Introduction

During the reign of Elizabeth I, large numbers of aliens immigrated into England for various reasons, most notably to escape religious persecution and the wars that wrecked the Continent in the sixteenth century. Much like governments facing immigration issues today, England's governors struggled to strike a balance between the potentially beneficial and the potentially dangerous aspects of the aliens' presence.

Focus of the Book

Strangers Settled Here Amongst Us focuses on the link between the aliens, native English and the central government. It explores policies and attitudes, bringing new perspectives to familiar documents as well as introducing documents rarely seen in the subject's scholarship.