The wording on the sign of Little Hugh in Lincoln Cathedral is as follows:
All too often, in too many places, communities identify themselves as who they are not, rather than who they are. It is a short step from this to distrust, dislike and even hatred of ‘the other’ - frequently neighbours, who happen to be people of a different faith or race.
Fictional ‘ritual murder’ accusations by Christians against Jews began in England in the 12th century and then spread to the Continent. In 1255 a Lincoln boy called Hugh was found dead and the city’s long-established Jewish community was accused of murdering him. As a result, 92 Jews were imprisoned in the Tower of London and 18 were hanged for a crime they did not commit. Although Hugh was never canonised, the boy was venerated as a saint. Legends and ballads blaming the Jews circulated widely. His tomb in Lincoln Cathedral was a place of pilgrimage for the rest of the 13th century, but its popularity began to decrease after the Jews were expelled from England by King Edwards I in 1290. When the tomb was opened in 1791, the child’s body was found intact, bearing no evidence of the mutilation alleged to take place.
The tomb chest of Little Hugh’s shrine is to the left of this sign. Above is a picture of its appearance as recorded before its final destruction in the Civil War from a facsimile of Dugdale’s Monuments of 1641.
The libel against the Jews is a shameful example of religious and racial hatred, which, continuing down through the ages, violently divides many people in the present day. Let us unite here in a prayer for an end to bigotry, prejudice and persecution.
Peace be with you: Shalom
The wording of this sign is an interfaith project between the Lincolnshire Jewish Community, JTrails and Lincoln Cathedral in 2009.