The murder of William

In 1144, the mutilated body of a young apprentice tanner called William was found in Thorpe Wood woods, of the outskirts of Norwich. It was falsely put about that Jews had been responsible for the boy's death. 

William's body was interred within the Cathedral after first being buried in the monks' cemetery. The clergy of Norwich Cathedral Priory 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 - years after William's death - the priory asked a monk called Thomas of Monmouth to investigate the crime. Thomas interviewed William's family and other witnesses. Ridiculous stories were concocted to justify the accusations against the Jewish community. 

St William's Chapel on Mousehold Heath

The chapel of St William in the Wood was originally dedicated to St Catherine, but was rededicated in 1168 following the supposed martyrdom of St William of Norwich in 1144. It is said that the chapel was founded on the site where his body was found, and it served as a parochial chapel of Norwich Cathedral Priory. The date of its dissolution is unclear, but the last offering is recorded in 1506, and by 1556 the site was leased out by the Dean and Chapter.  The cult of St William was never widely popular, and didn't attract the pilgrims that the cathedral's monks had expected. 

All that now remains is a large earthwork, within which are the remains of a possible flint building platform. These features are visible on aerial photographs of the heath.

Click here for further information on St William's Chapel.