"Stranger churches"—Protestant congregations that welcomed speakers of certain languages other than English—in early modern London had "eyes everywhere" to hear, spread and dispel gossip in multiple languages, according to new research.
The Elizabethan era saw large numbers of migrants coming to England, many of whom were Protestants fleeing religious persecution and violence from countries that spoke French, Dutch, Flemish, Italian and Spanish.
Dr. John Gallagher, Associate Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Leeds, has uncovered evidence that the state was monitoring gossip about them in multiple languages.
His findings are revealed in a new paper titled "Migrant Voices in Multilingual London, 1560–1600," which is published in Transactions of the Royal Historical Society.
Dr. Gallagher said, "England's history is much more multilingual than we might imagine, and even the state had to learn multiple languages in the Elizabethan area to have 'eyes everywhere' and maintain control.
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