England’s Immigrants 1330-1550 – Now Online

A major new research database revealing extraordinary data on immigration in England in the late medieval period is now available, thanks to the University of York, in partnership with the Humanities Research Institute (University of Sheffield) and The National Archives.

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded the three-year project directed by Professor Mark Ormrod, of the University’s Centre for Medieval Studies, who headed a team of researchers based in York and London.

It reveals evidence about the names, origins, occupations and households of a significant number of foreigners who chose to live and work in England in the era of the Hundred Years War, the Black Death and the Wars of the Roses. The project contributes to debates about the longer-term history of immigration to Britain, helping to provide a deep historical and cultural context to contemporary debates over ethnicity, multiculturalism and national identity.

The database contains the names of a total of 65,000 immigrants resident in England between 1330 and 1550.

The database is accessible to all at www.englandsimmigrants.com and is a fully searchable and interactive resource, from which data can be downloaded. The website also supports the researcher with guides to the various counties and documents, and provides case studies of interesting individuals demonstrating just how much we can learn from our immigrant ancestors.

For more on the launch of this database, please visit: http://yorkmedieval.com/2015/02/17/englands-immigrants-1330-1550-launch-of-the-database.