Nicholas P. Canny

This book considers the phenomenon of European migration during the three centuries following the first Columbus voyage to America. A survey of the medieval background shows that Europeans were adept at long-distance travel in search of employment and opportunity, well before the encounter with America, and that some of these medieval adventurers had long been pressing beyond the perimeter of Europe. The ensuing essays reveal that established patterns of migration persisted well into the early modern period, and that the 'Discoveries' had merely added new and more exotic destinations to those already open to people in Europe who were forced to leave home to make careers for themselves. Though these studies focus on a range of countries, they collectively point to the fact that migration previous to the mid-eighteenth century more frequently led to an early death than to a quick fortune. . The conclusions that are drawn from the experiences of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, as well as from the Netherlands and Germany, demonstrate that the Spanish concentration upon America as the land of opportunity was exceptional. France, too, is shown to be exceptional because of the small number of emigrants it produced. This is a wide-ranging and original exploration of early modern migration, which offers a useful summary of existing knowledge and makes an important contribution to the subject.

xiv, 151 pages : 24 cm

Richard Boyle (1566-1643) is recognized more for the achievements of his children than for his own accomplishments. But in his own lifetime his advancement from an obscure Kentish background to become the wealthiest English landowner of his generation was a matter of the greatest interest and curiosity; all the more so because Boyle matched his economic success with the attainment of an Irish peerage, membership of the English privy council and marriage alliances with some of the more notable families in England and Ireland. This book explains how this phenomenal social feat was achieved, discusses how English society responded to Boyle's advancement and details how Boyle rationalized his elevation to himself, to his children and to the world at large. Richard Boyle was also the father of an extraordinarily large and extremely talented family, and a close study of his diary and voluminous correspondence has shed considerable light on the rearing and education of his children.