History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 47
Flemish Migrations
Dutch-speaking people, including our Flemish ancestors, have been mobile for
centuries. Their historic migrations might even be considered a genetic characteristic
or, at least, the strong survival instinct of residents of a territory once called the "Fatal
Avenue" by Charles de Gaulle (Holmes 1992).
Here, invaders from all directions, and an always determined - and often demanding organized religion, kept the people on their toes, and seemingly with bags packed,
ready to move out at any time. Natural flooding of their land and occasional periods of
local overpopulation also caused emigration. So many left periodically, that local
authorities even begged foreign governments (eg, Belgium to Canada after WWI) not
to accept any more Flemish (or Walloon) immigrants. That is because - for centuries Flemings were recognized as desirable, reliable, skilled, and clever workers. They
made excellent citizens, and they very quickly adapted to local conditions.
While referred to as religious 'refugees' by some English writers (eg, as ardent
Calvinists fleeing extreme Spanish Catholicism), many primarily emigrated from their
homeland for reasons of better economic opportunity. For example, the Protestant
Flemish drainage workers/agricultural laborers in the 17th C Fens were invited by the
English Crown, they were granted privileges, they were seen as willing workers
needed in England. Naturally, they were not always welcomed with open arms by all
established residents (Lindley 1982, Overend 1889, Wilson 1959). Likewise,
economic security was certainly the stimulus for mass migrations from Flanders to the
Northern Netherlands and elsewhere in the 16th C (Lucassen and de Vries 2001).
The history of Flemish immigration likely precedes the Roman Period in Britain (Cox
2005). This long, and strong, association between the English and Flemish peoples
persists to the present day. Flanders, once the key component of the Southern
(Spanish) Netherlands, and now known as the northern part of Belgium (or as part of
the 'Flemish Region'), remains proud of both its own unique heritage and the long,
mostly positive, association with England. Undoubtedly, there are also hundreds of
thousands of English people today - if not millions - equally proud of the Flemish blood
in their veins.
Following are a few highlights of Flemish history, particularly with reference to
migration (Please also see the Flanders and References Sections of this Journal as
well as the websites listed below for additional or related details):
Perhaps the most notable Flemish fact to that time was that about one-third of
the invading Norman army of 1066 came from Flanders (Murray 1985). The
Flemish mercenaries were there as a result of a marriage arrangement by
William the Conqueror for a niece and a Flemish count. Many Flemings stayed
in England after the Conquest.
One of the most enduring Flemish facts in England is related to the immigration
of skilled Flemish weavers and textile workers to major centres such as
London, Norwich and Colchester from the 11th to the 16th C. Often called
'Dutch' because of language spoken, these Flemings introduced superior
sheep-farming methods for the wool trade, and they helped organize and
establish the English guild system using the Flemish model.
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