The Experience of Migrants in Medieval England (Edexcel GCSE History) : Revision Note

How were Medieval migrants treated in England? - Summary

Migrants in medieval England had a mixture of positive and negative experiences, depending on their status, skills, and the attitudes of the people and rulers around them.

A common pattern across all groups was that migrants were generally tolerated when they were useful, but targeted when they were no longer needed or became unpopular. Some, like skilled traders and craftsmen, were welcomed for their economic contributions, especially when they brought valuable skills or goods. Others, like those who arrived as conquerors or outsiders, often faced hostility and suspicion, particularly if they disrupted local power structures or challenged English customs.

Many migrants were treated as outsiders under the law, with fewer rights than native-born English people. Even migrants who were protected by the king could quickly lose support if public attitudes changed or royal priorities shifted.

Viking migrants

Living in Danelaw

• Viking settlers built thriving communities, particularly in towns like York (Jorvik)

  • This became a major trading hub with Europe

• Viking towns had blacksmiths, tanners, weavers, and jewellers

  • Their trades contributed to a growing local economy

  • Some Viking merchants became very wealthy

• Towns within Danelaw developed:

  • marketplaces

  • shops

  • entertainment venues, like feasting halls and places for storytelling or games

Relationship with Anglo-Saxons

• Danelaw had its own laws, language, and customs

  • Saxons struggled to understand this

• In 937 CE, the Anglo-Saxons brought Danelaw under their control

  • Relationships between Saxons and Danes became very tense, causing:

    • fighting

    • raids

The Impact of King Cnut

• In 1016, King Cnut became the first Danish King of England

• Cnut's rule was successful

  • Cnut converted large numbers of Danes to Christianity

    • This created a shared religious identity in England

  • He kept many Viking customs in the Danelaw but also respected Anglo-Saxon law and traditions

    • This reduced conflict and built trust

  • He gave earldoms to Saxons, such as giving Godwin the earldom of Wessex

    • This promoted peace and stability within England

Living outside of Danelaw

• Ordered by King Æthelred the Unready, the St Brice’s Day Massacre was a mass killing of Danes living in southern England on 13 November 1002

• It was a reaction to fear of Danish settlers plotting against the king

  • There was no clear evidence of that there were plots

Impact of the St Brice's Day Massacre

• Worsened relations between Danes and Anglo-Saxons

• Contributed to future Viking invasions seeking revenge

• Highlighted the risks migrants faced, even during times of peace

  • Their status and safety depended heavily on royal favour

Norman migrants

• After the Norman Conquest in 1066, William the Conqueror encouraged Norman nobles and merchants to settle in England

  • This caused conflict between the Norman settlers and the Saxon population

Reasons for hostility towards Norman settlers

Castles

• The Normans built motte and bailey castles across the country

  • Examples include Warwick, Durham, and York

• These castles were symbols of Norman dominance

  • William needed castles to control the local population and prevent uprisings

  • William chose Norman nobles to be castellans, some of which were very cruel to the Saxon population living there

Loss of land

• When Normans settled in England, they took land away from Saxons nobles

  • As many Saxons leased their land from these nobles, they too lost their land

• There were many ways that Normans took this land away from Saxon nobles including:

  • by forfeit

  • the creation of new Earldoms

  • land grabs

Rebellions

• William brutally suppressed rebellions from around England

• The most brutal example was the Harrying of the North (1069–70)

  • During this William's army:

    • killed men, women and children

    • burnt buildings and crops

    • killed livestock

    • pillaged

  • Between 100,000 and 150,000 people died over the winter of 1069-1070

  • By 1086, 60% of Yorkshire was deemed wasteland with no livestock

The feudal system

• William introduced the feudal system to tighten his control over the country

• All land officially belonged to the king

• The King granted some land to his nobles and the Church (tenants-in-chief) in return for military service and taxes

• The barons then gave land to knights (under-tenants), who promised to fight for the king

• At the bottom were peasants, who worked the land in exchange for protection

Impact of the feudal system

• This system completely changed who owned land in England

  • By 1086, only 2 out of 180 major landowners were English

• Many Norman migrants became rich landowners, while the Anglo-Saxon nobles lost wealth and status

The Domesday Book

• In 1085–86, William ordered a huge national survey, known as the Domesday Book

• It recorded:

  • who owned land

  • how much it was worth

  • what taxes could be raised

• The Domesday Book was the most detailed government record in Europe at the time

• The Domesday Book helped the king:

  • monitor land ownership

  • ensure loyalty from Norman barons

  • control taxes more efficiently

Medieval Jewish migrants

Early Jewish settlement

• Many Jewish migrants worked in moneylending

• Jewish moneylenders became important to the English economy, helping to fund:

  • royal building projects, such as castles

  • wars

• As a result, Jewish communities were often under royal protection

  • They were considered property of the Crown, which meant they could be protected

  • However, due to this protection, they were taxed heavily

• Jewish migrants were respected in local communities

  • The money they lent supported small businesses

Antisemitism and expulsion

• Antisemitism is hostility or prejudice against Jewish people

• By the late 12th century, antisemitism had grown due to:

  • Debts owed to Jewish moneylenders

  • Accusations of murder and usury

  • Encouragement from the Church, which opposed Jewish religious beliefs

• In 1190, a mob attacked the Jewish community in York, killing over 100 people

• In 1275, King Edward I issued the Statute of Jewry

  • All Jewish settlers:

    • Could no longer lend with interest

    • Had to wear a yellow badge on their clothing

    • Had to move to certain sections of towns, called 'Jewish quarters'

• Finally, in 1290, Edward I expelled all Jews from England

  • They were not allowed to return until the 1650s

Medieval European traders & craftsmen

Flemish weavers

• Flemish weavers came from the Low Countries (modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands)

  • Many began settling in Colchester, Canterbury, and East Anglia from the 12th century

• They were highly skilled in cloth-making, particularly weaving wool into fine cloth

  • Their skills were vital for boosting the economy

• They taught English weavers their skills, making them welcomed in the community

Hansa merchants

• The Hanseatic League (or Hansa) was a powerful trading network of cities in northern Germany and the Baltic

• Edward I granted Hansa merchants the right to trade with England from the 13th century

• In London, they were based at the Steelyard

  • This was a walled trading compound on the River Thames

  • Hansa merchants had their own warehouses, homes, and legal rights

• The Crown support Hansa merchants as they provided a reliable tax income

• English merchants did not like Hansa merchants

  • They wanted the special privileges from the Crown that the Hansa merchants received

  • They believed that Hansa merchants drove up prices or exploiting trade

Italian bankers

• In the 1220s, Edward I began inviting wealthy Italian banking families to settle in London. Examples include:

  • the Bardi

  • the Ricciardi

  • the Gigli

• These merchants often acted as papal bankers

  • This meant that they handled finances for both the Pope and the English Crown

• In return for their services, they received special trading and legal rights from the King

• Italian bankers became more wealthy and powerful after the expulsion of Jewish people from England in 1290

Migrants & the English law

• The legal system treated most migrants as “aliens”

  • This meant that they did not have the same rights as native-born English people

• Some could apply for denization

• This was a legal status that gave limited rights (e.g. to trade or own land)

  • Migrants who had this were known as denizens

  • However:

    • They were still viewed as outsiders

    • It required money or royal permission to become a denizen

• The Black Death (1348–1350) led to a huge drop in population, creating labour shortages

  • Some migrants were welcomed to fill the gaps

• However, anger towards migrants also increased during this period

  • Some English workers believed that migrants were taken work from them

  • During the Peasant's Revolt (1381):

    • The Hansa Steelyard was burnt down

    • Around 150 migrants were killed