Irish Migration to Britain in the 19th Century
Irish migration during the nineteenth century was a common phenomenon, which has brought many families connected to Ireland, including my own. There has been no shortage of historians who have researched it either. I will take you through some brief notes worth considering when looking into your Irish genealogy.
For the purposes of this blog post, I will be discussing the article from 2006 from Graham Davis, based on a lecture he gave.
Social Class and Urban Changes
Davis notes the different reasons for Irish migration from both before and during (or after) the Great Famine. Prior to the famine, he notes that it tended to be the wealthy parts of Ireland (that being the north-east and south-east), whose residents emigrated to Britain from 1815 to 1845. He also notes that Protestants were more likely than Catholics to move out of the north of Ireland. 1
There were British cities that saw a quick demographic shift in their own Irish areas due to higher migration. For example, York went from having a small number of socially diverse Irish to a large number of very poor Irish people from 1841 to 1851. 2
Unfortunately, there was not a good attitude towards the poor Irish during this period. Davis explains that many thought they were drunks, unclean, and overall a nuisance to their new society. 3 Due to the ethnic and religious tension, there were outbursts of violence that occurred between the native Brits and the Irish. Davis notes that in Bradford and Manchester, there was often a more focused police attention on Irish areas. 4 You could find some interesting information in police records from this time period. Even if you do not have Irish ancestry, your relatives from this area may have been affected by the tension.
Nevertheless, many of the stereotypes about the Irish bringing chaos into Britain have been debunked. It is important to note that rural migration played a role in the increasing urban populations. Any research in diseases and mortality rates from this era must also take this fact into consideration. 5
Dundee was a fascinating example of a city that embraced the Irish population. Interestingly, the Irish migrants were predominantly female. They helped to revive the textile industry in the city through being reputable and diligent workers. 6 Your unmarried female ancestors may be a part of this trend!
I would like to make one final point about the movements of the Irish population from Davis’ article. He mentions that for family historians, the constant shifts from place to place to find work can make it difficult to track Irish genealogy. 7 You might find that your Irish family have gone to a different city or even moved countries by the next census.
Conclusion
This is only a small insight into the types of facts which can assist in tracking down information. I will probably need to do further blog posts to do this topic more justice. Whether it be about social class or religion, knowing more about this history can help.
Here are some websites to help you find your ancestry:
https://www.thegenealogist.com
Source
Davis, Graham. ‘Irish Migration to Nineteenth-Century Britain’. North Irish Roots 17 (2006). pp. 25-33.
Footnotes
- Graham Davis, ‘Irish Migration to Nineteenth-Century Britain’,
North Irish Roots 17 (2006): 25. ↩︎ - Graham Davis, ‘Irish Migration to Nineteenth-Century Britain’,
North Irish Roots 17 (2006): 29. ↩︎ - Graham Davis, ‘Irish Migration to Nineteenth-Century Britain’,
North Irish Roots 17 (2006): 27. ↩︎ - Graham Davis, ‘Irish Migration to Nineteenth-Century Britain’,
North Irish Roots 17 (2006): 29. ↩︎ - Graham Davis, ‘Irish Migration to Nineteenth-Century Britain’,
North Irish Roots 17 (2006): 27. ↩︎ - Graham Davis, ‘Irish Migration to Nineteenth-Century Britain’,
North Irish Roots 17 (2006): 30. ↩︎ - Graham Davis, ‘Irish Migration to Nineteenth-Century Britain’,
North Irish Roots 17 (2006): 28. ↩︎