Immigration to Scotland

Immigration

• People from other countries were coming along to Scotland.

• They left homelands for similar reasons to Scots.

• Pushed from homelands. • Drawn to Scotland with the promise of work,

better housing and better living. Think of some people that moved to Scotland

The Irish

• The largest group of immigrants to settle in Scotland.

• 1841 many Irish people came to Scotland as farm labourers.

• Only temporary migrants; come for harvest, get paid and then return home.

• Easy to do because cheap to do. • No attempt to form permanent settlements. • Before famine; trickle. After; flood.

Potato Famine

• The people did not want to come to Scotland, but to England and many travelled to Scotland.

• However, Irish born population was 4.8 per cent of the total population of Scotland in 1841.

• 10 years later, 7.2 per cent out of 2,888,742. • Only 2.9 per cent in England and Wales.

Potato Famine

• During 1848-weekly inflow about 1000 into Glasgow.

• January to April the overall influx of Irish was 42,860.

BBC Clip 420

Settlement of the Irish

• Irish did not spread evenly across Scotland.• This was due to poverty and ill health.• Settle around the point of disembarkation…

(West Coast).• Nearest counties to Ireland. Wigtownshire and

Kirkcudbrightshire. (SW of Scotland.) These had substantial Irish population in 1841.

Settlement of the Irish

• Dumfriesshire saw its Irish population stand at 5.9 per cent in 1851.

• Irish also made way to the east coast, like Dundee, where a large female community established itself.

Settlement of the Irish

• Industrial areas saw largest influx of Irish immigrants.

• 29 per cent of Irish immigrants settled in Glasgow.

• Smaller towns too.• Coatbridge in 1851 saw 35.8 per cent Irish and

still views itself Irish today.

Settlement of the Irish

• Most of the people moving for work and it is work that they could have the biggest impact.

• Irish settled wherever muscle and strength was in demand.

• Half to three quarters of all dock labourers.• Two thirds of miners were Irish. • Handloom weaving and other textiles work. • 44.3 per cent of female textile workers in

Greenock.

Irish

• Usually work long hours for low wages.Where they stayed? • Areas of poor sanitation, lack of ventilation

and overcrowding. • Single End home.

• Papers had a biased view and could write their own ideas.

• It allows us to see their opinions.

Newspapers

Ayr advertiser“Deprived people of work in Scotland.”1841 Edinburgh Post“Bring a moral and social plague”

Newspapers

Henry Cockburn 1835“Irish have in many areas behaved fully as well as our own people.”

People

Bbc clips 424 and 428 How useful question

Catholic Religion

• Many problems with the immigration of the Irish because of the religion the practised.

• Catholicism frowned upon since the Reformation 16th century.

• Attacks on the Irish happened regularly in newspapers, churches and on the streets.

• Irish perceived as drunken, idle, uncivilised and undermining.

Religion

• Catholic church important to immigrants..• Why?????? (Source..)

Religion

S. Woods says;• Allowed people to continue worship. Priests

travelled with them.• People could gather together, help each other

and share info. • Church collected money to help them. • Church organised social lives, trips, lectures,

shows and sport. • Football teams like Hibs, Celtic and Dundee Utd

formed.

Religion

S. Woods says;• Allowed people to continue worship. Priests

travelled with them.• People could gather together, help each other

and share info. • Church collected money to help them. • Church organised social lives, trips, lectures,

shows and sport. • Football teams like Hibs, Celtic and Dundee Utd

formed. (24)

Religion

• Scots were very anti catholic people. • Catholics became even further seperated

when the Vatican banned them from inter marriages to protestants in 1908.

• 1851-80.6 per cent Irish men and women married each other.

Task 25