Editing Blood libel (section)

===Origins in England===
[[File:Death of William of Norwich.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The crucifixion of William of Norwich depicted on a [[rood screen]] in Holy Trinity church, [[Loddon, Norfolk|Loddon]], Norfolk]]
{{Main|Harold of Gloucester|Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln|Robert of Bury|William of Norwich}}

In England, in 1144, the Jews of [[Norwich]] were falsely accused of [[Human sacrifice|ritual murder]] after a boy, [[William of Norwich]], was found dead in the woods with stab wounds. William's hagiographer, [[Thomas of Monmouth]], falsely claimed that every year there is an international council of Jews at which they choose the country in which a child will be killed during Easter, because of a Jewish prophecy that states that the killing of a Christian child each year will ensure that the Jews will be restored to the Holy Land. According to Monmouth, England was chosen in 1144, and the leaders of the Jewish community delegated the Jews of Norwich to perform the killing, after which they abducted and crucified William.<ref name="soc">{{cite web |last1=Langham |first1=Raphael |title=William of Norwich |url=http://www.jhse.org/node/44?page=0%2C0 |website=The [[Jewish Historical Society of England]] |access-date=1 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718203040/http://www.jhse.org/node/44?page=0%2C0 |archive-date=18 July 2011 |date=10 March 2008}};{{br}} Langmuir, Gavin I (1996), ''Toward a Definition of Antisemitism'', University of California Press, pp. 216ff.</ref> The legend was turned into a cult, with William acquiring the status of a martyr and pilgrims bringing offerings to the local church.<ref>{{Catholic Encyclopedia |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15635a.htm |title=St. William of Norwich}}</ref>

This was followed by similar accusations in [[Harold of Gloucester|Gloucester (1168)]], [[Robert of Bury|Bury St Edmunds (1181)]] and Bristol (1183). In 1189, the Jewish deputation attending the coronation of [[Richard I of England|Richard the Lionheart]] was attacked by the crowd. [[History of the Jews in England#Massacres at London and York (1189–90)|Massacres of Jews at London and York]] soon followed. In 1190, on 16 March, 150 Jews were attacked in York and then massacred when they took refuge in the royal castle, where Clifford's Tower now stands, with some committing suicide rather than being taken by the mob.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historyofyork.org.uk/themes/norman/the-1190-massacre|title=The 1190 Massacre: History of York|first=SUMO|last=Design|website=historyofyork.org.uk}}</ref> The remains of 17 bodies thrown in a well in Norwich between the 12th and 13th century (five that were shown by DNA testing to likely be members of a single Jewish family) were very possibly killed as part of one of these [[pogroms]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13855238 |work=[[BBC News]] |title=Jewish bodies found in medieval well in Norwich |date=23 June 2011}}</ref>

After the death of [[Little Saint Hugh of Lincoln]], there were trials and executions of Jews.<ref>"The Knight's Tale of Young Hugh of Lincoln", Gavin I. Langmuir, Speculum, Vol. 47, No. 3 (July 1972), pp. 459–482.</ref> The case was described by [[Matthew Paris]] and later by [[Chaucer]], and formed the basis of the ''[[Sir Hugh]]'' ballads which have circulated to the present day. Its notoriety sprang from the intervention of the Crown, the first time an accusation of ritual killing had been given royal credibility.

The eight-year-old Hugh disappeared at [[Lincoln, Lincolnshire|Lincoln]] on 31 July 1255. His body was probably discovered on 29 August, in a well. A Jew named Copin or Koppin confessed to involvement. He confessed to [[John Lexington|John of Lexington]], a servant of the crown, and relative of the Bishop of Lincoln. He confessed that the boy had been crucified by the Jews, who had assembled at Lincoln for that purpose. [[Henry III of England|King Henry III]], who had reached Lincoln at the beginning of October, had Copin executed and 91 of the Jews of Lincoln seized and sent up to London, where 18 of them were executed. The rest were pardoned at the intercession of the Franciscans or Dominicans.<ref>See Langmuir (1972), p. 479; Jacobs, ''Jewish Ideals'', pp.&nbsp;192–224</ref>

Within a few decades, Jews would be [[Edict of Expulsion|expelled from all of England]] in 1290 and not allowed to return until 1657, although it is likely that some Jews lived there during this period and kept their religion secret.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/jews-in-england-1290/#:~:text=It%20was%20not%20until%201656,while%20keeping%20their%20religion%20secret. |title=Jews in England 1290 |website= National Archives |access-date=3 July 2024}}</ref> After the expulsion, [[Edward I of England|Edward I]] renovated "Little Saint Hugh's" shrine and decorated it with his Royal insignia, as part of his efforts to justify his actions.{{sfn|Stocker|1986}}{{pn|date=April 2025}} As Stacey notes: "A more explicit identification of the crown with the ritual crucifixion charge can hardly be imagined."{{sfn|Stacey|2001}}{{pn|date=April 2025}}