Historical immigration to Great Britain facts for kids

The history of people moving to Great Britain looks at how different groups and cultures came to the British Isles before Ireland became independent in 1922. If you want to learn about immigration after 1922, check out the article on Immigration to the United Kingdom since Irish independence.

Humans first arrived in Great Britain during the Palaeolithic Age, which was a very long time ago. But we don't have written records until the Romans invaded around 55 BC. After the Roman Empire declined, many Germanic people from Europe moved to the southern parts of the island. These people became known as the Anglo-Saxons and eventually formed England.

Later, around the late 700s, groups of Vikings started invading and settling in Britain. In 1066, the Normans successfully took control of England. After this, the Plantagenet family ruled England from 1154 to 1485. These events led to a steady flow of people moving from France to Britain. Other European newcomers included people from Flanders (called Flemings) and French Protestants known as Huguenots.

A terrible event called the Great Famine in Ireland (which was part of the United Kingdom at the time) caused about a million people to move to Great Britain. Throughout the 1800s, a small group of about 28,644 German immigrants settled in England and Wales. London was home to about half of them, with smaller groups in Manchester and Bradford. Germans were the largest immigrant group until 1891, when Russian Jews became the largest. After 1881, Russian Jews faced harsh treatment, and 2 million left the Russian Empire by 1914. Around 120,000 settled in Britain, becoming the biggest ethnic minority from outside the British Isles. By 1938, this group grew to 370,000.

After World War II, over 120,000 Polish soldiers couldn't return home and stayed in the UK. Many people also moved from former colonies in the Caribbean and Indian subcontinent. This happened because of Britain's history as an empire and because there were many job openings. In 1841, only 0.25% of people in England and Wales were born in another country. This number grew to 1.5% by 1901, 2.6% by 1931, and 4.4% by 1951. DNA studies help us understand how these movements changed the population over time.

Ancient Times: Early Settlers in Britain

The Roman Empire's Influence

The first time the Romans invaded Great Britain was in 55 BC, led by Julius Caesar. They came back a year later in 54 BC. Many Celtic tribal leaders supported the Romans and agreed to pay them money in exchange for protection. The Romans returned for good in AD 43, led by Emperor Claudius. This time, they took control and created the province of Britannia.

At first, Roman rule was harsh, but they slowly gained a stronger hold on their new land. At one point, their territory stretched from the south coast of England to Wales and north into southern Scotland. During the 367 years the Romans were in Britain, many soldiers settled there. Through constant trade and contact with Rome and other Roman areas, the wealthy native Britons started to adopt Roman culture and customs, like the Latin language. However, most people in the countryside were not much affected.

The capital city, Londinium (modern-day London), was a very diverse place. People from all over the Roman Empire lived there, including native Britons, people from Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Other Roman-British towns were also diverse, with people moving from within Britain and from other Roman lands. This included places like North Africa, Roman Syria, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Europe. Out of an estimated three million people in Roman Britain, about 240,000 lived in towns, with Londinium having around 60,000 residents. But after the Romans left, many towns collapsed, and the total population might have dropped by as much as two million.

Early Irish Settlers in Britain

In the 400s, Irish pirates known as the Scotti began raiding northwestern Britain from their homes in northeastern Ireland. After the Romans left, these Irish settlers created the kingdom of Dál Riata, which was roughly where Argyll is today. People traditionally believe that this is how the Primitive Irish language came to be spoken in what is now Scotland. However, some think the language might have already been there for centuries. Similar ideas have been suggested for parts of western Wales, where Irish language signs are also found. Others still believe that a significant number of Irish people did move there, especially to Dál Riata.

The Anglo-Saxon Arrivals

Germanic soldiers, possibly from Frankish areas, were used by the Roman Empire in Gaul (modern-day France). It's thought that the first Germanic immigrants came to Britain in a similar way, invited by British rulers at the end of the Roman period. The story of Hengist and Horsa landing in Kent in 449 is often seen as the start of the Anglo-Saxon migrations. However, old findings show that many people had already settled in East Anglia almost 50 years earlier.

The main area where many people settled was southeastern Britain. In this region, there are very few place names that come from Celtic or Latin languages. Studies of DNA and other evidence show that both men and women came, many of whom were not wealthy. This migration continued for a long time, possibly over 200 years. The different languages spoken by these new arrivals eventually blended together to form Old English, which is the ancestor of the modern English language.

After the main settlement period, Anglo-Saxon leaders and kingdoms started to form. These are often grouped together as the Heptarchy. Their creation is linked to a second wave of Anglo-Saxon expansion, where kingdoms like Wessex, Mercia, and Northumbria began conquering British lands. It's likely that these kingdoms included many native Britons, especially in their western areas. This is shown by the laws of King Ine from the late 600s, which had special rules for Britons living in Wessex.

Medieval Times: New Peoples Arrive

The Vikings in Britain

The earliest record of a Viking raid in Britain is from 789 AD, when, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Portland was attacked. A more detailed report from June 8, 793, describes how the monastery at Lindisfarne was raided by foreign sailors. These raiders continued their expeditions into the 800s. Over time, armies and settlers followed them, bringing a new culture and traditions that were very different from the Anglo-Saxon society in southern Britain.

The Danelaw, an area controlled by Vikings, was formed after the Viking conquest of large parts of Anglo-Saxon lands. This happened because of the Treaty of Wedmore in the late 800s, after Alfred the Great defeated the Viking leader Guthrum at the Battle of Ethandun. Between 1016 and 1042, England was even ruled by Danish kings. After this, the Anglo-Saxons took back control until 1066.

Even though counties like Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Essex were formally part of the Danelaw, they didn't seem to have many Danish settlers. Most Danish settlement was in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire, as shown by place names. The Scandinavians who settled along the coast of the Irish Sea were mostly from Norway, though many had come through Ireland. Most Vikings arriving in northern Britain also came from Norway. Settlement was thickest in the Shetland and Orkney islands and Caithness, where Norn, a language from Old Norse, was once spoken. Vikings were also present in the Hebrides and the western Scottish Highlands.

The Normans Take Control

Normans, as shown here on the Bayeux Tapestry, were a powerful group who made up about 2% of England's population.

The Norman conquest in 1066 is usually seen as the last time a foreign army successfully took control of the Kingdom of England by military force. From the Norman point of view, William the Conqueror believed he was the rightful heir to the throne. The invasion was needed to stop Harold Godwinson from taking it. William removed the Anglo-Saxon ruling class and put his own followers in charge. Most of these were from Normandy, but many were from Brittany. Skilled workers and merchants from France also settled in England to find new business chances after the conquest.

In the years after the invasion, until 1204 when Normandy was lost to France, the new nobles kept strong connections with their homelands across the English Channel. This was partly because aristocrats were given land in both places, which encouraged everyone to keep the two areas united. The arrival of Norman military and church leaders changed the ruling class in England, creating an Anglo-Norman population. Some French nobles moved north to Scotland when King David I invited them. There, they started many of the royal families that would control Scottish politics for centuries, including the Balliols, the Bruces, and the FitzAlans.

Even though the Normans were a powerful elite, they were far outnumbered by their English and Scottish subjects. It's thought that they made up only about 2% of England's population.

Flemish Settlers

Later in the Middle Ages, many Flemish people moved to England, Wales, and Scotland. The term "Fleming" was used for people from the Low Countries in general, not just Flanders.

The first group of Flemings arrived in England after floods in their low-lying homelands during the time of King Henry I. These migrants eventually settled in Pembrokeshire in Wales. According to the Brut y Tywysogyon, the native people were driven out of the area, and the Flemish replaced them. This region, where Flemish and English were spoken early on, became known as Little England beyond Wales. Many early Flemish settlers in England were weavers and set up homes in larger English towns and cities. In Scotland, Flemish newcomers helped the growing wool trade in the southeastern part of the country.

Roma People in Britain

Romani people originally came from the Punjab region of North India. They were a nomadic people, meaning they traveled from place to place. They entered Europe between the 700s and 900s AD, arriving in Western Europe by the 1400s. Europeans mistakenly called them "Gypsies" because they thought they came from Egypt. This group is made up of different "tribes" or "nations." Roma people speak different forms of their common language, the Romani language, which is based on Sanskrit (an ancient Indian language) and is similar to other Indo-Aryan languages.

Roma people in Britain have been recorded since the early 1500s. The Egyptians Act 1530 was a law made because Romani Gypsies, then called "Egyptians," arrived in Britain in the 1500s. The first clear record of Roma in Scotland was in 1505, and in England in 1513 or 1514. They were travelers who often worked as hawkers (people who sell goods), basket weavers, craftspeople, blacksmiths, and other jobs. They also worked with horses, as hostlers (people who care for horses), jockeys, and horse dealers.

Early Modern Times: New Arrivals

The Huguenots

The Huguenots, who were French Protestants, faced harsh treatment after the Edict of Nantes was cancelled in France. They began moving to England in large numbers around 1670, after King Charles II offered them a safe place. Most came from western France, like Poitou. In total, about 40,000 to 50,000 arrived. Many towns and cities in England welcomed the Huguenot migrants, but the largest number settled in the Spitalfields area of London. Many of them were silk-weavers, and they brought new energy to this industry in the area, making silk a very popular fashion item in Britain.

People from South Asia

A plaque remembering Sake Dean Mahomed and Britain's first Indian restaurant, which he opened in 1810.

People from the Indian subcontinent have settled in Great Britain since the East India Company (EIC) hired lascars (sailors) to fill empty spots on their ships, called East Indiamen, during voyages in India. Many of these sailors were then not allowed to return home and were left stranded in London. There were also some ayahs (nannies) and domestic servants of wealthy British families who came back to "Blighty" (a nickname for Britain) with their employers when their time in Asia ended.

The number of sailors from the East Indies working on English ships was a concern back then. So, the English tried to limit their numbers with the Navigation Act of 1660. This law said that only a quarter of the crew on returning East India Company ships could be overseas sailors. Baptism records in East Greenwich suggest that young Indians from the Malabar Coast were hired as servants in the late 1600s. Records from the EIC also show that Indo-Portuguese cooks from Goa were kept by captains from one voyage to the next. In 1797, thirteen were buried in the parish of St Nicholas at Deptford. By the mid-1800s, there were at least 40,000 Indian sailors, diplomats, scholars, soldiers, officials, tourists, business people, and students in Great Britain. In 1855, more than 25,000 of these were lascar sailors working on British ships. Lascars were a group who stayed in British ports between voyages.

Starting in the 1600s, the East India Company brought thousands of South Asian scholars, lascars, and other workers (mostly Bengali and/or Muslim) to England. Some of them settled down and married local European women because there were few Asian women in the British Isles at the time. Since most early Asian immigrants were lascars, the first Asian communities were found in port towns. Naval cooks also came, many from the Sylhet Division of what is now Bangladesh. One of the most famous 1700s Bengali immigrants to Britain was Sake Dean Mahomed, a captain in the East India Company. In 1810, he opened London's first Indian restaurant, the Hindoostane Coffee House. He is also credited with bringing shampoo and therapeutic massage to Britain. By the 1930s, about 7,000 to 10,000 Indians had settled permanently in Britain.

Modern Times: Recent Immigration

Irish People in Modern Britain

People have been moving from Ireland to Britain continuously since before the Middle Ages. However, the number of arrivals greatly increased in the 1800s. This was due to the terrible Great Famine and the many job opportunities created by the Industrial Revolution. Irish communities were especially large in west coast cities like Liverpool and Glasgow.

African People in Britain

After the British lost the American War of Independence, over 1,100 Black Loyalist soldiers who had fought for Britain were brought to Britain. However, most ended up poor on London's streets and were seen as a social problem. The Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor was formed to help them. They gave out aid and helped the men go overseas, some to what was left of British North America. In 1786, the committee paid for an expedition of 280 black men, 40 black women, and 70 white wives and girlfriends to Sierra Leone. This settlement failed, and within two years, all but 60 of the migrants had died.

German People in Britain

Throughout the 1800s, a small group of German immigrants grew in Britain, reaching 28,644 people in 1861. London was home to about half of this group, and other small communities existed in Manchester, Bradford, and other places. The German immigrant community was the largest group until 1891, when it became second only to Russian Jews. There was a mix of different social classes and religious groups, and a lively culture developed with many clubs for middle and working-class people. Waiters and clerks were two common jobs, and many who worked in these roles later became successful restaurant owners and business people. This community kept its size until World War I. During the war, strong anti-German feelings grew, and the government forced many Germans to be held in camps or sent back to Germany. The community had reached 53,324 people in 1911 but fell to just over 20,000 after the war.

Russian Jewish Immigrants

England has had small Jewish communities for many centuries, though they were sometimes expelled. However, there were fewer than 10,000 British Jews at the start of the 1800s. After 1881, Russian Jews faced harsh treatment. British Jews raised money to help their fellow Jews in Russia move to the United States. However, out of about 2 million who left Russia by 1914, around 120,000 settled permanently in Britain. One of the main areas where they gathered was the same Spitalfields area where Huguenots had settled earlier. Immigration was reduced by the Aliens Act 1905 and almost stopped by the 1914 Aliens Restriction Act. Besides those Russian Jews who settled permanently in the UK, an estimated 500,000 Eastern European Jews passed through British ports between 1881 and 1924. Most were heading for the United States, and others went to Canada, South Africa, Latin America, and Australia/New Zealand.

Estimated Number of Migrants Between 1800 and 1945

Immigration Since 1945

Genetic History of Britain

Scientists use genetic studies to figure out how much different historical migrations affected the people of the British Isles. The newest research, using information from ancient skeletons, suggests that the biggest changes to the genes of the current British population came from two main events. These were the arrival of the Bell Beaker people around 2500 BC, and the large number of Anglo-Saxons who came after the Romans left.

Studies of DNA also suggest that the biological impact of immigration on Britain from the Norman conquests up until the 1900s was small. The genes of the native population stayed mostly the same, showing more stability than change.