 Jews had gradually began to resettle in England during the times of Cromwell, having been barred from the country since the Edict of Expulsion at the close of the 13th century.In the previous century, Gideon's fellow Sephardi, Antonio Fernandez Carvajal, had become the first endenizened Jew.However, following the English Reformation, those who did not conform to the Church of England (including English Dissenters and Catholics, as well as Jews) could not hold office, be called to the bar, obtain a naval commission, study for a university degree or vote in elections.