Licoricia of Winchester

Licoricia of Winchester (b. early 13th century — 1277) was a well-educated Anglo-Jewish money-lender, who was renowned in the medieval period. The statue depicts her with her son Asser, who holds a dreidel (Jewish spinning top). First recorded in Winchester in 1234, as a widow with three sons and one daughter, she operated her own successful business. In 1242 she married David of Oxford, one of the richest Jews in England, who was also a money-lender and by whom she had Asser. She settled in Oxford, returning to Winchester in 1244 when David died. Licoricia inherited his wealth; the death duties and the inheritance tax she paid went towards the building of Westminster Abbey. She had a close relationship with Henry III and his wife, Queen Eleanor, who were among her clients. Antisemitism, however, was rife. Licoricia was murdered in her home, possibly during a burglarly, in 1277. This statue is intended to shed light on an influential Jewish woman in medieval England, who is little known today. It is hoped that it will ‘promote tolerance and diversity.’

Location: Outside the Winchester Discovery Centre, Jewry Street, Winchester, Hampshire.