1.3 England's immigrants in the Middle Ages Flashcards
1
Q
Who came and why?
A
- Most were artisans and craftspeople who came in search of work, often welcomed by the authorities, but some were refugees from war
- Wealthy merchants and bankers came to make Monet from trade and investment
2
Q
What were their experiences?
A
- Immigrants were dispersed throughout the country, even in the smallest villages, and it appears that they usually settled in well
- However, there was resentment from craft guilds, who felt that immigrants were a threat to employment, and this occasionally explored into violence
- Sometimes measures were taken against immigrants, including the ‘aline subsidy’ tax on all foreign-born residents
3
Q
What was their impact?
A
- Medieval immigrants, weavers and other craftspeople, as well as merchants and bankers, played a key role in England’s transition from an economy producing raw materials to a manufacturing economy
- At times, English artisans felt that the arrival of immigrants from Europe threatened their jobs
- This led to conflict between their guilds and some monarchs, and occasionally to violence
4
Q
How did Britain’s relationship with the wider world affect immigration?
A
- Two factors driving immigration were war and trade
- Irish migrants came because of conflict cause by English colonisation
- Immigrants from Gascony and Brabant migrated as a result of the upheaval caused by the Hundred Years’ War between England and France
- Flemish and Dutch weavers were encouraged to come by kings who wanted to change England’s trading relationship with the rest of Europe
5
Q
Hostility to Flemish workers
A
- The weaver John Krempe arrived in 1331 with special permission from King Edward III to settle and work in London under the King’s protection
- During the Great Rebellion in 1381, when the people rose up against the rulers who had favoured foreigners, migrant communities were targeted
- Around 140 foreigners were murdered, they were beheaded and their heads were piled in the streets
6
Q
The influence of Lombard bankers on England’s economy
A
- In the 1220s, rich banking families from Northern Italy, then known as Lombardy, started arriving in England
- The pope had ruled that Italian banks could charge interest on loans, so they also offered to lend large sums of money to the king, Henry III, who was turning against Jewish moneylenders in a climate of anti-Semitism
- Families were given letters of protection and proceeded to set up business in England
- The money the foreign merchants invested helped boost England’s economy in many ways, encouraging trade and building works as well as financing foreign wars
- For over a hundred years bankers and the Crown benefited, until Edward III’s debt crisis caused some of these businesses to go bankrupt
7
Q
Why did Lombardy bankers come to England?
A
They saw a chance to make a profit from the growing trade in English wool
8
Q
Relations between bankers and the local population
A
- London merchants did not welcome foreign merchants and bankers, and regularly demanded controls and restrictions on them, sometimes with success
- Foreigners were also often disliked by the general public, who felt that they would simply make their money and leave
9
Q
Examples of negative migrant experiences
A
- At times of crisis, immigrants were vulnerable to attack
- Some groups were especially treated badly
- Some people saw immigrants as a threat to their livelihood
10
Q
Examples of positive migrant experiences
A
- There is little real evidence of attacks on those who were not rich
- At most times and in most places, immigrants settled into the population
- Although small in number, immigrants had a great effect in improving the lives if people in England
11
Q
Reception of immigrants in England
A
Much depended on the strength of the ruler. Strong kings saw that immigrants were needed and welcomed them. However, under weak kings immigrants were vulnerable:
- In 1325, Edward II had all foreigners near the south coast arrested when he feared a French invasion
- Due to pressure on Richard II from trade guilds, foreign merchants were forced to live in the households of English people, who were then told to spy on them
- In 1456, during the unstable reign of Henry VI, Italian merchants in London felt so threatened that they all moved to Winchester for safety
12
Q
Aliens Register Tax
A
The records of foreign-born people living in England that were drawn up so that they could be taxed
13
Q
People who were not taxed
A
- English and Welsh
- Foreigners who had a letter of denization from the king, giving them the same rights that English people had, after paying and swearing allegiance
14
Q
People who were taxed at first but later let off
A
Irish and Gascons
15
Q
People who were taxed
A
All other foreign-born men, including the Scots
