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.
Clearly, something has gone wrong...
December 2, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Clearly, something has gone wrong...
Super excited to see that the sessions that Birgit Wiedl and I organised for @imc-leeds.bsky.social have been accepted! Four panels, and a round table, considering Jews and Christians in medieval Europe!
November 29, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Super excited to see that the sessions that Birgit Wiedl and I organised for @imc-leeds.bsky.social have been accepted! Four panels, and a round table, considering Jews and Christians in medieval Europe!
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...)!
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
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!
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...
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?!'...
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!
At the request of the community, I reviewed the application for the London medieval Jewish cemetery permanent memorial. It's of minimal historical value, so I objected. I encourage others to do the same: @jewishhistorical.bsky.social @rachelblakemp.bsky.social @seethetreasures.bsky.social
September 26, 2025 at 6:15 PM
At the request of the community, I reviewed the application for the London medieval Jewish cemetery permanent memorial. It's of minimal historical value, so I objected. I encourage others to do the same: @jewishhistorical.bsky.social @rachelblakemp.bsky.social @seethetreasures.bsky.social
There's a lot to unpack here. Capitalisation. Commit to three !!! or stick to just !. Sending me my father's correspondence.
Apparently, I've done some work (or am planning to - not quite clear) in a local area about their medieval Jewish history and haven't asked permission...
Apparently, I've done some work (or am planning to - not quite clear) in a local area about their medieval Jewish history and haven't asked permission...
September 24, 2025 at 5:46 PM
There's a lot to unpack here. Capitalisation. Commit to three !!! or stick to just !. Sending me my father's correspondence.
Apparently, I've done some work (or am planning to - not quite clear) in a local area about their medieval Jewish history and haven't asked permission...
Apparently, I've done some work (or am planning to - not quite clear) in a local area about their medieval Jewish history and haven't asked permission...
Lovely to see my article on Anglo-Jewry in the Age of King John published! It includes one of my favourite ever starts to an article, as well as one of my favourite lists (and I love a list!). Hopefully I manage to say something useful and, if not, there's a charming E 401/1564 graph on p. 76!
September 12, 2025 at 7:37 AM
Lovely to see my article on Anglo-Jewry in the Age of King John published! It includes one of my favourite ever starts to an article, as well as one of my favourite lists (and I love a list!). Hopefully I manage to say something useful and, if not, there's a charming E 401/1564 graph on p. 76!
Because of the cropping of this image, and the fact that I'd forgotten how words work, I was suddenly very excited about this section of the bookshop...
False alarm, the books are the most exciting bit!
False alarm, the books are the most exciting bit!
September 3, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Because of the cropping of this image, and the fact that I'd forgotten how words work, I was suddenly very excited about this section of the bookshop...
False alarm, the books are the most exciting bit!
False alarm, the books are the most exciting bit!
Apparently, I know so little about medieval Anglo-Jewry, and the Lincoln Jewry, that I had to copy a (particularly ill informed) blogger to develop the Medieval Jewish Lincoln Walking Tour. No chance that I could, well, be a historian of medieval Anglo-Jewry and perfectly capable to do it on my own.
September 1, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Apparently, I know so little about medieval Anglo-Jewry, and the Lincoln Jewry, that I had to copy a (particularly ill informed) blogger to develop the Medieval Jewish Lincoln Walking Tour. No chance that I could, well, be a historian of medieval Anglo-Jewry and perfectly capable to do it on my own.
Working on my Thirteenth Century England paper today gives an excellent excuse to revisit the wonderful Chronicle of Hagnaby Abbey. At the top is the entry for 1266, with the Disinherited attacking Lincoln and stopping for a week.
August 30, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Working on my Thirteenth Century England paper today gives an excellent excuse to revisit the wonderful Chronicle of Hagnaby Abbey. At the top is the entry for 1266, with the Disinherited attacking Lincoln and stopping for a week.
Curiously, a question that I could quite happily have lived without. Full disclosure, a) I haven't watched it; b) I have no desire to watch it; c) I have no idea whether Jews are included or not; d) had I been asked (which I wasn't) I would have advised against including them...
August 29, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Curiously, a question that I could quite happily have lived without. Full disclosure, a) I haven't watched it; b) I have no desire to watch it; c) I have no idea whether Jews are included or not; d) had I been asked (which I wasn't) I would have advised against including them...
Writing about medieval Jewish heritage in England, and my footnotes have become perilously modern. I think that I need to sit in a quiet room with a charter, and ponder 'the point'.
August 29, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Writing about medieval Jewish heritage in England, and my footnotes have become perilously modern. I think that I need to sit in a quiet room with a charter, and ponder 'the point'.
*Fun fact* Land attached to the church in Greenwich where Henry VIII was baptised was, prior to 1247, pledged to the Jews. All down hill from 1247.
There's no topic in history which can't be linked back to the Jews of medieval England (however tenuously) with the proper application of thought!
There's no topic in history which can't be linked back to the Jews of medieval England (however tenuously) with the proper application of thought!
August 28, 2025 at 11:31 AM
*Fun fact* Land attached to the church in Greenwich where Henry VIII was baptised was, prior to 1247, pledged to the Jews. All down hill from 1247.
There's no topic in history which can't be linked back to the Jews of medieval England (however tenuously) with the proper application of thought!
There's no topic in history which can't be linked back to the Jews of medieval England (however tenuously) with the proper application of thought!
In 1899 and 1927, reports in the popular press confirmed that the @jewishhistorical.bsky.social has labelled Lincoln as 'the most interesting city in all of England'. A) correct; b) a view that the Society surely continues to maintain to this day!
August 23, 2025 at 9:53 AM
In 1899 and 1927, reports in the popular press confirmed that the @jewishhistorical.bsky.social has labelled Lincoln as 'the most interesting city in all of England'. A) correct; b) a view that the Society surely continues to maintain to this day!
Back to Hebrew and Hebrew-Latin documents, vol. 3, and thinking about Myer Davis. In 1912, Lucien Wolf described that the origins of Anglo-Jewish history, as studied by English Jews, began with Davis in c.1869. Reading Wolf's desc. of Davis' 'spade-work' I can't help but draw parallels for our vol.:
August 23, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Back to Hebrew and Hebrew-Latin documents, vol. 3, and thinking about Myer Davis. In 1912, Lucien Wolf described that the origins of Anglo-Jewish history, as studied by English Jews, began with Davis in c.1869. Reading Wolf's desc. of Davis' 'spade-work' I can't help but draw parallels for our vol.:
Taking a brief break from Hebrew commentaries to write my TCE talk on 'Locating the Lincoln Archa'. This gives me a (tangential) excuse to revisit the 1240 Lincoln scrutiny roll. What better way to kick off a long bank holiday break?! TNA E 101/249/4
August 21, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Taking a brief break from Hebrew commentaries to write my TCE talk on 'Locating the Lincoln Archa'. This gives me a (tangential) excuse to revisit the 1240 Lincoln scrutiny roll. What better way to kick off a long bank holiday break?! TNA E 101/249/4
Personally, I think that you are a person of incredible wit and humour. On an unrelated note - my standard PowerPoint slides for Licoricia:
August 20, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Personally, I think that you are a person of incredible wit and humour. On an unrelated note - my standard PowerPoint slides for Licoricia:
This evening's manuscript commentary is an unpublished debt owed to Licoricia of Winchester. Given how poorly documented she is, every little helps. That it's in Hebrew makes it even more exciting!
August 19, 2025 at 7:44 PM
This evening's manuscript commentary is an unpublished debt owed to Licoricia of Winchester. Given how poorly documented she is, every little helps. That it's in Hebrew makes it even more exciting!
And now for something completely different. Hebrew pledge notes, for a gospel which was pawned to Canterbury's Jews (several times). This one is special because it was stored, prior to the Reformation just yards away from where I wrote my PhD.
August 17, 2025 at 2:56 PM
And now for something completely different. Hebrew pledge notes, for a gospel which was pawned to Canterbury's Jews (several times). This one is special because it was stored, prior to the Reformation just yards away from where I wrote my PhD.