Commemorative plaque 4218

This blue commemorative plaque records: The Strangers In 1565 the City authorities invited Protestant refugees from the Spanish Netherlands to settle in Norwich to boost the City's textile industry. 30 households of master weavers came over from Flanders, of which 24 were Flemish and 6 were French-speaking Walloons. Soon followed by many more, they became known as the Strangers, and at their peak accounted for over a third of the City's population. Recorded plaque organisation: Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust.

The Strangers were Protestant refugees from the Spanish Netherlands who settled in Norwich in 1565 to bolster the city’s textile industry; they significantly increased Norwich’s weaving capabilities and population, with their community peaking at over a third of the city's inhabitants.