Xénophobie et intégration : Le cas de la communauté flamande à Colchester 1351-1367

Xenophobia and integration. The case of flemish community in Colchester (1351-1367)

Throughout the fourteenth century, Edward III issued several letters of protection encouraging Flemish textile workers to establish their trade in England. In the centuries that followed, the newcomers’ contribution to the development of the English drapery has triggered off a hot debate. Indeed, until now, this migration has been studied only through its economic aspects, and no attention has been paid to the daily life of the migrants. This study purports to fill a critical gap as it expounds the difficult integration process of a migrant community, which was forced to leave its own country, and focuses on the microcosm of Colchester in the fourteenth century.