Medieval immigration in the Ongar Hundred

In the gloom of Brexit, it is perhaps useful to reflect on the historical aspects of our long and troubled relationship with Europe, and the movement of its citizens, even if the language has changed. To our medieval ancestors, ‘strangers’ and ‘foreigners’ were individuals from other parts of England, whereas ‘aliens’ were those from countries under a different ruler. ‘Aliens’ were not allowed to work or trade, but could apply for ‘letters of protection’ which enabled them to do so, usually for a limited period. There were two other possibilities for European settlers – firstly, to obtain ‘letters of denization’ which allowed them to buy and devize land (but not to inherit it, or to hold any office under the Crown) – and secondly by naturalisation through a private Act of Parliament. Apart from those wealthy or influential enough to obtain naturalisation, additional restrictions were placed on those with letters of protection or denization during periods of heightened international tension.

These procedures were recorded centrally, have survived in the National Archive at Kew, and now enable researchers to identify medieval settlers from Europe. As these individuals were taxed at twice the rate of the native English, it is also possible to identify them from the sums paid in the tax returns which have also survived. A recent national research project has created a database, free for anyone to search, on www.englandsimmigrants.com.

One might have expected to find to find migrants in a market town such as Chipping Ongar, but none appear on the database covering the medieval period. Instead there are a scattering of individuals in the surrounding countryside – Navestock, Lambourne, North Weald, Stapleford Tawney and Fyfield, all of these settlers only identifiable in the 1440s from the double rate of tax they were obliged to pay. Some of the surnames suggest their country of origin, for example the Navestock resident Gylmyn Flemmyng must have come from the Low Countries. Unfortunately there is no indication how these individuals were earning a living, or why they had settled here, apart from two individuals.

One, a surname-less John, was working as a servant to Roger Spyce of Stapleford Tawney. The other, Nicholas Touk of Stanford Rivers, is rather surprising and the records provide considerably more detail. He came from France, and in 1337 was granted letters of protection ‘in consideration of services to Queen Isabella’. The record also notes that he was parson of Stanford Rivers, and this is confirmed in Newcourt’s Repertorium which gives the induction of ‘Nic. Touch, clericus’ in 1326/7, presented by the church’s patron, the recently crowned King Edward III.

Some background history is needed to understand the significance of this basic information. Queen Isabella, daughter of the King of France, was the wife of King Edward II whose reign was dominated by the consequences of his infatuation with Piers Gaveston. Queen Isabella took an active political role, both before and after her husband’s murder in 1326/7. We will probably never know what part Nicholas Touk played in her affairs but, being French, he may have come to England as part of the Queen’s extensive household which numbered 500 or so. Nothing more is known about Touk himself, though he probably died in 1348 when the next rector succeeded to the parish. But why had he been parson of Stanford Rivers for nearly 10 years before he required letters of protection in 1337? The answer is almost certainly that this year marked the commencement of the Hundred Years War and England was making very active preparations for a continental offensive, with Essex effectively being put on a war footing. At such a time anyone with European origins might be regarded as suspect.