Welsh People Were the Largest Group of Aliens in Sixteenth Century Bristol. Records Show

Schools Learning Zone Aliens in Bristol from 1500-1685 Not all apprentices finished their term and ‘entered the freedom’ as ACTIVITIES Diversity Through Time, Bristol (Multiethnic) independent craftsmen or traders and became a Burgesspage - a freeman1 of 5 Tudor and Stuart Ethnic Minorities or citizen. Most Welsh apprentices left Bristol after finishing their apprenticeship. Q1: Which aliens were most common in Tudor and Stuart Bristol? Some, like Walter Sandy of Cadoxton near Cardiff, stayed and did Use the following information to decide which minority groups were largest rather well. In 1611, his father apprenticed him to the Bristol merchant in Tudor and early Stuart Bristol. Draw a line to link each of the correct William Challoner. He ‘entered the freedom’ of the guild in 1627 and boxes in descending order. married into his former master’s family. He was a member of the Common Council from 1640, Treasurer of the powerful Merchant Venturers in 1645-6, Sheriff in 1646-7, and Alderman for St Stephen’s 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th ward from 1656. most least 2 Marriage Records Common Common Burgess or Freeman status could also be bought or gained by marriage to a freeman’s daughter or widow, and we know this was a route to high society by studying Parish Registers from the 1550s onwards. The Irish Africans The Welsh Jews Mainland 3 Wills sometimes show people who lived and died in Bristol, and who Europe wanted to remember their birthplace in their bequests.

THE WELSH Q2: Which do you think would be most likely to be useful to an Welsh people were the largest group of aliens in sixteenth century Bristol. historian studying ethnic groups in the Tudor and Stuart Records show that some rich Welsh people were appointed to powerful period - Apprentice Records, Marriage Records or Wills? Council jobs, and were trading as equals with the other Bristolians. Between the Tudor and Victorian periods, it is hard to track exactly how many Welsh people were in the city.

THE IRISH People of Irish origin were the second largest ethnic minority in Bristol in Tudor and Stuart times. What Do We Know? 1 Apprentice Records give details of families signing their 14 year olds into seven years of training.

www.EnglandsPastForEveryone.org.uk/Schools © University of London You may photocopy this sheet ACTIVITIES Diversity Through Time, Bristol (Multiethnic) page 2 of 5 Tudor and Stuart Ethnic Minorities Push factors are negative circumstances which push a person to do something. Pull factors are positive reasons for making a choice or taking an action.

Q3: Are these events ‘push’ or ‘pull’ factors for Irish people migrating to Bristol? 1590s Famine and rebellions in Ireland 1620s and 30s Famine in Ireland 1641-49 Civil War across the British Isles. Catholics rose up against the ‘Anglo-Irish’. Famine and conflict.

A Lack of Empathy During the famine of the 1620s, the government banned exports of English and Welsh grain to Ireland. The Bristol Corporation paid one shilling per person to ship more than a thousand Irish refugees back to Ireland. The king ordered Bristol’s mayor to take bonds (signed agreements) from the masters of Bristol ships not to transport refugees from Ireland. In 1629, the A depiction of Irish mercenaries by Albrecht Dürer, 1521. mayor of Bristol successfully petitioned the Privy Council for Bristol © Berlin Kupferstichkabinett BPK/SMB (Jörg P. Anders). merchants to be allowed to restart grain sales to Ireland. These people were willing to fight, kill and risk death for payment. They were willing to travel a long way from home.

Q4: What does that suggest about how people felt about conditions at home in Ireland?

Push and pull AFRICANS Push and pull factors seem to have been important features of Tudor and Stuart Irish migration to Bristol.

www.EnglandsPastForEveryone.org.uk/Schools © University of London You may photocopy this sheet ACTIVITIES Diversity Through Time, Bristol (Multiethnic) page 3 of 5 Tudor and Stuart Ethnic Minorities We know very little about the later Tudor and early Stuart black community 1603 Burial of Joan Smyth at St Philip and St James’s churchyard. in Bristol. But there is evidence that it was a small group, and we have a few references to ‘blackamores’ or ‘negroes’ in parish records. We know 1610 Burial of Peter, William Edmonds black servant at St Philip and St that some black Bristolians were Freemen and others were servants or James’ churchyard. had been slaves. 1612 Burial of inn worker Katherine, from the Horsehead Tavern in Christmas Street, at Christchurch. Dinah’s Story 1625 Will of Cattelena, a ‘single negro woman’ in Almondsbury leaves a Dinah might have told her story like this… legacy of six pounds. My name is Dinah and I have been a good servant to my mistress 1631 Solomon, an enslaved person held by William Hayman, was in Bristol for five years. Suddenly she told me I had to go out to the baptised in St Augustine’s the Less. West Indies on a ship. 1632 Burial of Mary, the black servant of William Edmonds, at St Philip I cried when I heard this, and ran away to hide at the top of a and St James’ churchyard. house, but when my mistress found me, men dragged me out. I 1638 Solomon, a slave belonging to William Hayman, and William, ‘son of fought them and screamed for help. The people in the street a black’, baptised in St Augustine’s the Less. seemed upset, but didn’t want to interfere. 1640 Burial of Francis, a merchant’s servant at the Broadmead Baptist I was put onto a Bristol ship bound for the West Indies. My shoes Chapel Burial Ground. were taken away and I was watched until the ship sailed up the 1651 Two Africans whose names were not recorded were taken from a River Avon and dropped anchor at Portishead to wait for the tide. I Portuguese ship captured by privateers, and sold to Bristol managed to get off the ship and hid until it was dark before merchant Robert Yeamans. walking miles back to Bristol. 1667 Dinah Black, a black ‘servant’ escaped being forced into slavery on I tried to get my mistress to take me in, but she would not. I was a Caribbean plantation with help from white Bristolians. frightened and dirty, cold and hungry. I was terrified that I would be sent away, or would starve with no work. 1677 The ‘property’ list of Humphrey Hooke lists the black man, Titus Blackmore as one of Hooke’s possessions. The people called Quakers helped me, and I had to go to court… Q5: If you were able to interview Dinah, what would you ask her about her life? JEWS The Evidence Trail The Jewish community was officially expelled from England and Wales in 1580 A record from 1580 mentions that in 1560 a black man was working 1290, and was not given official permission to return until 1656. Just over guarding the garden of the merchant Sir John Young. a hundred years before this, a Portuguese Jewish physician and his household were living and working in Bristol.

www.EnglandsPastForEveryone.org.uk/Schools © University of London You may photocopy this sheet ACTIVITIES Diversity Through Time, Bristol (Multiethnic) page 4 of 5 Tudor and Stuart Ethnic Minorities

The secret life of Henrique Nuñes and Beatriz Fernandes 1 A Nuñes and his family moved out of Bristol in 1555. This move to 2 France was 3 B 1545. Doctor Henrique Nuñes, his wife Beatriz Fernandes and 4 their 5 C and a surgeon called Pero Vaz. The Bristol Jews used Nuñes home for their synagogue 6 D and Beatriz seems to have been a central part of the 7 E The Catholic Inquisition in Portugal arrested Tomaz Fernandes 8 because he was Jewish. 9 F Under pressure he said his Jewish Uncle had been living in Bristol since G probably caused by the strict policies of Queen Mary I (1553- 1558). H servants were part of a group of fourteen Jews living in Bristol, including merchants, sailors, I Jewish group. She taught Hebrew, made specially prepared (kosher) food and kept in contact with Jews elsewhere. Tomaz said that

Q6: Piece together the elements of the story opposite, and place them into the correct order below.

www.EnglandsPastForEveryone.org.uk/Schools © University of London You may photocopy this sheet ACTIVITIES Diversity Through Time, Bristol (Multiethnic) page 5 of 5 Tudor and Stuart Ethnic Minorities ANSWERS 1st Most 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Common Least common The Welsh The Irish Mainland Africans Jews Europe

D. The Catholic Inquisition in Portugal arrested Tomaz Fernandes because he was Jewish. Under pressure he said his Jewish Uncle had been living in Bristol since B. 1545. Doctor Henrique Nuñes, his wife Beatriz Fernandes and their F. servants were part of a group of fourteen Jews living in Bristol, including merchants, sailors, C. and a surgeon called Pero Vaz. The Bristol Jews used Nuñes home for their synagogue and Beatriz seems to have been a central part of the G. Jewish group. She taught Hebrew, made specially prepared (kosher) food and kept in contact with Jews elsewhere. Tomaz said that A. Nuñes and his family moved out of Bristol in 1555. This move to France was E. probably caused by the strict policies of Queen Mary I (1553-1558).