A HISTORY OF YORKSHIRE 



believe that the Flemish avoided that part of England which was peculiarly accessible and which 

 needed inhabitants the most. An immense horde of Flemish mercenaries took part in the battle 

 of the Standard, fought near Northallerton ; it is possible that some remained in Yorkshire. 



In the absence of documentary proof, the evidence of ethnology becomes of supreme impor- 

 tance. Dr. Beddoe's summing up of the subject is in favour of a Flemish origin of some of 

 the Yorkshire settlers, for he uses ' French ' as equivalent to the descendants of the Franks, and 

 the Flemish were of Frank origin. 



Still I do not see how some of the greater desert tracts which have been mentioned could have 

 progressed as they seem to have done without immigration from a distance . . . and Professor 

 Phillips's observations, and to a less extent my own, as to the presence of a type that may be French 

 in parts of the great plain, lead me to think that there was a certain amount of immigration, accom- 

 plished perhaps by stages, from the continent." 



On the evidence forthcoming it is impossible to give an authoritative verdict ; still it must be 

 borne in mind that when William of Normandy and Malcolm of Scotland had wrought their will 

 on Yorkshire the coxmtry with few exceptions lay waste, the inhabitants were few in number and 

 depressed in condition. The whole balance of historical probability is against a conquered people 

 having sufficient energy and enterprise to organize a decayed or establish a new industry. The 

 Normans themselves were too busy ruling a subject race to interest themselves in the organization 

 of a mere handicraft. On the whole it seems very probable that the development of weaving was 

 due to foreign influence, and if to foreign, then the Flemish undoubtedly were the people most 

 likely to undertake the work, as being the most skilful weavers and living in a very congested part 

 of Europe. 



The adoption of this view would explain many dialectic, physical, and mental characteristics 

 which differentiate Yorkshire from the rest of England, and explain the general adoption of weaving 

 as a trade at a time when the development of the district was in other respects behind the rest 

 of the country. 



The roll of the freemen of York throws considerable light on the subject. During the reigns 

 of Edward I and Edward II the number of freemen connected with the cloth trade is incon- 

 siderable ; it only reaches a total of 13 : Robert de Seton, chaloner,^' William de Malton, fuller," 

 Roger le Long, fuller,^' William de Barkeston, fuller,^' Henry de Richemond, sagher,^' Richard de 

 Laycestre,^' chaloner, Robert de Heworth," sagher, William de Welleton, chaloner,'" John de 

 Novocastro, webster," Randal de Fangfoss, fuller,'- John de Wales,'' fuller, Adam de Clifton ^ and 

 Robert de Mersk," websters, not one alien among them, completed the list. York had obviously 

 lost the position it held under Henry II and John, when nominally the monopoly of weaving for 

 the whole county was in its hands.'' Possibly the trade was not entirely lost, but diffiised. 

 Nor had the trade revived much under Henry III, for then the wool trade of Yorkshire passed into 

 the hands of the great monastic houses. In 13 1 5 thirty-six Yorkshire monasteries" were exporting 

 wool to the Florentine and Flemish markets. But royal rather than ecclesiastical influence initiated 

 the change by which England was transformed from a country producing raw material into a country 

 manufacturing the raw materials produced by other countries. 



To Edward III is due the first step in the direction of making England ' the workshop of 

 the world.' He hoped to achieve his purpose by offering advantages to those Flemish weavers who 

 were willing to settle in his kingdom. Letters of protection were issued to such Flemings as 

 wished to come to England, and among others, William de Brabant and Hanekinus de Brabant, 

 who decided to settle in York, received the royal authorization.'* 



The absence of any further warrants is sometimes adduced as evidence that the planting of 

 immigrants in Yorkshire was a mere spasmodic attempt, but the year following, 1337, a statute 

 was passed which rendered specific licences unnecessary. 



That all the cloth workers of strange lands, of whatsoever country they may be, which will come 

 into England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland within the King's power, shall come safely and surely and 

 shall be in the King's protection and safe conduct to dwell in the same lands (choosing where they 

 will), and to the intent the said cloth workers shall have the greater will to come and dwell here our 

 Sovereign Lord the King will grant them franchises as many and such as shall suffice them." 



"J. Beddoe, Tie Ethnohgy of West Yorks. ; Yorks. Arch. Journ. x\x (2), 59 (1906) ; Kirkby'i Inquest 

 (Surt. Soc), 19 ; West Riding Lay Subs. 1297 (Yorks. Arch. Rec. Ser.), 16. 



'^Freemen of York, nt sup. 3. " Ibid. 6. " Ibid. 7. " Ibid 7 



" Ibid. 8. » Ibid. 1 1. » Ibid. 12. •• Ibid. 16. " Ibid 18 



" Ibid. 18. " Ibid. 19. « Ibid. 22. •» Ibid. 23. 



" Rot. Lit. Ckus. (Rec. Com.), i, 42 1 ; C. Gross, op. cit. 108. " W. Cunningham, op. cit. 624-8. 



** Rymer, Foed.u (2), 954 (10 Edw. Ill, 1336). The names of these individuab do not appear in the 

 York Freemen's Register, but the names of many other Flemish settlers do. 



" Stat. II Edw. Ill, cap. 5. 



438 



