Medieval migration (1000-1500)

When was the Norman Conquest?

1066

How were the Normans treated?

• A lot of resistance

• Anglo-Danish nobles tried to invade in 1069

What impacts/actions did the Normans have?

• Consolidated the feudal system

• Seized the land from Anglo-Danish lords and gave it to his lords

• Took control of the Church, replacing Anglo-Danish bishops with Normans

• Domesday survey led to abolishment of slavery as 10% of people were slaves

• Introduced surnames

• Suppressed resistance and rebellions; laid waste to much of northern England

• Reintroduced murdrum (if a Norman was assassinated, a collective fine was imposed on those living in the area unless the murderer was caught within five days)

Why did the Jews come to England?

They were invited to come and lend money to kings and bishops

How were Jews treated?

• Laws banned them from many other occupations

• Given a Charter of Liberties by King Henry I

• Allowed access to castles if in danger, but had to pay higher taxes in return. Because of this they had to charge higher interest rates, and many Christians felt they were hated by the Norman rulers.

• Jews were seen as 'the other' because they were the only non-Christians in England

• The Crusades (1095- ) meant that Muslims and Jews were labelled as non-believers

• In 1290, Edward I expelled all remaining Jews if they did not convert to Christianity.

What was Blood Libel?

• William of Norwich found dead on Good Friday 1144

• Thomas of Monmouth, a local monk, wrote a book full of hatred, attacking Jews. He claimed to have 'insider knowledge' from a Jewish convert to Christianity that the Jews were planning to ritually murder a Christian child every Good Friday to commemorate Jesus' crucifixion

• The church encouraged this through propaganda

• This rumour spread across all of Europe, leading to the murders of Jews all over

• Accused again in 1255

What impacts did Jews have?

• Funded the building of castles and cathedrals for bishops and kings

When did the Dutch and Flemish come?

1100s

Why did the Dutch and Flemish come?

Escaping war and poverty

What occupations did the Dutch and Flemish have?

• Craftsmen

• Brewers

• Various others

How were the Dutch and Flemish treated?

• John Kempe arrived in London in 1331 with special permission from King Edward III

• There was growing hostility towards foreign migrants, who were seen as a threat to English jobs.

• Him and others eventually set up a guild of Flemish weavers that reached agreement with local workers

• 1381 Great Rebellion, people rose up against the rulers who had favoured foreigners, so foreigners were targeted and murdered

What impact did the Dutch and Flemish have?

• Dutch brewers introduced the use of hops to brew beer rather than ale from barley

• Flemish weavers, who were skilled at making cloth, had the necessary skills to kick-start a MANUFACTURING ECONOMY after King Edward III restricted wool exports in the 1330s

• Created more work for sheep-shearers, fullers, and dyers

• One group of Flemish weavers travelled to set up their looms in Manchester, where the city's textile trade later became the powerhouse of Britain's wealth

When did German merchants come?

1000s-1100s

Why did German merchants come?

To make money

How were German merchants treated?

• Merchants in Lynn were allowed to live in their own houses so that authorities could monitor them more easily

• During the Great Rebellion of 1381 and again in 1492, the London Steelyard was destroyed in anti-foreigner riots

• Poor craft workers and English merchants felt the League had a negative effect on jobs and profits, and pressed the government to control them

• Craft guilds hated the fact that control of wool and cloth trade was given to foreign merchants

• People felt foreigners were given special treatment

What was the Hanseatic League?

• Set up by the German merchants

• Had a base called the Steelyard on the Thames in London

• Granted a Merchant's Charter in 1303, giving it certain tax and customs privileges

What impact did the Hanseatic League have?

• They made the City of London a financial centre, helping England become a rich manufacturing and trading nation

• They traded materials like timber, furs, and flax, and food like honey, wheat, and rye. Wool and cloth were often exported from England.

When did Lombard bankers come?

1220s

Why did Lombard bankers come?

• To make money

• The pope had ruled that Italian banks could charge interest on loans, so they offered to lend large sums of money to the king, Henry III, who was turning against Jewish moneylenders

How were Lombard bankers treated?

• Given letters of protection and proceeded to set up business in England

• London merchants did not welcome them, and regularly demanded controls and restrictions on them

• Foreigners were disliked by the public because they thought they would simply make their money then leave

What impact did Lombard bankers have?

• The crown benefitted

• Helped boost England's economy

  • Encouraged trade and building works

  • Financed foreign wars

• The City of London became recognised as a world financial centre

• Words about money (bank, credit, debit) come from Italian, and the £ symbol is from the Italian word for pound

When did Icelandic children come?

1400s

Why did Icelandic children come?

They were kidnapped by force

What did Icelandic children do?

They were forced into slavery