Brazil Canada The first sizeable wave of Flemish migration to
Canada occurred in the 1870s, when
Saint Boniface proved a popular destination for work in local flour mills, brick yards and railway yards. Similarly, Flemish were drawn to smaller villages in
Manitoba, where jobs in farming were available. In the early 20th century, Flemish settled in significant numbers across
Ontario, particularly attracted by the tobacco-growing industry, in the towns of
Chatham,
Leamington,
Tillsonburg,
Wallaceburg,
Simcoe,
Sarnia and
Port Hope.
France and the Netherlands The original County of Flanders encompassed areas which today belong to
France and the
Netherlands, but are still host to people of Flemish descent and some continued use of Flemish Dutch. Namely, these are
Zeelandic Flanders and the
Arrondissement of Dunkirk (historically known as
French Westhoek). The people of
North Brabant also share related ancestry.
Poland , Poland, built in the 1580s by Flemish architect
Willem van den Blocke There were migrations of Flemish people to medieval and early modern Poland. The Flemming noble family of Flemish origin first settled in
Pomerania and modern Poland in the 13th century with the village of
Buk becoming the first estate of the family in the region. The family reached high-ranking political and military posts in Poland in the 18th century, and Polish Princess
Izabela Czartoryska and statesman
Adam Jerzy Czartoryski were their descendants. There are several preserved historical residences of the family in Poland. Flemish architects
Anthonis van Obbergen and
Willem van den Blocke migrated to Poland, where they designed a number of
mannerist structures, and Willem van den Blocke also has sculpted multiple lavishly decorated epitaphs and tombs in Poland.
Portugal Flemish people also emigrated at the end of the fifteenth century, when Flemish traders conducted intensive trade with
Spain and
Portugal, and from there moved to colonies in
America and
Africa. The newly discovered
Azores were populated by 2,000 Flemish people from 1460 onwards, making these
volcanic islands known as the "Flemish Islands". For instance, the city of
Horta derives its name from Flemish explorer
Josse van Huerter.
South Africa United Kingdom Prior to the 1600s, there were several substantial waves of Flemish migration to the
United Kingdom. The first wave fled to England in the early 12th century, escaping damages from a storm across the coast of Flanders, where they were largely
resettled in
Pembrokeshire by
Henry I. They changed the culture and accent in south Pembrokeshire to such an extent, that it led to the area receiving the name
Little England beyond Wales.
Haverfordwest and
Tenby consequently grew as important settlements for the Flemish settlers. In the 14th century, encouraged by
King Edward III and perhaps in part due to his marriage to
Philippa of Hainault, another wave of migration to England occurred when skilled cloth weavers from Flanders were granted permission to settle there and contribute to the then booming cloth and woollen industries. These migrants particularly settled in the growing
Lancashire and
Yorkshire textile towns of
Manchester,
Bolton,
Blackburn,
Liversedge,
Bury,
Halifax and
Wakefield. Demand for Flemish weavers in England occurred again in both the 15th and 16th centuries, but this time particularly focused on towns close to the coastline of
East Anglia and
South East England. Many from this generation of weavers went to
Colchester,
Sandwich and
Braintree. In 1582, it was estimated that there could have been around 1,600 Flemish in Sandwich, today almost half of its total population.
London,
Norwich and
North Walsham, however, were the most popular destinations, and the nickname for
Norwich City F.C. fans, Canaries, is derived from the fact that many of the
Norfolk weavers kept pet canaries. The town of
Whitefield, near Bury, also claims to owe its name to Flemish cloth weavers that settled in the area during this era, who would lay their cloths out in the sun to bleach them. These waves of settlement are also evidenced by the common surnames
Fleming, Flemings, Flemming and Flemmings.
United States In the
United States, the cities of
De Pere and
Green Bay in
Wisconsin attracted many Flemish and Walloon immigrants during the 19th century. The small town of
Belgique was settled almost entirely by Flemish immigrants, although a significant number of its residents left after the
Great Flood of 1993. == See also ==