Dr Dean Irwin
@medievaljews.bsky.social
Does what it says on the tin: medieval and Jews (often at the same time). Medieval Anglo-Jewry generally. Dyslexic. Visiting Fellow at University of Lincoln; Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies.
Pinned
Dr Dean Irwin
@medievaljews.bsky.social
· Nov 10
a brown bear is standing in front of a fence and waving its paw .
ALT: a brown bear is standing in front of a fence and waving its paw .
media.tenor.com
Lots of new followers so intros. I'm interested mainly in medieval Jews. I love records and co-convene a seminar on Anglo-Jewish records at Oxford. I'm also working on 3(?!) vols: an ed. col. on the Med Lincoln Jewry, an ed. of Hebrew/Hebrew-Latin docs and a book on Jews and Christians as neighbours
Checking an old PowerPoint from the c.2020-1 and I am baffled about this slide. I expect I was trying to be funny but, if so, the joke escapes me (which is presumably the experience of audiences at my papers in real time...)!
November 26, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Checking an old PowerPoint from the c.2020-1 and I am baffled about this slide. I expect I was trying to be funny but, if so, the joke escapes me (which is presumably the experience of audiences at my papers in real time...)!
I feel that somebody should do a study to work out how much time is spent saying 'but why would you do that?!' by academics going through their articles to get their footnotes to follow the style guide...
Signed somebody who has spent the past hour doing just that!
Signed somebody who has spent the past hour doing just that!
a cartoon meerkat is standing on a rock and asking but why
ALT: a cartoon meerkat is standing on a rock and asking but why
media.tenor.com
November 23, 2025 at 7:48 PM
I feel that somebody should do a study to work out how much time is spent saying 'but why would you do that?!' by academics going through their articles to get their footnotes to follow the style guide...
Signed somebody who has spent the past hour doing just that!
Signed somebody who has spent the past hour doing just that!
Excellent lecture last night at the Nottingham History seminar by Natasha Jenman. She explored Jewish outlaws and networks in medieval England through the lens of Abraham Russell. A wonderful display of how to use medieval Anglo-Jewish sources! @ochjs.bsky.social @oxmedstud.bsky.social
November 20, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Excellent lecture last night at the Nottingham History seminar by Natasha Jenman. She explored Jewish outlaws and networks in medieval England through the lens of Abraham Russell. A wonderful display of how to use medieval Anglo-Jewish sources! @ochjs.bsky.social @oxmedstud.bsky.social
The Oxford Jewry is the focus of a new walking tour next year, being developed by Tash Jenman and Naomi Reiter. This will join other walking tours of Lincoln (Tash and Me), Canterbury (Me), London (me and community), and Winchester (Tina Welch et al) which open up England's medieval Jewish history
Superb maps of Oxford's medieval Jewish heritage: www.oxfordjewishheritage.co.uk/oxford-jewis...
November 18, 2025 at 10:55 AM
The Oxford Jewry is the focus of a new walking tour next year, being developed by Tash Jenman and Naomi Reiter. This will join other walking tours of Lincoln (Tash and Me), Canterbury (Me), London (me and community), and Winchester (Tina Welch et al) which open up England's medieval Jewish history
'... Final 😀', '... Finally final, absolutely no more amendments, v. 11 😭'
No no no begs every archivist. You are never going to be able to find anything. Please don’t start using emojis in file names. Who asked for this? What fresh hell is next?
November 12, 2025 at 12:43 PM
'... Final 😀', '... Finally final, absolutely no more amendments, v. 11 😭'
Reposted by Dr Dean Irwin
We are absolutely delighted that 'Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages' will be sponsored by @lincolnmedieval.bsky.social @ochjs.bsky.social
Register here: buytickets.at/bordersbound...
Programme: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Register here: buytickets.at/bordersbound...
Programme: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
November 11, 2025 at 4:38 PM
We are absolutely delighted that 'Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages' will be sponsored by @lincolnmedieval.bsky.social @ochjs.bsky.social
Register here: buytickets.at/bordersbound...
Programme: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Register here: buytickets.at/bordersbound...
Programme: docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Reposted by Dr Dean Irwin
Join us on 18 November!
@uclhjs.bsky.social @uclhjslibrary.bsky.social @biajs.bsky.social @medievaljews.bsky.social @leedsims.bsky.social
@uclhjs.bsky.social @uclhjslibrary.bsky.social @biajs.bsky.social @medievaljews.bsky.social @leedsims.bsky.social
Licoricia of Winchester: Power & Prejudice in Medieval England
Tue 18 Nov 19:30 NW London
Location tbd
Award-winning Oxford author Rebecca Abrams talks about her book ‘Licoricia of Winchester’ - a most successful female financier in medieval England
Book your place
www.jhse.org/event-detail...
Tue 18 Nov 19:30 NW London
Location tbd
Award-winning Oxford author Rebecca Abrams talks about her book ‘Licoricia of Winchester’ - a most successful female financier in medieval England
Book your place
www.jhse.org/event-detail...
Licoricia of Winchester: Power & Prejudice in Medieval England | JHSE
www.jhse.org
November 10, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Also, any section which discusses 'interest' (or related, e.g. 'usury', 'lucrum', etc) ought to begin with the word 'interestingly'.
Years of field work suggests that editors, copy editors, and typesetters don't agree with this. They are wrong.
Years of field work suggests that editors, copy editors, and typesetters don't agree with this. They are wrong.
Academic tip: sometimes you have to write "Importantly," to get a sentence started and then you can go back and delete it.
November 7, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Also, any section which discusses 'interest' (or related, e.g. 'usury', 'lucrum', etc) ought to begin with the word 'interestingly'.
Years of field work suggests that editors, copy editors, and typesetters don't agree with this. They are wrong.
Years of field work suggests that editors, copy editors, and typesetters don't agree with this. They are wrong.
Not a good day for @jewishchron.bsky.social. Yesterday we read the nonsense that Little Hugh of Lincoln was killed at pesach for his blood (thus demonstrating that nobody has read the case or knows the English ritual murder tradition) and then this rubbish is printed without question.
Ever the details man, Boris Johnson evokes the 'massacre of Jews in London in 1066' while speaking at Auschwitz.
www.thejc.com/news/politic...
www.thejc.com/news/politic...
November 6, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Not a good day for @jewishchron.bsky.social. Yesterday we read the nonsense that Little Hugh of Lincoln was killed at pesach for his blood (thus demonstrating that nobody has read the case or knows the English ritual murder tradition) and then this rubbish is printed without question.
Gulp... The 735th anniversary of the Expulsion provides an opportunity to start jotting down some thoughts for my new project. Inevitably, a side project at the moment, but one which I'm looking forward to starting. By the 740th anniversary, I'll know what I think on the topic!
November 1, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Gulp... The 735th anniversary of the Expulsion provides an opportunity to start jotting down some thoughts for my new project. Inevitably, a side project at the moment, but one which I'm looking forward to starting. By the 740th anniversary, I'll know what I think on the topic!
This! It's endemic in my area that lots people think that they can talk about the Jews but have only read outdated/discredited scholarship. There is no recognition that this does just as much damage, as the narratives that you're seeking to challenge.
Because what we do involves reading things, thinking very hard about them, and then writing those thoughts down, there’s this odd perception that anyone who can do that is/can be a historian, and doesn’t (usually) need to have gone through the requisite training to be one.
November 1, 2025 at 10:26 AM
This! It's endemic in my area that lots people think that they can talk about the Jews but have only read outdated/discredited scholarship. There is no recognition that this does just as much damage, as the narratives that you're seeking to challenge.
On Halloween, I wish to draw your attention to an acknowledgement of debt which was so surprised to be ordered up, that it actually screamed...
October 31, 2025 at 8:20 AM
On Halloween, I wish to draw your attention to an acknowledgement of debt which was so surprised to be ordered up, that it actually screamed...
For those wondering, my current book project is called 'Ernie'...
@medievaljews.bsky.social's is called 'Steve'.
October 30, 2025 at 4:08 PM
For those wondering, my current book project is called 'Ernie'...
Making the final edits to an article, and increasingly, this could be adopted as a conclusion for any of my writing: 'It's OK, but it's not Lincoln, is it?!'...
October 25, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Making the final edits to an article, and increasingly, this could be adopted as a conclusion for any of my writing: 'It's OK, but it's not Lincoln, is it?!'...
We can only imagine how many times Dr Dryburgh uttered the word 'legend' in the course of this research... Great read!
It was a pleasure to collaborate with Paul Dryburgh (TNA, UK) on this blog on the fascinating life of H.S Sweetman. More to come so watch this space! @historytcd.bsky.social @virtualtreasury.bsky.social
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-...
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/explore-the-...
Henry Savage Sweetman: the man who uncovered Ireland’s medieval history
Henry Savage Sweetman published the Calendar which translated over 8,000 Irish medieval records. But who was Sweetman and why did he complete this project?
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
October 24, 2025 at 6:24 PM
We can only imagine how many times Dr Dryburgh uttered the word 'legend' in the course of this research... Great read!
In the same day, I have been told that I know nothing about Jewish communities, with my ‘expertise is superficial’, and then the head of a major institution has invited me to give a lecture on Jewish communities based upon my expertise. Definitely my preferred vibe:
jack sparrow from pirates of the caribbean is talking to a man in a white hat .
ALT: jack sparrow from pirates of the caribbean is talking to a man in a white hat .
media.tenor.com
October 21, 2025 at 2:25 PM
In the same day, I have been told that I know nothing about Jewish communities, with my ‘expertise is superficial’, and then the head of a major institution has invited me to give a lecture on Jewish communities based upon my expertise. Definitely my preferred vibe:
It's going to be so much fun!
Sneak preview of the programme which will launch in the next week or two! Speakers and poster presenters have this already, but it's going to be... BIG! As things stand:
- 37 presentations
- 12 Poster presentations
- 2 keynote lectures
- 1 palaeography workshop
- 1 saxophonist
- 37 presentations
- 12 Poster presentations
- 2 keynote lectures
- 1 palaeography workshop
- 1 saxophonist
October 18, 2025 at 9:08 AM
It's going to be so much fun!
Finishing a PowerPoint on the train, and the only photos I have with me of the modern editions of medieval Anglo-Jewish documents includes the Horrible Histories board game prominently... On second thoughts, this accurately summarises both my interests and priorities!
October 13, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Finishing a PowerPoint on the train, and the only photos I have with me of the modern editions of medieval Anglo-Jewish documents includes the Horrible Histories board game prominently... On second thoughts, this accurately summarises both my interests and priorities!
I was terribly confused by this article... Then I did a double take and realised the reference to Peckham was the place not the archbishop.
In general: graffiti in a church. Totally unremarkable.
In general: graffiti in a church. Totally unremarkable.
Canterbury Cathedral was quite literally already full of graffiti - some of it dating back nearly a thousand years. So, from my view, this is actually continuing something that has already been happening and asking questions in an interesting way.
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Anger over ‘sacrilegious’ graffiti art installation at Canterbury Cathedral
Responses to the project on display at the historic building have been mixed
www.independent.co.uk
October 11, 2025 at 9:57 AM
I was terribly confused by this article... Then I did a double take and realised the reference to Peckham was the place not the archbishop.
In general: graffiti in a church. Totally unremarkable.
In general: graffiti in a church. Totally unremarkable.
Not meaning to be a pedant, because I'm very happy that people will be able to read my article, but what is the significance of 9 October 1290 to the Expulsion...?
October 10, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Not meaning to be a pedant, because I'm very happy that people will be able to read my article, but what is the significance of 9 October 1290 to the Expulsion...?
You asked: is it possible to be any more excited about Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers?
We answered: Yes...:
We answered: Yes...:
We are pleased to announce that the second keynote at the Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers conference will be given by the inimitable Professor Miri Rubin! Details to follow with the programme.
Registration: buytickets.at/bordersbound...
Registration: buytickets.at/bordersbound...
October 8, 2025 at 3:42 PM
You asked: is it possible to be any more excited about Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers?
We answered: Yes...:
We answered: Yes...:
🎉🎉🎉
MLGB is back!! Delighted that Medieval Libraries of Great Britain @bodleian.ox.ac.uk is now back online. We are also working had on plans for the next phase of the resource, enhancing & adding data & functionality. HUGE thanks to my colleagues for their hard & clever work mlgb.bodleian.ox.ac.uk
October 7, 2025 at 11:19 AM
🎉🎉🎉
It's been quite a day!
And we're there! We have notified almost everybody who submitted a proposal already (there will be a short delay for the remainder until @medievaljews.bsky.social finishes work).
Registration is now open with a limited number of virtual tickets available: buytickets.at/bordersbound...
Registration is now open with a limited number of virtual tickets available: buytickets.at/bordersbound...
October 6, 2025 at 8:14 PM
It's been quite a day!
Reposted by Dr Dean Irwin
I don't mean to alarm anybody but we are very nearly there! For those who submitted proposals, keep an eye on your inbox next week. And if anybody wants to chair a session, get in touch!
October 4, 2025 at 7:55 PM
I don't mean to alarm anybody but we are very nearly there! For those who submitted proposals, keep an eye on your inbox next week. And if anybody wants to chair a session, get in touch!