case studys

• Æthelstan

  Reconquered the city of York in 927
• When York was being ruled by Saxon lords

  It maintained a strong Danish influence
• York

  • Built at the point where the rivers Ouse and Foss meet
  • At the centre of a network of old Roman roads
  • Rivers provided excellent farming opportunities
  • Connected to much of the known world through trade links
• York's population was about 1000 pre-Viking, under the Vikings from 866-950, it's estimated that 10-15,000 may have migrated to York
• York became a multicultural city - many Northumbrians still lived there, alongside Vikings and merchants and migrants from Germany, and modern-day Holland, Ireland and Scotland
• The Vikings turned York into a rich trading port

  They amassed great wealth
• Trades and skills within the city of York

  • Blacksmiths
  • Metalworkers
  • Glassmakers
  • Potters
  • Jewelry makers
• Viking traders travelled as far as Russia (for furs) and Newfoundland (the most eastern point of Canada!)
• York had the only mint in the north of England, the Vikings started to make and use their own coins - by melting down silver from trade or raids
• The church continued to be active in York and other Viking areas

  Many Viking kings did convert to Christianity
• The church lost land and a lot of wealth to the Vikings

  There is no record of an Archbishop from 904-28
• Latin spelling errors and pagan symbols on coinage raises doubts over the extent of Church influence
• The Norse for 'street' is 'gate', most streets in York were named after the trade that operated there, eg. Coppergate
• In 1561, about 400 Flemish and Walloon migrants arrived over a few months in Sandwich, they were very successful and helped the town prosper
• The Flemish migrants' cloth was in demand because of its quality

  Due to some of the original migrants being 'master' weavers, plus fines were issued for cloth that did not meet certain standards
• 2 markets were held every week to sell the Flemish migrants' goods
• The Flemish migrants introduced new crops (celery and carrots), new house-building techniques, and set up other businesses
• Half of Sandwich's population is Flemish

  The English were worried these 'strangers' were taking jobs away from them
• The English in Sandwich ordered the migrants to employ English people first and restricted them to the cloth and fishing trades
• From 1575, about 750 Walloon migrants moved into poorer houses in Canterbury and established a strong and successful community
• The Walloons' weaving skills boosted trade and created jobs

  By 1600, 800 looms were spinning fine cloth and silk
• The Walloons developed new trades (sugar refining, diamond cutting) - this avoided jealousy and fears from people over their jobs being taken
• The Walloons were allowed to use the closed Blackfriars monastery - which became the centre of their community, used as a church, school and market
• The authorities in Canterbury didn't allow new Walloon arrivals if their businesses competed with what they already had
• By 1700, there were 9 Huguenot churches in England - these allowed the Huguenots to support their community and maintain a separate identity, and also allowed for more tolerance and acceptance of the Huguenots as fellow hard-working Protestants
• The arrival of 1000s of skilled Huguenot silk weavers led to a small weaving industry having a 20-fold increase in production from 1650-1700 in Spitalfields
• The 'Protestant work ethic'

  The weavers' faith meant they believed it was their duty to work hard to be successful
• The Huguenot weavers' workshops employed 100s of workers and produced a wide variety of in demand silks - much of which was exported
• The Huguenot weavers were not limited by the powerful London guilds - in fact, several highly skilled Huguenot weavers joined one of the ancient guilds
• New silk designs by James Leman (1688-1745) were crucial in maintaining the growth of the silk weaving industry
• About half of the Huguenot migrants settled in London, the 2 largest communities developed in Soho and Spitalfields - Spitalfields more so, because it was cheaper and there was more freedom for skilled workers from the control of London guilds
• By 1851, Irish people made up 20% of Liverpool's population
• It also became common to see Indian and Chinese sailors in Liverpool due to growing trade links, and Africans from modern-day Gambia, Ghana and Sierra Leone also arrived to work as sailors
• Steam ships created opportunities as companies held the ignorant view that Indians and Africans were better suited to working in hot boiler rooms (and cheaper) than English workers
• The Irish famines created a huge number of desperate people

  Liverpool offered the chance to get to America, but the fee charged by ships was high (half the annual earnings of an Irish labourer), so many could not afford it and ended up staying
• Despite some moving into senior roles, most Irish men and women were trapped in hard and low skilled work (84% of working Irish women were maids)

  Irish migrants faced prejudice from trade unions, and were often blamed for crime
• Irish workers could only afford to live in poor, run-down areas, leading to serious outbreaks of diseases like typhus
• Today, about 75% of people in Liverpool have some Irish ancestry. The famous 'scouse' accent developed from Irish speakers changing how the city sounded
• The Anfield area, home to Liverpool FC, is named after the family home of a former Irish-born lord mayor
• The Beatles remain the most successful and influential band in modern music. 3 of them had Irish ancestors