This book has examined the impact of the immigrant community on the English economy and the development of its cloth industry. The main hypothesis was to prove that Flemish immigrants had an influence on the development of the English textile industry, which grew exponentially from the mid fourteenth century. While several scholars have previously claimed that the number of textile workers from the Low Countries had probably not been higher than 200, we have seen throughout the book that at least 1,500 artisans immigrated to England between 1351 and 1381. This study has also gone beyond economic questions and touched upon the issues of social integration and cultural influence as well.

Once the immigrants crossed the English Channel, new challenges appeared for all of them, whether they were economic migrants or exiles. These issues ranged from the legal situation and the choice of town for permanent settlement, to finding a residence and employment opportunities, which all represent the basis for a healthy start to life in a new place. The purpose of this chapter will therefore be to present the profile, the numbers and the occupations of the immigrants, and to identify those parts of the towns in which they took up residence. The main focus will be on those who were exiled from Flanders after the rebellion and on Flemish textile workers as identified from the sources on the other side of the English Channel. The chapter will start with the fortunes of Flemish immigrants in the English capital, then continue with the market town of Colchester, situated on the east coast, in the county of Essex, to finally turn attention to Great Yarmouth, the port town of the county of Norfolk. In order to reinforce my overall argument, the Flemish and Brabantine presence will be discussed in other towns throughout England.