle in 1287. This happened when the King was trying to collect a lot of taxes from Jewish people. Asher left a message carved into the castle wall in Hebrew. It said that all the Jewish people in England were imprisoned on a certain Friday.
There isn't much information about what Licoricia's other children did. It's likely they were involved in common Jewish community activities. These included trading, making jewelry, metalwork, or working as clerks or scribes. Most Jewish people were not involved in large-scale moneylending.
Lending Money in Medieval Times
In medieval England, Jewish moneylenders could charge a certain amount of interest. Other groups, like the Cahorsins and Lombards, also lent money. They sometimes charged even higher interest rates than Jewish lenders. So, Jewish people were not the only ones lending money.
Licoricia's Death and Legacy
In early 1277, Licoricia was tragically found dead in her house on Jewry Street. Her Christian servant, Alice of Bickton, was also found dead. Three men were accused of the murders, but no one was ever found guilty. The murders were never solved.
A few years later, King Edward I introduced a new law in 1275. This law made it illegal for Jewish people to charge interest on loans. One of Licoricia's sons, Benedict, faced serious charges and was executed. In 1290, King Edward I ordered all Jewish people to leave England. Licoricia's family, along with the rest of the Jewish community, was banished from the country.
A Statue in Winchester
In August 2018, plans were approved for a statue of Licoricia of Winchester and her son Asher. The statue was made by sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley. People raised money for this project to help others learn about the medieval Jewish community. It also aims to promote tolerance and inspire women and young people today.
The statue was unveiled on February 10, 2022. It is located on Jewry Street in Winchester. This is opposite where Licoricia's house and the city's 13th-century synagogue once stood. Asher in the statue is holding a dreidel, which is a spinning top. The statue's base has a quote from the Book of Leviticus: "Love thy neighbour as thyself," written in both English and Hebrew.
A book about Licoricia, titled Licoricia of Winchester: Power and Prejudice in Medieval England, was published in 2022. Also, lessons based on Licoricia's life are now available for students in schools.
See also
