Migrants and Borders in the Medieval English World

Medieval England is an interesting location in which to consider the relationship between migration and borders, since its rulers exercised authority at various times also in Wales, Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern France. This authority was backed up by the settling of English subjects in these countries, and since these colonists remained subjects of the Crown, they objected to being considered ‘aliens’ on recrossing the border into England. The expulsion or exile of English subjects, whether defeated nobles or accused humble felons seeking to avoid execution for suspected murder, revealed another border-related complication. Some exiles were sent from England to places that remained under the authority of the king, such as Ireland, while others were forced to relocate entirely beyond his domains. Internal relocation within England was a consistent feature of the Middle Ages, yet in the aftermath of the Black Death of 1348 and the resulting demographic collapse, the Crown and Parliament attempted to control the supply of labour and suppress the demand for higher wages by enacting harsh laws designed to prevent labour mobility. The attempt was unsuccessful, but may have contributed further to a long-standing tradition in society at large of hostility to the ‘outsider’.