91�ȱ�

Official reception of immigrants varied considerably. It depended on several factors:

• how strong the king was
• whether the country was at war
• the state of the economy
• whether the king wanted to collect taxes

Although most Medieval immigrants seem to have settled peacefully and become part of their communities, at times of crisis they could be vulnerable and at risk of violent attacks.

• In 1270, one month after inviting foreign clothworkers, King Henry III reversed his decision and expelled all except the skilled weavers.
• In 1325 King Edward II arrested all foreigners living near the south coast.
• In 1439 King Richard II forced foreign merchants to live with English householders who were told to spy on them.

All of these measures were imposed because English merchants placed a lot of pressure on weak kings.

Reception given in later years was much warmer, especially in the 14th century. In the 1330s, King Edward III gave strong protection to Flemish weavers. After the Black Death in the late 1340s so many people had died that there was a serious shortage of workers and artisans. At this time immigrants were welcomed to fill the gap and there were foreign-born workers in most towns and villages. In 1354 a law gave aliens who appeared in court the right to be tried by a half-alien jury. After 1370, letters of denization gave migrants the same rights and protection as English citizens.