Licoricia of Winchester

Fundraising for a statue of Licoricia of Winchester in Jewry Street, Winchester

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The Licoricia of Winchester Appeal

The Licoricia of Winchester Appeal

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Welcome

Welcome to the Licoricia of Winchester Appeal.  Our project is to erect a life-sized bronze statue in Winchester of the most important Jewish woman in medieval England, Licoricia of Winchester, and produce associated educational materials.  The aim is to use top-class sculpture, a book, lessons for schools, and inspirational activities to educate the public about Winchester’s medieval Jewish community and royal heritage in its wider context, promote tolerance and the value of diversity, inspire women and young people, and enhance the city.

Educational work

We have commissioned Rebecca Abrams to write a book to be published in 2021 which will cover the history of the medieval Jewish community, prominent figures within it, and their lives in the city and beyond.  It will also deal with the broader context of royal medieval Winchester, and promote our aims of tolerance, the value of diversity, the inspiration of women and young people, and the encouragement of education.

A leaflet will be published for our unveiling which will be available free to residents and Winchester’s 5.4m visitors.  It will also be available to inform the Library’s 600,000 visits per annum.

We are working to publish Key Stage educational material for Hampshire schools, and have made great progress with Key Stage 3.

Lectures and events will also be held, such as exhibitions and an academic symposium.

What are our messages?

Messages from history

  • Jews were part of the English community from 1067 until 1290, having arrived after the Norman Conquest in 1066 nearly a thousand years ago. They contributed to the building of iconic places of worship such as Westminster Abbey and Lincoln Cathedral, and also other institutions, as well as to trade and culture.
  • Licoricia (who died in 1277) was a leader in her community and one of a handful of Jews, including women, prominently involved in finance. The Jews were restricted in the jobs they could do.  Other occupations included doctors, teachers, scribes, poets, vintners, metalworkers and tradesmen.
  • Licoricia was highly educated, like many Jewish women of her time, enabling them to be successful in their own right.
  • Jews were the property of the King, frequently persecuted by the Church, and taxed at will until they were too poor to be of any utility. As a result, those who would not convert to Christianity were forced out of the country by the Edict of Expulsion issued by King Edward I in 1290.

Lessons for today

  • Jews of the Middle Ages are an early example of a religious minority in the UK, and their story highlights the danger of the majority limiting the freedom of the minority (“the tyranny of the majority”).
  • As a minority, the Jews made an outsized contribution to England’s society and economy. Diversity of community creates cultural and commercial benefits.
  • Many prejudices against the Jews originated in the Middle Ages, and shaped anti-semitism, which still exists today. Education is the key to the elimination of prejudice.
  • Progress on religious and racial tolerance has been made in society – today the UK is a vibrant multi-faith, multi-ethnic and multi-racial society – but there is further work to be done.
  • The education of women has provided them with opportunity. As a result, progress has been made by women in business and other areas of public life, but 800 years after Licoricia lived, women are still striving for equality.

See the speeches of Maggie Carver and Cllr Roy Perry at our unveiling in London here:

Latest News

  • Our entry in the Woolf Institute blog January 13, 2021
  • Education funding boost December 21, 2020
  • Fundraising aspirations December 15, 2020

Donations

Kings’ Court

Donors of £10,000 and over will be commemorated on a plaque near the statue. They will also be invited to an exclusive event, in addition to our unveiling party, and be recognised in our book.

Princes’ Court

Donors of £5,000 and above will be invited to an exclusive event, in addition to our unveiling party, and be recognised in our book.

Knights’ Court

Donors of £500 and above will be invited to our unveiling party, and be recognised in our book.

We’re really grateful for all donations.

US donations can be made through CAF America.

Many thanks to the:

Charlotte Bonham-Carter Charitable Trust

The Alan and Sheila Diamond Charitable Trust

The Hollick Family Charitable Trust

The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust

The Thornton Trust

The David Uri Memorial Trust

The Phillips Family Charitable Trust

The Rubin Foundation Charitable Trust

The Hobson Charity

The Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation

and to many generous individual donors including Bianca and Stuart Roden.

 

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Visit the Sculpture site

Licoricia of Winchester Statue Site
Winchester Discovery Centre,
Jewry St,
Winchester,
SO23 8SB

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