The Jew’s House is one of the oldest surviving domestic dwellings in the country.

Built around 1150, the house was almost certainly occupied by a merchant who would have lived upstairs and traded downstairs. One name linked with ownership is Belaset of Wallingford, a woman executed in 1287, possibly on a trumped up  charge, for clipping coin – paring the edges of coins to acquire illicit gold or silver.*

The Jews’ Court next door was built much later and probably takes its name from a synagogue that is thought to have been situated near by. The Jew’s Court is currently headquarters of the county’s historical society.

During the 11th and 12th centuries Lincoln was very prosperous, largely through its wool trade. The Jewish community played a big part in the city’s development, especially as money-lenders – an occupation forbidden to Christians. Jews even helped fund the building of the cathedral. However their wealth and the fervour of the Crusades inspired resentment. Persecution in 1266 was followed by expulsion in 1290. Many saw this as an opportunity to rid themselves of their debts.*

*From the Pitkin City Guide to Lincoln