From Wiki.....The first Jewish communities of significant size came to England with
William the Conqueror in 1066.
[1] On the conquest of England, William instituted a
feudal system in the country, whereby all estates formally belonged to
the Crown; the king then appointed lords over these vast estates, but they were subject to duties and obligations (financial and military) to the king. Under the lords were further subjects such as
serfs, who were bound and obliged to their lords, and their lords' obligations. Merchants had a special status in the system as did Jews. Jews were declared to be direct subjects of the King,
[2] unlike the rest of the population. This was an ambivalent legal position for the Jewish population, in that they were not tied to any particular lord, but were subject to the whims of the king. This could at times prove advantageous and at other times disadvantageous. Every successive king formally reviewed a
royal charter granting Jews the right to remain in England. Jews did not enjoy any of the guarantees of the
Magna Carta[3] of 1215.
Economically, Jews played a key role in the country. The church at the time strictly forbade the lending of money for profit. This created a vacuum in the economy of Europe that Jews filled due to extreme discrimination in every other economic area.
Canon law was not considered applicable to Jews, and
Judaism does not forbid loans with interest between Jews and non-Jews.
[4]In consequence, some Jews made large amounts of money. Taking advantage of their unique status as his direct subjects, the King could appropriate Jewish assets in the form of taxation. He levied heavy taxes on Jews at will without having to summon
Parliament.
[5]
Jews acquired a reputation as extortionate moneylenders which made them extremely unpopular with both the church and the general public. While an anti-Jewish attitude was widespread in Europe, medieval England was particularly anti-Jewish.
[3] An image of the Jew as a diabolical figure who hated Christ started to become widespread, and antisemitic myths such as the tale of the
Wandering Jew and
allegations of ritual murders originated and spread throughout England, as well as Scotland and Wales.
[6]
In frequent cases of
blood libel, Jews were said to hunt for children to murder before
Passover so they could use their blood to make the unleavened
matzah.
[7] Anti-Jewish attitudes sparked numerous riots in which many Jews were murdered, most notably in 1190 when
over a hundred Jews were massacred in the city of York.
[7]
Coming with a conquest would not help.
Having to repay a loan would not help.
But it is hard to see why folk turned on them.
Alex