Key Migrant Groups in Medieval England

This page examines specific migrant groups that came to England during the medieval period, illustrating the diverse reasons for medieval migration to Britain.

Vikings (from 865 onwards):

• Sought economic opportunities in agriculture and trade
• Settled in eastern England, conquering kingdoms like Northumbria and East Anglia
• Attracted to trading centers and fertile farmland

Example: York became a major Viking settlement due to its strategic location, fertile soil, and importance as a trade and administrative center.

Normans (from 1066):

• Driven by political ambition, particularly William of Normandy's claim to the throne
• Attracted by England's prosperous wool trade and taxation system

Jewish migrants (from 1070):

• Invited by William I to provide financial services
• Able to charge interest on loans, unlike Christians
• Migrated to growing towns and cities for commercial opportunities

Highlight: William I invited Jewish migrants specifically to help finance the construction of stone castles and cathedrals.

Low Countries laborers (14th century):

• Filled labor shortages caused by the Black Death
• Found opportunities in farming and skilled crafts in growing towns

Low Countries weavers (13th-14th centuries):

• Invited by kings like Henry III and Edward III to boost the cloth industry
• Offered guild privileges and access to high-quality English wool

Lombardy bankers:

• Invited by the king to provide financial services
• Exploited loopholes in religious restrictions on money lending

Vocabulary: Guilds were associations of craftsmen or merchants that controlled the practice of their craft in a particular town.

Early Modern Migration Patterns

This page introduces the changing reasons for migration in the early modern period, setting the stage for new patterns of movement to and from England.

Key factors driving migration in the early modern era:

• Economic opportunities due to work availability or crop failures
• Expanding trade networks
• Growth of the British Empire
• Religious persecution
• Forced migration
• Invitations from local authorities

Important contextual changes:

• Religious shifts: England's break from the Catholic Church under Henry VIII and transition to Protestantism
• Political upheaval: The English Civil War and brief period as a republic under Cromwell
• Return of Jews: Allowed back into England under Cromwell after centuries of exclusion

Highlight: The religious changes in England, particularly the shift to Protestantism, made it a place of refuge for some persecuted religious groups.

Example: After the restoration of the monarchy, the reign of Catholic King James II led to new religious tensions and migration patterns.