I thought that since this was my first post, I would write about something that I was most comfortable with and what is my main academic interest; Scottish migration to early modern Europe, more specifically, to early modern Poland. This interest was cultivated in my time in univeristy, as I had a class which was appropriately named; Scots in Poland, Poles in Scotland.
When considering Scottish migration and diaspora, the narrative which exist and which has been placed in public memory is one of migration and exile to North America, Canada, and also to Australasia. The 1707 Union was significant in Scottish history, especially as it had lead to an increase of Scottish contact to North America and thus lead to increased migration and settlement. Before the union, when a Scot would migrate, they would find a new future in England, Ireland, or in Europe. This diaspora is believed to have peaked from 1600 to 1650, but there was still some contact and migration in later centuries [1].
When regarding this more modern diaspora, it is obvious why it tends to exist in common memory, there are stories of family descendants who have come from the 'homeland,' and there are more primary sources and there is plenty of publications which exist and are always being produced. The study of Scottish migration to early modern Europe is plagued with several problems, primary sources have been lost and sources have been written in several languages, and there is a need for translation of these documents.[2] Thankfully, there have been some books of published documents which are on the internet, and I would recommend anyone who is intrested in the topic of Scots in Poland. I would heavily recommend the books, The Scots in Germany and Papers Relating to the Scots in Poland, which are both available online.
I hope that these next few posts will help to bring some light onto this almost forgotten diaspora, and I will hopefully inspire someone to look more into this subject! Due to the fact that this is a rather broad subject, I will start off by discussing what I will consider to be the main reason why Scots were in Poland in the early modern period, poverty and economic opportunity. I hope that this post will be a good introduction into the matter of the Scottish pedlar and 'wealthy merchant,' in early modern Poland.
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| Stitched by Edmund Dudley from http://www.scottishdiasporatapestry.org/ |
It has been argued by historians that Scottish migration to early modern Poland was of 'economic necessity', due to poverty in Scotland as being a main economic imperative for the migration. Scotland in the sixteenth and the seventeenth century faced problems such as famine, plague, and most importantly, low economic productivity on an agricultural-based economy. [3] It was noted by Kowalksi in his study of Scottish migration to Krakow, that there was a presence of Scots applying for citizenship from the 1570s due to famine and economic crisis, which drove people from Abdereenshire to Krakow, where over 55 per cent of the Aberdonians applied for citizenship between 1580s and 1610s. [4]
Younger or illegitimate sons were often forced to migrate due to primogeniture, which prevented them from inheriting, and they were often made to seek fortunes as merchants or as soldiers. Compared to Scotland, Poland was a desirable location to obtain capital due to the fact that only two per cent of the Polish population was involved in trade and there was a demand for imported goods from Scotland and other parts of Europe, and it had encouraged the presence of Scottish economic migrants, and more specifically, pedlars into Poland. [5] William Lithgow in the seventeenth century noted favourable conditions for Scottish immigrants who were looking to obtain economic capital and seek their fortune abroad, describing it as:
'And for áuspicuousness, I may rather tearme it to be a Mother and Nurse, for the youth and younglings of Scotland, who are yearely sent hither in great numbers, than a proper Dame for her owne birth; in cloathing, feeding, and inriching them with the fatnesse of her best things; besides thirty thousand Scots families, that live incorporate in her bowells. And certainely Polland may be tearmed in this kind to be the mother of our Commons, and the first commencement of all our best Merchants' wealth, or at least most part of them'. [6]
Poverty was the main reason which caused the Scottish presence in early modern Poland. One fantastic letter which is in The Scots in Germany by King James IV in 1625 notes that:
'
'We greete you well. Whereas the grite number of young
boyes uncapable of service and destitute of meanis of liveing
yearlie transported out of that our kingdome to the East seas
and speciallie to the town of Dantzik and there manie tymes
miserablie in grite numbers dyeing in the streets have given
quite scandall to the people of those countreyis and laid one
foull imputation on that our kingdome'. [7]
The Scottish economic migrant often took form as the pedlar, who would bring the goods from the market to the countryside. It was noted that by Fyness Moryson in his travels to Poland that Scots would :
' flocke in great numbers into Poland, abounding in all
things for foode, and yeelding many commodities. And
in these Kingdomes they lived at this time in great multi-
tudes, rather for the poverty of their owne Kingdome,
then for any great traffcke they exercised there, dealing
rather for small fardels, then for great quantities of rich
ware.' [8].
From the sources by Lithgow and Moryson, the theme of the Scottish economic presence in Poland starts to emerge, especially as Moryson suggests the presence of the Scottish pedlar. Historians have discussed the Scottish economic presence in Poland, and historiography has discussed if the Scottish economic presence was restricted to predominantly peddling or if Scottish commercial activity allowed them to be considered to be 'wealthy merchants.' I have a few opinions on this, especially as I had to write an essay on this matter! I do hope to share my thoughts on this!
[1] D. Worthington, 'Unfinished work and damaged materials’: historians and the Scots in the Commonwealth of Poland–Lithuania (1569–1795)', Immigrants & Minorities, vol 34 (2016). p.277.
[2] ibid.
[3] P. P. Bajer, Scots in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 16th to 18th Centuries, The Formation and Disappearance of an Ethnic Group, (Lieden, 2012), pp.46-51.
[4] W. Kowalski, '“Kraków Citizenship and the Local Scots, 1509-1655.” In Britain and Poland-Lithuania: Contact and Comparison from the Middle Ages to 1795, Richard W. Unger (ed.), (Leiden, 2008), pp. 274-275.
[5]P. P. Bajer, Scots in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, 16th to 18th Centuries, The Formation and Disappearance of an Ethnic Group, (Lieden, 2012), pp.46-129.
[6]W. Lithgow, The Total Discourse of the Rare Adventures & Painefull Peregrinations of Long Nineteen Years Travayles from Scotland to the most famous Kingdomes in Europe, Asia and Affrica (Glasgow, 1906), pp. 367-368.
[7]' Letter of James VI’, 22nd February 1625, in T. A. Fischer (ed.), The Scots in Germany (Edinburgh, 1902) pp. 242-243.
[8] Fynes Moryson, An itinerary vvritten by Fynes Moryson gent. first in the Latine tongue, and then translated by him into English: containing his ten yeeres travell throvgh the tvvelve domjnions of Germany, Bohmerland, Sweitzerland, Netherland, Denmarke, Poland, Jtaly, Turky, France, England, Scotland, and Ireland. Diuided into III parts Volume 1, (Glasgow, 1908) p.83.
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