SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



The York Freemen's Roll certainly bears out the contention that the immediate result of the 

 Edwardian legislajtion was an influx of Flemish weavers. 



In 1343 Nicholas de Ad mare de Brabant and John de Colonia, websters, were enrolled, 

 Henry Morell de Flandre follows two years later," and from that date references to aliens connected 

 with the different handicrafts and trades of York are frequent. In 1352 Thomas Braban de 

 Malyns, textor, Lawrence Conyng de Flandre, webster, George Fote de Flandre, walker, and Robert 

 de Arays, ' taillour,' took their freedom.** Each year saw the incursion of one or two of these alien 

 artisans, in 1355 Gerwin GifFard de Gaunt 'tixtor,'*' and Levekyn GifFard, his brother, in 1358 

 Ges-ome and Piers de Durdraght (Dortrecht), walkers, came to the city.** 



y In 1359 Arnald de Lovayne, ' teinturer,' *° and in 1361 Geoffrey de Lovayn, webster, left 

 "^ their own country to settle in York.*" Thus each individual branch of the clothiers' trade, fulling, 

 weaving, dyeing and tailoring had its alien representative, and to make the tale of English dependence 

 on foreign industrial enterprise complete, in 1372 Godfrey Overscote de Braban traded as a 

 merchant.*^ It is impossible to deny that aliens settled in York in the reign of Edward III in large 

 numbers and that they were brought for the specific purpose of developing the woollen industry. 

 The question arises : Had their arrival any appreciable effect on the industrial development of 

 the city ? It has been said that during the reigns of Edward I and II only thirteen freemen were 

 enrolled as following the woollen trade inclusive of all its branches. During the reign of Edward III 

 170 weavers, 100 dyers, fifty fullers and about thirty chaloners, besides various members of trades 

 subsidiary to the woollen industry, such as shearers, wool-packers and card-makers, were admitted. 

 Since there exists overwhelming evidence of the presence of a large body of skilled foreign work- 

 people in York in the 14th century, the question naturally arises whether these settlers affected 

 industrial life beyond the limits of the place of their immediate settlement. 



The alien cloth-workers, who settled at York in the 14th century, must have been men of 

 importance ; they would naturally bring with them to the country of their adoption their families 

 and their servants ; that none of these left York to seek their fortunes in the west district argues a 

 lack of enterprise incompatible with their parentage. Nor was York during the early years of 

 Richard II a place that would be attractive to men with no local ties or interests. The city was 

 in a state of the greatest anarchy, owing to constant feuds between rival factions in the council, and 

 endless disputes between the lay and clerical element ; foreigners would find it diiBcult to pursue 

 their work and would push their way into the sparsely populated district to the west. 



Briefly summarized, the argument against the alien settlement in the time of Edward III in 

 the West Riding is threefold. It is based on a supposed absence of names of Flemish origin amongst 

 early weavers, and the fact that no letters of protection issued by Edward III have come to light 

 concerning the West Riding. It is also insisted upon that the general characteristics of the West 

 Riding, with the idiosyncracies of the people and the physical configuration of the district, lend 

 themselves so easily to a system of exclusion and isolation, that the settlement of aliens in the 

 district would be difficult. If any one of these arguments could not be satisfactorily answered, it 

 would tell strongly in favour of an industry worked on purely national lines. Fortunately, however, 

 the 1379 Poll Tax Returns prove that in the reign of Richard II a number of Flemish were settled 

 in the West Riding of Yorkshire, many of whom were connected with the woollen industry, though 

 evidence of the trade of the tax-payer is not always given. 



Villata de Wombwell. Johannes de Wyskerrode et Alicia ux. ejus Taylour vj^.** 

 Villata de Bautre. Johannes Brabayn et Agnes ux. ejus Webester \]d^^ 



„ „ Walterus Lowayne et Alicia ux. ejus iiij^.^" 



Villata de Redenesse. Robertus de Lymburgh Margarita ux. ejus iiij^.'^ 



„ „ Johannes de Lymberg Idonia ux. ejus iiij^.^* 



Villata de Wilmerslay (Womersley). Bertholomeus Brabayn iiij^.^' 

 Saxton. Johannes Braban et ux. iiijc/.''* 



„ Johannes Brabanman iiij^.^' 



Selby. Johannes Braban et ux. iiij^.^' 



Villata Snydall. Emundus Hambergelman Johanna ux. ejus iiij^." 

 Villata de Haikton (Ackton). Johannes de Flaundres Johanna ux. ejus m]d. 



n n Margareta serviens ejus m]d. 



„ „ Johannes de Flaundre ux. ejus iiij^.'* 



*' Freemen of York, ut sup. 37. «i jbjd ,n 



"Ibid. 48. "Ibid. 51. "IbidicT. 



" Ibid. 54. « Ibid. s6. " Ibid. 70. 



" Returns of the Poll Tax for the West Riding ofYorks. 1 379, p. 3 « Ibid 14 



"■Ibid. 57. "Ibid. 113. "Ibid! n 3. 



"Ibid. 134. "Ibid. 142. "Ibid. 14.2. 



''Ibid. 156. "Ibid. 164. "Ibid. 165. 



439 



