Case study: Flemish and Walloon migrants in Sandwich and Canterbury
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the reasons for and experiences of Flemish and Walloon migrants, as well as the impact of Flemish and Walloon migrants on a local and national level.
Key learning points
- To improve England’s economy, William Cecil invited Flemish and Walloon weavers to Sandwich and later Canterbury.
- Although they faced increasing hostility, Flemish and Walloon weavers established a community and thrived economically.
- Flemish and Walloon weavers impacted the economy and the built environment.
Keywords
Flemish - One of several German groups from Flanders (modern-day Belgium)
Walloon - One of several German groups from Flanders (modern-day Belgium) and some surrounding regions
Persecution - hostility or ill-treatment against a person or group on the basis of a ethnicity, religion or any other belief/characteristic
Apprentice - someone who is learning a new skill from an experienced worker
Common misconception
All people who migrated to England from Flanders had similar experiences.
Walloon weavers had more positive experiences in Canterbury and were awarded greater freedoms, when compared to Flemish weavers in Sandwich.
Teacher tip
When outlining the reasons for migration, emphasise that for Flemish and Walloon weavers both religious and economic motivations were important - it is not always the case that one reason was greater than another, and reasons can often interlink.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the dates to the periods of English and British history.
medieval England
early modern England
eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Britain
modern Britain
Q2.Match the words with the correct definitions.
a branch of the Christian Church (e.g. Catholicism, Protestantism)
a Renaissance movement valuing classical learning.
a Protestant who believed that the Reformation needed to go further
a sailor who travelled between Britain and its colonies
Q3.Complete the sentence: The emergence of the British led to small numbers of Asian and African migrants settling in Britain.
Q4.Why did some African migrants find themselves in England in the early modern period?
Q5.How were opportunities for Flemish and Walloon weavers to Sandwich and Canterbury in the early modern period similar to opportunities for Viking migrants to York in the medieval period?
Q6.Which of these is not a reason why migration increased in the early modern period?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Complete this sentence: Flemish migrants set up the Weavers’s Company in London where they trained 500 .
Q2.Who invited Flemish weavers to Sandwich in 1560?
Q3.Which word describes hostility or ill-treatment against a person or group on the basis of a ethnicity, religion or any other belief/characteristic?
Q4.Put the following events in chronological order.
Q5.What were the economic reasons for Flemish and Walloon migration?
Q6.Which of the following are examples of negative experiences Flemish migrants had in early modern England?
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Case study: Flemish and Walloon migrants in Sandwich and Canterbury, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Case study: Flemish and Walloon migrants in Sandwich and Canterbury, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the Migrants in Britain, c800–present unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.