History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 102

Soldiers
One of the first arrivals of the Flemish to the British Isles was at the time of the
Norman Conquest in 1066. In the 11th Century, Flanders was becoming perilously
overpopulated and the Flemish, in the area now known as Belgium, were forced to
move. Many moved to Germany, while others joined the Norman army, becoming an
important element in their forces. The Norman kings rewarded those who fought with
land in the conquered countries, giving them territory to live on, on the proviso that
they defended it on behalf on the Norman invaders.
Before the Norman Invasion, Wales was subject to much infighting and was in no
position to defend itself with a united front. William I installed his earls along the Welsh
border at Chester, Shrewsbury and Hereford, and they soon made progress into
Wales. The Earl of Shrewsbury took his forces southwest, through Powys and
Ceredigion, to Dyfed, where they established a castle at Pembroke.
Asylum Seekers
Flanders suffered greatly after a series of storms, in 1106. Samuel Lewis wrote,
"During a tremendous storm on the coast of Flanders, the sand hills and
embankments were in many places carried away, and the sea inundated a large tract
of country."
This led a large number of Flemings to seek asylum in England, where they were
welcomed by Henry I. They settled in various colonies across England, but soon,
Samuel Lewis wrote, they "became odious to the native population", and Henry I
moved the Flemings to the remote farming settlement in the cantref, a district of Rhôs,
in south Pembrokeshire.
This systematic planting of Flemish settlers by Henry I, and later Henry II, had
significant consequences for the people of south Pembrokeshire. Geography
Professor, Harold Carter looks at the effects, "If you look at the 'Brut y Tywysogyon' the Chronicle of the Welsh Princes - it records 'a certain folk of strange origins and
customs occupy the whole cantref of Rhôs the estuary of the river Cleddau, and drove
away all the inhabitants of the land'. In a way you could almost call it a process of
ethnic cleansing."
Fortification
A line of over 50 castles and strongholds was built by the Normans and Flemish to
protect south Pembrokeshire from the indigenous Welsh, who had been forced to
move to the hilly country in the north of the county. The frontier of castles, known as
the Landsker line - from the Norse word for divide - stretched from Newgale on the
west coast to Amroth on the south east coast.
Flemish Chimney
The Flemings lend
examples of which
were usually made
to the door. They

their name to a local architectural feature - the Flemish chimney,
can be found in and around south Pembrokeshire. The chimneys
of local limestone, and built into the front wall of the cottage close
are tall and conical, with a large round stack – sometimes big

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