Glemsford and Fingringhoe: a matter of movement

The more I investigate these matters, the more fascinating it becomes: just how mobile were populations in the years before railways, "proper" roads and so on?

A traditional view has always been - supported by research into the operation of the pre-1834 Poor Law, for instance - that people were supposed to live their lives in the place where they were born, unless there were some major upheaval, like the Great Plague, Enclosure or Emigration.

I suspect, however, that people moved around far more than has previously seemed likely.

I pose the question here because Peter Watkins has sent in this enquiry:

A swathe of my ancestors come from villages near Colchester - Fingringhoe, E Donyland, and so on. At least two of those ancestors - seemingly independently - migrated there from Glemsford around 1760-1780. And blow me, if I just haven't found the good possibility of a third ancestor making the same move, again around 1760.

Does anyone in your society know of any link, of any kind, between the two areas?

Many thanks.

As always, if anyone has any ideas to contribute, please feel free to do so, via email or using the comment facility.

SC