2. Canaries

Question 1

Why did the Huguenots migrate to Spitalfields?

Answer 1

• From the 1570s onwards, Huguenots started arriving in the area as refugees from religious persecution
• The number of Huguenots increased rapidly in the 1680s after the French King Louis XIV overturned a law protecting their rights

Question 2

What were the experiences of the Huguenots?

Answer 2

• They were largely well received by the middle classes but reactions from the working class were mixed
• Many saw the new arrivals as a threat to their livelihoods, competing for work and willing to undercut wages

Question 3

How did the Huguenots change Spitalfields?

Answer 3

• The Huguenots had a significant social and economic impact on Spitalfields
• Many were highly skilled silk weavers who transformed the area with their new high quality French styles that soon became fashionable
• By 1700 there were about 500 master weavers and 15,000 looms around Spital Square
• The silk came from China, India and Italy, brought by ships of the EIC
• More and more people were attracted to Spitalfields and the area became a boom town, helped by a time of national peace and stability
• They also brought a new, profitable industry that opened up new markets