William of Norwich
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The murder of William
In 1144, the mutilated body of a young apprentice tanner called William was found in Thorpe Wood, on the outskirts of Norwich. It was falsely put about by a relative of William that Jews had been responsible for the boy's death.
William's body was buried in the monks' cemetery at Norwich Cathedral Priory, and then moved to the interior of the cathedral. The clergy there were keen to establish a martyr's cult for Norwich, and when stories of miracles began to appear, he began to be treated as a martyr saint.
In about 1150 the priory asked a monk called Thomas of Monmouth to investigate the crime. Thomas interviewed witnesses, including members of William's family. Ridiculous stories were concocted to justify the accusations against the Jewish community.
Norwich Cathedral was never a major pilgrimage centre. The cult of St. William revived in the 1370s and 1380s following his adoption by the Norwich peltiers' guild.
St William's Chapel on Mousehold Heath
A chapel was dedicated to William in 1168. At the time it was believed the chapel was located at the site on Mousehold Heath where William's body had been found. All that now remains is a large earthwork, large hidden by overgrowth.
Click here for further information on St William's Chapel.
Sources
https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details?MNF406-Remains-of-St-William-in-the-Wood%27s-chapel-Mousehold-Heath Norfolk Heritage Explorer: Remains of St William in the Wood's chapel, Mousehold Heath
Shinners, John (1988). https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/library/browse/details.xhtml?recordId=3237360 The Veneration of Saints at Norwich Cathedral in the Fourteenth Century
Further information
http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/norwichmarymagdalen/norwichmarymagdalen.htm The images on this page include that of the panel of William in the church. A high resolution version of the image can be can be opened in Flickr.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_of_Norwich A lot has been written about William of Norwich. This Wikipedia article includes a list of books about both him and English medieval antisemitism.
https://archive.org/details/lifemiraclesofst00thomuoft/page/n11/mode/2up The life and miracles of St. William of Norwich by Thomas of Monmouth
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