Migration To England Before c800 PDF

# **Historical background** ## **Migration to England before c800** England was a country rich in resources. This made it very attractive for both migrants and invaders. ### **Map of Resources Found in England** * **Salt** was used to preserve food * **Honey** was produced all over the country;...

# **Historical background** ## **Migration to England before c800** England was a country rich in resources. This made it very attractive for both migrants and invaders. ### **Map of Resources Found in England** * **Salt** was used to preserve food * **Honey** was produced all over the country; used to sweeten food, in medicine and to make bear * **Copper** and **tin** together were used to make bronze, which was used for jewellery and tools. * **Lead** was very valuable; had many uses like water pipes and weights. * **Wheat** and other crops were easily grown on fertile land in the south and east of England * **Fish** were in plentiful supply in the seas around England. * **Iron** was used to make tools and weapons. * **Wool** was needed to make cloth and sheep thrived in England. ### **Early Migrants to England** * **Christians** spread the word (635 CE) * **Christian Missionairies** from Ireland (563 CE) * **Saxons and Angles, Jutes and Frisians** invaded (from c430 CE) ## **Factors Affecting Migration** Throughout this topic, there are four key themes that affect migration * **Government** * **Religion** * **Economics and trade** * **Attitudes in society** In each chapter, you need to consider how these factors impact migration. ### **Factor: Government** **c800-1500** The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were united in 927 as the Kingdom of England. The Witan was a council advising Ango-Saxon rulers when they were asked. Many of these systems continued under the Normans. By 1500 England was governed by the monarch and his advisors (usually the barons) and a parliament of lords and commons. This was usually only called when the monarch needed money or to approve an important piece of legislation. ### **Impact on Migration** Arguments over who ruled England was central to invasion from the Vikings and Normans. The Monarch invited migrants who would benefit them i.e. Henry III invited Lombardy bankers and Flemish weavers to migrate to England. The government was able to make it easier for merchants to operate, by giving them a right to trade. They could also use their power against migrant groups, e.g. Edward I expelling all Jews. ### **Factor: Economics and Trade** Monarchs levied taxes. Over time, this needed to be agreed with Parliament. England was rich in resources and its trading links throughout Europe grew during this period. This made it more attractive for migrants either for conquest or settling for trade. ### **Impact on Migration** The Normans and Vikings were attracted to England by its resources an the land available. England's economic strength later attracted merchants looking to grow their trade network, while Flemish weavers developed the cloth trade. Economic growth needed money. Jewish migrants then Lombardy bankers helped provide this. ### **Factor: Religion** Christianity had spread throughout England. People worshipped in churches and cathedrals; monks were supposed to lead godly lives in abbeys and monasteries. Monasteries looked after the poor and the sick. By 1500 England was a catholic Christian country and an important part of Christendom. ### **Impact on Migration** The support of the church was important to William I in his plans to conquer England. Being part of a shared European religion helped make England seem like a natural destination for European migrants and bankers. ### **Factor: Attitudes in Society** During this period, England was a feudal country, with power concentrated in the hands of a small number of powerful barons and lords. Most English people had no say in making laws, lived in villages and worked on the land. Most people lived their whole lives in one small area and had very little contact with the outside world. Education was often limited. ### **Impact on Migration** Many were suspicious of 'outsiders'. Some were hostile to migrant merchants and weavers, feeling they were taking jobs and trade from Englishmen. Violence and arrests, particularly when England was at war, were common. As England was a Christian country, many people were hostile towards the Jewish community. # **c800-c1500: Migration in Medieval England** In medieval times, people we drawn to englad for all kinds of different reasons, but the main one was that England offered them the possibility of a better life. Hundreds of raiders became invaders, and thousands of invaders became setters. As England became richer, merchants and brewers, weavers and craft workers, and bankers migrated from Europe into the growing towns and cities of England. They believed they would make more money working in England than in their home countries. This helped make England the most prosperous country in the whole of Europe. But the lives of migrants didn't always live up to their hopes. Vikings in York prospered, and the Normans simply took over the coutry. However, Jews were only allowed to live in a handful of towns and were actually expelled in 1290. Merchants' lives could be precarious - a wrong investment or a move to a town that was not trading well could spell disaster. ## **Learning Outcomes** By the end of this chapter you will: * understand why people migrated to and within England * understand the experiences of migrants in England * understand teh impact migrants had on England * complete a case study on the city of York under the Vikings. # **1.1 The reasons why people migrated** ## **Learning Outcomes** * Know about English Society c800-c1500. * Understand the reasons why different groups of people migrated to England ## **The Vikings** Monks kept a record of events over hundreds of years in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. They recorded the first Viking raid on England when, in 789, the Vikings attacked the kingdom of Wessex on the south coast. ### **Source A: An extract from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for the year 789, describing the first Viking raid** * In this year there came three ships of Norwegians from Horthaland: and then the reeve [manager of the royal estates] rode thither and tried to compel them to go to the royal manor, for he did not know what they were: and then they slew him. These were the first ships of the Danes to come to England. ### **From raiding to invading** These three ships were the satrt of a terrifying wave of Viking raiders. They were searching for treasure - gold, silver and jewels - or anything that was value and easy to carry away on their ships. The rich, undefended monasteries and abbeys in the north, such as Lindisfarne, which was raided in 793, provided the richest pickings. ### **Reasons for Viking Migration** * **Agriculture:** The land in eastern England was rich fertile. Vikings and their families could settle farm the land and live well * **Trade:** Many english towns were important trading centres with Europe. Taking over these towns and their trade could make Vikings rich. * **Religion:** Odin, the god of war and military victory, was the Viking's most important god. To fight and to win meant that Odin woudl reward Viking warriors after death. ### **From invading to conquest** In 865 the Viking army landed in East Anglia. Called the Great Army, it was in fact made up of several smaller armies, each with its own commander. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle claimed there were tens of thousands of Vikings, though it was probably exaggerating. Even so, it was a huge invasion and must have been terrifying for the Anglos-Saxons. In 866 the Vikings captured the heavily fortified city of York. They used the city as a base to attack an conquer most of Eastern England. They spent 14 years campagining against the four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. By 878 the once great kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia, and East Anglia were gone for ever, their kings killed or fled abroad. The Vikings took over: they brought over their families and settled, as farmers, manufacturers, craft workers and traders. Only Wessex, the last Angio-Saxon kingdom, remained unconquered. ### **Tackling Wessex** The Vikings had invaded Wessex earlier, in 871, and Alfred, King of Wessex, had paid them to leave. Now, seven years later and with the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms gone for good, the Vikings finally turned their attention to Wessex. At first it looked good for the Vikings. The Vikings made a surprise attack against King Alfred and his Anglo-Saxon army at Chippenham in January 878. Alfred retreated into the Somerset marshes at Athelney. Most of Wiltshire and Hampshire surrendered to Guthrum, leader of the Viking army that attacked Wessex. Alfred rallied local leaders and won a great victory over the Vikings at the Battle of Edington four months later. Both sides agreed the Treaty of Wedmore. A boundary between Wessex and the Viking lands, called te Danelaw, was agreed. Guthrum was baptised a Christian and took his army into East Anglia to settle there. Wessex remained independent: the only Anglo-Saxon kingdom to be left after the Viking campaigns. ### **Extend Your Knowledge: Archaeological Evidence** Archaeologists evacuated land at Torksey, in Lincolnshire, where the Viking army had spent the winter of 872-73. They found that it was not only warriors who had lived there, but also people involved in trade and manufacturing, as well as women and children. ### **Key Term: Danegeld** A tax raised by Anglo-Saxon *rulers* and used to pay the Vikings to stop them devastating Saxon lands. ### **Activities** * **Read Source A** * What clues can you find that the Vikings did not come peacefully to England? * Can the story this source tells be trusted? * **Explain how the Vikings came to control most of northern and eastern England by the end of 878** * **Start a mind map called 'Why was Britain attractive to migrants?'** Add in the reasons why the Vikings wanted to come to Britain. As you work through this section you will find out about other groups of migrants who moved into and within Britain. Add them in as you go along. By the end, you will have an excellent idea of why Britain was so attractive to migrants. # **1.2 The experiences of migrants** ## **Learning Outcomes** * Understand the ways in which migrants settled in England. * Understand the relationship between migrants and the existing population in England. ## **Settling in the Danelaw** Once the Vikings settled in eastern and north-eastern England, they were called Danes. It's usual, too, to call the Anglo-Saxons just Saxons from this point. Much of what we know about the ways in which the Danes settled comes from archaeological evidence because they left very few written records. Five Danish armies settled with their families in Mercia. Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham and Stamford became their fortified towns and, gradually, centres of political power. Each was run as a small kingdom, called a *jarldom*. ### **Key Terms** * **Jarldom:** A large area of land ruled by a jarl (a kind or an earl). * **Saga:** A story, usually told and sometimes written down, that mixes history and mythology. * **Things:** Regional and local meetings held by important families where laws were made and criminal disputes were settled. ### **Living and Working in the Danelaw** * **Villages and Towns:** Villages and towns had workshops for a range of different craftworkers such as coppersmiths and blacksmiths, jewellery makers and silversmiths, woodworkers and weavers. * **Villagers and Townspeople:** Bought and sold goods locally, nationally and overseas. * **Danes Had Fun!** They told long stories, called sagas. These were a mix of history and imagination; played chess and draughts; and made music with harps and fiddles, pipes and flutes. * **Regional and Local Meetings:** Regional and local meetings, called Things, were held. Here they made laws, tried people accused of crimes and decided on punishments for the guilty. ### **Source A: Stone Cross** This huge stone cross is in the graveyard of St Mary's Church, Gosforth, Cumbria. It is 4.4 m high and was made in about 940 CE. At the top is a cross represeinting Christianity, but the carvings are scenes from the Christian Bible and the Danish saga Ragnarök. ### **Saxon Takeover of the Danelaw** Many Saxons were already living in the Danelaw. They adapted quickly to the ways of the new settlers, and the Danes seemed flexible, too. For example, at first the Danes didn't mint coins, but they allowed the Saxons in East Anglia to do so, and circulate them in the Danelaw. Many Danes become Christians like the Saxons. Most, however, worshipped the Christian god along with their own gods such as Thor, Odin, Loki, and Freyr. ### **The Treaty of Wedmore: Saxon Takeover and a Danish King** The Treaty of Wedmore didn't mean the Saxons had given up. But neither had the Danes. Alfred's son Edward and his grandson Athelstan fought a series of campaigns against the Danes for control of the Danelaw. In 937 Athelstan won a tremendous victory over the Danes at the [Battle of Brunanburh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Brunanburh) and England was brought under Saxon control with Saxon kings. England prospered and was peaceful during the reign (959-75) of King Edgar. Vikings began raiding in oder to regain the old Danelaw. King Ethelred paid them large amounts of money, called *Danegeld,* to stay away. This didn't work and te raiding continued. King Ethelred worried that the Danes living peascefully in England's towns and villages might decide to join up with the Viking raiders. He decided to massacre them before they could do this. King Ethelred ordered the massacre of all Danes living in English territory. It took place on St Brice's Day, 13 November 1002. ### **Key Terms** * **Danegeld:** Money paid by the Saxons to the Danes in order to make them stay away. ### **Extend Your Knowledge: The Cuerdale Hoard** The Cuerdale Hoard is the largest hoard of viking silver ever found in western Europe. It was found in 1840 by workmen in Cuerdale, near Preston, Lancashire. It contained about 8,600 coins, armbands and brooches, chains and buckles. The date of some of te coins reveal it was buried between 905 and 910. You can see some of the items in te British Museum and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. ### **Saxon Takeover and the Danes' Revenge** Viking attacks increased in reponse to the massacre. By 1013 Ethelred and his sons had been driven out of England. The Dane, Cnut, became king of England in 1016. ### **Activities** * **Read source A:** What clues can you find that the Vikings did not come peacefully to England? Can the story this source tells be trusted? * **Explain how te Vikings came to control most of nortern and eastern England by the end of 878.** * **Start a mind map called 'Why was Britain attractive to migrants?'** Add in the reasons why the Vikings wanted to come to Britain. As you work through this section you will find out about other groups of migrants who moved into and within Britain. Add them in as you go along. By the end, you will have an excellent ida of why Britain was so attractive to migrants. ## **The Reign of King Cnut 1016-35** Saxons and Danes fought each other between 1013 and 1015 for control of Englad. Finally, te Saxons surrendered and in 1016, Cnut. (or Canute) became king of England. The Danes, originally Viking raiders and invaders, then migrants and settlers, now ruled the country. Cnut allowed Saxons to hold positions of power, and continued to use Anglo-Saxon laws. This brought peace and stability to England and the country prospered. Edward the Confessor later succeded him and was king for 24 years. England prospered. Then (see page 4) England was threatened by Duke William of Normandy. ### **Key Term** * **Earldom:** A large area of land ruled by an earl. ### *Activities:* * **Make a timeline, starting with the Treaty of Wedmore and ending in 1035, with the death of King Cnut.** * **Find an important turning point that resulted in successful Danish settlement and explain why you think it is important.** * **Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem called 'Dane-geld'. Find it online or in your local or school library. Explain whether you agree with his lines '... once you have paid him the Dane-geld, / You never get rid of the Dane'.** ## **The Norman takeover** Winning the Battle of Hastings was one thing. Establishing Norman control throughout Englad was quite another. Between 1067 and 1071, the Norman migrants struggled to control the land they had invaed. ### **Building Castles** In less than ten years, the Normans had subdue Saxon England. But how could they keep control and prevent rebellions? One of the answers was building castles. William built hundreds of them throughout England. The first ones were built from wood and, although eventually most were replaced by stone, a well-constructed wooden castle could last for 200 years. ### **Extend Your Knowledge: Harrying of the North** This is how historians describe the revenge taken by the Normans on the Saxons in the north of England in 1069-70. The Mormans burned crops, destroyed seeds, killed livestock and destroyed Saxon homes. It was a punishment as well as a warning never to rebel again. It wsa meant to make it nearly impossible for any Danes or Saxons to use the north as a 'base' for attacking Norman rule in the future. ### **The Feudal System** William knew he could not hold England by force for ever. He developed the feudal system. It worked like this: William owned all the land, but he would loan it to trusted Normans in return for teir loyalty. In this way William had reliable support without giving anything away. <start_of_image> Schematic of the feudal system. * **The King:** Kept 30% of the land for himself, gave 25% to the Church and shared what was left to his followers; Loaned land * **Barons** (about 200): Owed loyalty to the king and promised to give money and soldiers to the king; Loaned land * **Knights** (about 4,000): Owed loyalty to the barons and promised to serve as knights in the king's army; Loaned land * **Peasants** (about 1.5 million): Owed loyalty to their lord; Had to spend part of their time working their lord's land. ### **The Domesday Book** By 1085 some Norman landowners began arguing about who, exactly, owned what and where the boundaries were between their lands. In December 1085, William decided to hold a survey that would give an accurate record of the state of his land. In 1086, royal commissioners travelled the country, questioning all the landowners, great and small. Their findings were written in a book, later called the Domesday Book. All landowners and their tenants were listed as well as all the other people who lived on the land. The commissioners recorded buildings such as mills and barns; they noted how the land was used and they even counted the animals. Importantly, the commissioners asked how much tax was paid in the time of Edward the Confessor. William wanted to raise money, but also show his subjects he was doing thins in te same way as during Saxon times. But was he? You'll find out in Section 1.3. For now, it's important to remember that the Normans, like the Vikings, started out their migration to England as invaders. The Vikings ended up running the Danelaw, but the Normans ran the whole country. ### **Activities** * **Describe two ways in which the Norman invaders controlled England after 1066** * **Look at Figure 1.13** Put yourself into the shoes of a Norman in charge of defending te castle. The Saxons are planning an attack. What are te weak poitns of your castle, and how will you defend them? * **Was William's castle-building program a sign of weakness of strength?** Discuss this in your class. ### **Thinking Historically: Cause and Consequence (2a)** **The web of multiple causes** *Why did the Normans settle in Englad after William's coronation?* Study these causes and their impact on migration: * **William won the Battle of Hastings and was crowned king.** * **William built castles throughout England to control rebellions.** * **William had the Pope's blessing for his invasion of England.** * **The Domesday Book gave William a full record who owned what land and how much tax they paid.** * **William granted land to his supporters.** * **There was lots of land that could be seized and built on.** * **William's feudal system rewarded loyalty to the king.** * **There were several rebellions that were put down, meaning more land for William's followers.** **Work in pairs:** Take an A3 sheet of paper. You will need to use all of it. 1. **Write two of the causes on the paper with some space between them** 2. **Think of anything that connects the causes.** Draw a line between them and describe the connection by writing along the line. 3. **Add the other causes in turn and make as many links as you can with other causes.** 4. **Now add the outcome 'Normans settled in England'.** Think carefully about where this should come and how it should be linked to the diagram of causes. # **1.3 The Impact of Migrants on England** ## **Learning Outcomes** * Understand the impact of migrants on English society, especially on trade, culture, and language. * Understand the impact of migrants on the enviroment, especially buildings. ## **The Impact of the Vikings** The Vikings didn't leave any written accounts of the Danelaw. Archaeology can tell us a great deal. But there is more we can find out about their impact on Engld if we look and think. ### **Names, Places, and Words** Vikings spoke a language we now call Old Norse. The English language we speak today is similar in grammar and word structure to Old Norse. Moder English also contains a lot of Old Norse words. ### **Extend your Knowledge: The Name "Viking"** The name 'Viking' was invented in the 19th century. We don't know for sure what the 'Vikings' called themselves, but people in other countries called them Norsemen or Danes. Today, the language closest to that spoken in the Danelaw can be found in Iceland. The Isle of Man claims that their government, the Tynwald, is the oldest Viking government still surviving. ### **Government and the Law** - **Viking assemblies, called 'Things,' were public meetings of free men where laws were decided by voting.** - **Things were also courts, where alleged criminals weere tried by Thing members.** Any punishments weere discussed and agreed on by the Thing. The basis of Viking lawmaking was 'do not kill' and 'do not steal'. ### **Viking Division of the Danelaw** Vikings divided the area of the Danelaw (now Yorkshire) into three administrative areas. The Old Norse name for a third was *thrithjungr*. This gradually changed into the name 'riding'. East Riding, West Riding, and North Riding were the names of the administrative areas of Yorkshire until 1974. Women had almost equal rights with men. They could own and inherit land and could speak at *Things*. The ways in which the Vikings organised their society had significat impact on the development of Englad. Parliamentary democracy and tria by jury, for exmaple, can be traced back to the Vikings. ### **Activities** * **Using a map of England, find (a) six places ending -by and (b) six places ending -thorpe.** As a group, build up a picture of where the Vikings lived. What conclusions can you make? * **What, in your opinion, was the most significant impact the Vikings had on England?** Discuss this in your class and then write a paragraph beginning 'The most significant impact the Vikings had on England was...' There is no right answer - but yuo must explain why you have made your choice. ## **The Normans** William I wanted to show people he was the true heir to Edward the Confessor. This meant he didn't want to be seen changing too much. He had to make sure there was more continuity than change in the way the Normans governed England. ### **Norman Continuity in Government** * **The *geld*** and taxation. Every year Edward and his advisers met to decide how much *geld* each shire should pay in taxation. Te system worked and so William didn't change it, but he did use the findings of the Domesday Book to help increase taxes. * ***Shires*** *and* sheriffs.* England was divided into shires for the purpose of running the country. A sheriff was in charge of each *shire.* William kept the arrangement, but appointed Norman sheriffs. * **Shire courts and hundred* courts.** Shire courts heard te mose serious criminal cases. Each shire was divided into areas of land called a 'hundred'. Hundred courts dealt with day-to-day disuptes. Landowners made decisions in all the courts. Before long, all landowners would be Normans, so William didn't need to make any changes. ### **Key Terms** * ***Geld***: This land tax was the most important tax in Saxon England. * ***Shire***: A division of land in Saxon England. * **Hundred:** In Saxon England, shires were divided into smaller area called hundreds. ### **Activities** * **Explain how the English people were peasants living in villages and working the land.** Write a paragraph to explain how the changes made by the Normans would have changed their lives. * **Look at Figure 1.21.** Pick out one part of keeping continuity in government that you think was the moet important and explain why. * **Using Figure 1.22,** make a list of the changes made by the Normans. Rate each change on a scale of 0 to 10 for the impotance of its impact on English society (0 = no imapact and 10 = tremendous impact. Now explain why you have rate the changes in this order. ## **Changes to Society** The Norman did make changes to the ways people lived their lives. Some of these were meant to help the Normans increase their control of the country. Some were huge and affected almost everyone. Some were small and affected only a few people. By trying to balance continuity and change, William aimed to bring peace and stability to the land the Normans had taken and occupied by force. ### **Impact on the Landscape** The landscape chnaged. Huge castles dominated the countryside and the centre of some cities. Stone-built cathedrals and churches, monasteries and abbeys could be seen. In large areas of northern Englad villages had been destroyed and nothing grew in the burnt fields. ### **Impact on Land Ownership** Land ownership changed when William introduced teh feudal system. Everyone owned an obligation or duty to the person above them in te system and they were given protection in return. By 1087, only two of the great landowners were English; all the rest were Norman. The new landowners created deer parks and planted vineyards. Slavery was abolished after the Domesday Book revealed that 10% of those working on the land were slaves. ### **Impact on the Church** he Church canged when William replaced all but one of the 16 Saxon bishops with Norman ones. A hierarchy was constructed, much like the feudal system, with archbishops at the top and parish priests at the bottom. By 1200, all of the wooden Saxon churches had been replaced by stone ones. Links with Christendom grew as members of religious orders migrated to England to found monasteries and abbeys. ### **Impact on Language** The Norman rulers spoke a language, now called Old French, which only they understood. For some time, te rulers and the ruold spokes in separate languages. Gradually the languages came together. New words like 'pork' and 'beef' were used to describe meat from pigs and cows. Norman first names such as Robert, Richard and Willian began to be used for children. ### **Impact on Laws** Laws changed what people could do - **Forest Laws** protected William's hunting. Many English forests were made 'royal forests'. William created the 'New Forest' in Hampshire, destroying several villages to do so. Only the king and his friends could hunt in these forests. Ordinary people could not and there were severe punishments for poaching. - **Murdrum** was a fine enforced by law. It was imposed on any hundred where a Norman was killed and the murderer has not been caught. ### **Activities** * **Explain how the Englid people were peasants living in villages and working the land.** Write a paragraph to explain how the changes made by the Normans would have changed their lives. * **Look at Figure 1.21.** Pick out one part of keeping continuity in government that you think was the most important and explain why. * **Using Figure 1.22,** make a list of the changes made by the Normans. Rate each change on a scale of 0 to 10 for the impotence of its impact on English society (0 = no imapact and 10 = tremendous impact). Now explain why you have rate the changes in this order. # **Jewish Migrants & the impact of their migration on the economy, land, and society** ### **Jewish Migrants** From William I onwards, English monarchs often borrowed money from Jews. This meant they didn't have to raise taxes or demand money from the barons to get te money they needed for day-to-day living or special projects and events. However, not all the money was willingly loaned. Sometimes there were threats if loans were not granted. Some loans were never repaid. Monarchs also taxed Jews heavily. For example, the war with France (1202-4) bankrupted the country and King John imposed huge taxes on Jews. Penalties for non-payment of loans or taxes were severe: confiscation of goods, heavy fines and the imprisonment of whole communities. ### **Key terms** * **Ransom:** A sum of money demanded for the release of a captive. * **Dowry:** The money, land and/or goods that woman's family gives to her husband's family when she marries. * **Pawnbroker:** A person who lends money in exchange for an article. ### **Jewish Migrants: Lending Money to Monarchs** * **William I (1066-87):** Used Jewish money to help build 84 castles, including the Tower of London and the castles at York, Durham, Dover and Chepstow. Jewish money paid soldiers' wages. * **William II (1087-1100):** Used Jewish money to build Norwich cathedral. * **Stephen (1135-54):** Used Jewish money during his civil war with Matilda, as did Matilda. The money was used for weapons and to reward supporters. * **Richard** I (1189-99): Was kidnapped on his way home from the third crusade. Jewish money was used to pay his ransom as well as to help fund the crusade. * **John (1199-1216):** Used Jewish money to provide a royal dowry for his daughter Joan. * **Henry III (1216-72):** Used Jewish money to rebuild Westminster Abbey. ### **The Impact of Jewish Migrants on the English Economy** Jews did far more than loan money to monarchs. As businessmen who could read and write, and who knew how money worked, they played a vital part in the economic life of England. - In towns and cities, Jews lent money to local people to help them get their businesses started. - Jews lent money to merchants to expand their trading overseas. Many Jews also became merchants, creating wealth for themselves and te people from whom they bought goods. Aaron of Lincoln, for example, was so wealthy that when he died in 1186, a special royal department had to be set up to sort out his financial affairs. - The Jewish community in York lent a lot of money to Cistercian monks to build Fountains Abbey. - One of the oldest Jewish communities was in Oxford, and Jews played a significant part in establishing the university there: Merton College was founded in the 1260s with the help of money from a wealthy local Jew, called Jacob of Oxford. Poor students pawned their books to Jewish pawnbrokers to cover their expenses. - Jews worked as tutors to students studying Hebrew texts. Despite this, Jews were ruthlessly expelled from England in 1290. ### **Extend Your Knowledge: The Jewish Community in England** By the end of the 12th century, the Jewish community made up less than 0.25% of the total population, but was providing 8% of the total income of the royal treasury. ### **Activities** * **Describe the ways in which Jewish migrants affected Englad society.** * **Explain how (a) the monarchy and (b) the Church stirred up anti-Jewish feelings in the years to 1290.** * **Why do you think Edward I wanted to expel Jews from England in 1290?** ## **Settling Successfully From Europe** Migrants from the Low Countries settled quickly in England. They had skills many people needed and were *ready* to pay for (see pages 8-10) and played a valuable role in helping England develop its trade and industry. Some migrants worked with English people, teaching them new techniques and helping them earn more money. For example, Flemish brickmakers taught English brickmakers their method of making bricks, and how to set them in a diffrent way when building a wall. Dutch brewers (who were mainly women) showed English brewers how to make beer with hops instead of with barley. ### **Weavers** Weavers were the most successful migrants from the Low Countries. They were welcomed to England by the king because they were skilled workers who made te cloth industry more profitable. In 1331, Edward III invited Flemish weavers to settle and work in London. ### **Bankers** Henry III sent letters to important banking families in Lombardy promising them royal protection if they moved to England. This worked. In the 1220s, powerful families such as the Bardi family from Florence and the Ricciardi family from Lucca moved to London. ### **Activities** * **Explain how Flemish weavers created prosperity for hundreds of people who weren't weavers.** * **Why might some English people (a) welcome and (b) resent the arrival of Lombardy bankers and Hansa merchants?** You could work in pairs to think this through and take part in a class discussion afterwards. * **What common reasons encouraged European migrants to arrive in England?** How were these different from the vikings and Normans? ## **1.4 Case Study: The City of York Under the Vikings** ## **Learning Outcomes** * Understand why the Vikings created a settlement at York. * Know about how York developed as a trading port. * Understand the relationship the Vikings had with the Church and the surrounding area. ## **The Conquest of York** York was the largest town in Britain, north of the Thames. It was the centre of Anglo-Saxon government, trade, and the Church in the north. Its church, York Minster, was one of the largest in the country. York also had the only mint in te north of England. ## **Key terms** * **Mint:** A place that legally produces coins. ### **Why York was Important to the Vikings** - Because of its wealth, Viking raids had often targeted Northumbria (see pages 1 and 12). The Vikings conquered most of Northumbria, capturing York in 866. - Norhumbria become the Viking kingdom of York (or Jorvik). York itself was very important to the Vikings: its roads and rivers made it easier to move quickly around Northumbria - and control it. - York was connected to much of the known world and became an important trading city. - The rivers meant there was lots of rich, fertile soil that could be used for farming. ## **The Viking Settlement at York** York grew under the Vikings. Historians estimate 10,000-15,000 people may have migrated to York between 866 and 950. Before the Vikings, York's population may have been as small as 1,000. York became a multicultural city. Many Northumbrians still lived there. Alongside them, Vikings mixed with migrants and merchants from Germany, modern-day Holland, Ireland and Scotland. The Vikings built small homes and workshops with thatched roofs and wattle walls (a timber frame with dried mud and straw plastered onto it). Later buildings were made from timber. ### **Trades in York** You can see te huge range of trades in Viking York just by looking at the street names in the city today.