The History of English Podcast Episode 188: Old England and New England
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Feb 27, 2026 A deep dive into the 1630s migration from eastern England to Massachusetts Bay. Linguistic links between East Anglia and New England receive special attention. Place names, pronunciation shifts like R-dropping, and surviving dialect words are highlighted. Historical causes such as economic collapse and Puritan concerns explain why people left.
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Charter Omission Enabled Self Governing Massachusetts
- The Massachusetts Bay Company charter (1629) omitted the requirement to keep headquarters in England, allowing self-governance in America.
- Puritans leveraged that omission, moved company control to New England, and elected John Winthrop governor.
Mass Migration Made Massachusetts Dominant Colony
- Between 1630 and 1643 roughly 20,000 people emigrated to Massachusetts, making it the first large-scale English migration to North America.
- The colony grew faster than Jamestown due to family migration, tradespeople, and fewer disease threats in cold climate.
Place Names Reveal East Anglian Origins
- About 60% of Massachusetts place names and settlers trace to East Anglia and nearby counties, reflecting the region-of-origin concentration.
- County names Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Middlesex were transplanted to Massachusetts in the 1630s.