This enquiry examines the fascinating story of Licoricia, a famous Jewish money-lender from the medieval period.

Licoricia was one of few women of note that we know about from the time.

She made a real name for herself, lending money to people like Henry III, Queen Eleanor of Provence and Simon de Montfort. She also helped to finance the building of Westminster Abbey.

Despite her untimely death, Licoricia’s exploits helped to secure her migrant family’s future, and her son Benedict became the only Jewish guildsman in medieval England (meaning he was allowed to be a full citizen, which was impossible for most Jews living in England at the time).

Licoricia’s story helps to exemplify the varied experiences of first and second-generation Jewish migrants during the period.

The enquiry focuses on the second-order concept of significance, getting students to apply Ian Dawson’s significance criteria to judge how far Licoricia deserves to be remembered. An engaging end task sees students write captions for a new statue of Licoricia that is to be built in Winchester. 

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