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York was a strategic importance being the ___location of a crossing of the [[River Ouse]], and the confluence of Rivers Ouse and Fosse. The [[Roman Britain|Romans]] established a garrison there. After the [[Norman Conquest]] of [[1068]]–[[1069]], [[William the Conqueror]] established two [[Motte and Bailey]] wooden castles in York. York Castle between the Rivers [[River Ouse|Ouse]] and [[River Fosse|Fosse]] and what is now [[Baile Hill]] on the South Bank.
In [[1190]] the wooden tower was the last refuge of the 150 [[Jewish]] residents in York. [[Richard de Malbis]] of York was a [[debtor]] of [[Aaron of Lincoln]], an influential Jewish banker of the late 12th century. When a fire broke out in the city of York, De Malbis used the opportunity to incite a mob to attack the home of a recently deceased agent of Aaron of Lincoln named [[Benedict of York]], killing his widow and children and burning the house. Joce (Joseph) the leader of the Jewish community of York obtained the permission of the [[warden]] of York Castle to remove his wife and children and the rest of the Jews into the castle, where they were probably placed in Clifford's Tower. This was surrounded by the mob, and when the warden left the castle the Jews in fear would not readmit him. He appealed to the sheriff, who called out the county militia; and Clifford's Tower was surrounded for several days. On [[16 March]] [[1190]] the Tower was set on fire, and many Jews either perished in the flames or took their own lives rather than be attacked by the mob, those who did surrender were killed. In all around 150 Jews died. A plaque on the hill on which the tower is placed reads:
"On the night of Friday 16 March 1190 some 150 Jews and Jewesses of York having sought protection in the Royal Castle on this site from a mob incited by Richard Malebisse and others chose to die at each other's hands rather than renounce their faith."
[[Image:England_york_cliffords_tower_inside.jpg|thumbnail|The walls of the stone tower still stand, but the roof and central pillar are gone.]]
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