There were Jews in medieval England, but they were expelled from the country in 1290. They did not return until the middle of the 17th century, and it is difficult to discover them in the historical record.
There is a traditional story that a Jewish pedlar was murdered near Axminster, and that the inn where it happened was avoided because of the murder, and eventually demolished.
The Waring family were prominent in Lyme from the early 19th century, and were of Jewish descent. It seems unlikely that they practised as Jews, but their descendents proudly recorded their Jewish roots and attributed all the family’s artistic talents to that fact.
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- The information on Henry Waring’s tombstone was repeated inside the church in 1906, when his descendents put up this brass plaque.
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- Henry Waring’s tombstone in the churchyard of St. Michael’s Church, Lyme Regis. He was a commander in the Royal Navy, and the family moved to Lyme in the early 19th century.
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- Henry & Jonas Walter were the earliest professional photographers in the area, and were Jews. View of Charmouth by Jonas Walter, probably 1860s. The main road through Charmouth is totally empty, a terrific contrast to today.