From Wesel to Aarau: a case of a community of English emigrants (1555–1558)

Abstract

The article discusses the issue of the organization of English Protestant migration to continental Europe during the reign of Mary I Tudor. The study is based on the materials of the English immigrant community that formed in Wesel and subsequently settled in Aarau. The aim of the research is to analyze the factors that shaped the course, structure, and nature of English migration, using the Aarau community as a case study. The study is supported by various types of sources, including documents compiled by authorities in Aarau, correspondence between English immigrants and figures of the European evangelical movement, and self-written accounts by the immigrants. The main research methods are methods of social analysis (group analysis, identification of its key parameters) and network analysis (analysis of communication networks). By examining the English immigrant community and the European evangelicals who supported it, the author identifies key individuals who influenced the conditions for emigration. Catherine Willoughby and Richard Bertie played a significant role in the establishment of the community. Thomas Lever, as a community leader, organized the relocation. Heinrich Bullinger and his associates were involved in relations between emigrants and local authorities. Based on the findings of the analysis of the emigration process, the author identified several key factors that contributed to it. These included the social composition of the group (with a predominance of artisans), the religious beliefs of community members, which determined the geography of the migration, inter-сonfessional relations in the area, and active involvement in the organization of migrant movements and accommodation, both by the pastor and prominent figures of the evangelical community.