The new orders of the 13th century — Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites — were pan-European movements. Friars from France and Italy came to preach in England, establish priories, and teach at Oxford or Cambridge.
Universities were themselves magnets for migrants. Oxford attracted scholars not only from England, but also from France, Italy, Spain, and the German lands. These intellectual exchanges brought new philosophical and theological ideas, legal expertise, and medical knowledge.
Migrants at the lowest levels: seasonal and rural workers
Not all medieval migrants were wealthy merchants or noble warriors. Many were humble peasants who crossed the Channel seeking seasonal work at harvest time. Others were laborers who came to help drain the fens of East Anglia or to work in English mines. Some settled permanently, marrying local women and melting into the rural population.
There is evidence that even in small villages, foreigners might be found — Flemish dyers, French shoemakers, Irish or Welsh cattle drovers. The medieval economy was far more interconnected than often imagined. shutdown123