in 1190, york castle was the location of one of the worst pogroms in england during the medieval period. the normans had introduced , where some occupied a special economic role as moneylenders, an essential but otherwise banned activity. english jews were subject to considerable religious prejudice and primarily worked from towns and cities in which there was a local royal castle that could provide them with protection in the event of attacks from the majority christian population. royal protection was usually granted as the norman and angevin kings had determined that jewish property and debts owed to jews ultimately belonged to the crown, reverting to the king on a jew's death.