in the 19th century
Gillian opened her talk by saying that this subject was big and not just the numbers of people emigrating. An estimated 10 million people (not counting convicts) voluntarily left these isles during the 19th century. This figure is undoubtedly an underestimate as ships often took more passengers than was legally allowed and these passengers were not declared.
Unemployment in the country was very high in the early 19th century. Mechanisation on farms affected jobs in most counties but particularly Kent which had a lack of other industry. In 1816 the situation was aggravated when soldiers and sailors returned to be demobbed at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The parish Poor Law system was under great strain with, in many parishes, a third of parishioners reliant on the poor rate.
Many people were glad to be leaving in search of a better life in places such as: North America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America. To encourage emigration newspapers printed letters from emigrants saying how well they were getting on. But it broke families, as members were sent to different places, some never to see home or their relatives again.
Gillian showed parish records listing items that were to be funded from the poor rate for a family’s passage and maintenance. She added that it was also a good way for the parish to get rid of troublemakers. Twenty two Kent parishes spent a total of £1,000 to aid 300 people to emigrate and despite emigrants being required to repay part of the costs it was soon decided that it was impractical to fund emigration from the poor rate.
Various assisted passages schemes were started by both Government and private organisations. Gillian showed adverts in newspapers encouraging applications and a list of 86 societies and church groups mainly based in London who organised emigration. Posters were put up on church doors etc and letters asking for donations to help fund passage and maintenance during the first years of settlement were sent out. Under 30s were the ideal age group, with young married couples preferred. Vagrant boys in London were gathered off the streets and sent. As numbers of male emigrants began to outweighed females generous discounts were given to couples bringing single females aged 15 to 30 with them and men who brought a sister in the same age group.
Gillian talked about conditions on board ships. A married couple were allotted a bed space of 6 foot by 3 foot with their children underneath. In bad weather the hatches were closed and illnesses swept through unhygienic living quarters. There were no washing facilities and they had to pack 4 weeks worth of clothes which were brought up from the hold and dirty exchanged for clean at intervals. Forms completed on arrival prove several births and many deaths on the journey which could be at least 58 days by sail to North America and several weeks longer to Australia and New Zealand. The arrival of steam shortened journey times and improved conditions.
At question time many answers came from the floor as members related incidences from their own research.
Report by Tricia Baxter
by Sue Gibbons