• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Movement in 18th century..social info

S

Suze

master brummie
Hi,

I wonder if someone can help with answering a question that has puzzled me for ages. My ancestors came from Shenstone/Weeford Staffs,but further along the line ended up in Aston B'Ham. Why I am guessing is because social conditions,lack of work ?I imagine it was a very rural area.Did something happen then,crop failure,farmer they worked for died??? How did they know where to go to and that when they did,whether there would be work when they got there or somewhere to live. Trying to think what it must have been like late 18th early 19th century...it couldnt have been easy. What would the housing have been like then. We all see pictures of Victorian back houses,when were they built?....I think its fascinating. Theories or answers would be a big help .Thanks:)
 
Just a few thoughts. Canals and railways enabled the lower classes to travel greater distances than ever before. Industry paid better wages than farm work. Despite the view of the past through rose colored glasses the hovels the working class lived in did not vary much. In fact a few enlightened industrialists treated their workers far better than the landowners.
Just like today, in the past people would migrate towards work and the promise of a better life. I have noticed a migration from the early industrial areas of Shropshire to the Birmingham areas as industry progressed.

My education was only sec.mod & tech college so I hope we have some knowledgeable members who can give you more information than I can. History is fascinating and you will find plenty of it here.

regards...arkrite.
 
Suze,
There were crop failures,in the 1870s,but also people moved to where there was work,I see you live in Northants,well, an example is Northampton,it was a boom town in the 1860s,the reason being that they were making boots for both sides in the American civil war.
As for the buildings in Aston,the house I lived in there was built in 1854,as was much of the area.
Family research is how I found out about social history,I found that almost all of my ancestors,moved to aston,from rural areas,they were all country folk,and there's me thinking I came from a long line of Aston scruffs.:rolleyes:
 
Arkrite said:
Just a few thoughts. Canals and railways enabled the lower classes to travel greater distances than ever before. Industry paid better wages than farm work. Despite the view of the past through rose colored glasses the hovels the working class lived in did not vary much. In fact a few enlightened industrialists treated their workers far better than the landowners.
Just like today, in the past people would migrate towards work and the promise of a better life. I have noticed a migration from the early industrial areas of Shropshire to the Birmingham areas as industry progressed.

My education was only sec.mod & tech college so I hope we have some knowledgeable members who can give you more information than I can. History is fascinating and you will find plenty of it here.

regards...arkrite.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your thoughts..how did they afford to travel..where did you notice the migration? In your own family history?
They would have been unskilled workers wouldnt they,so what would they do for work?
 
Hi Ray,yes poor old Northampton,still suffering!

What did you manage to find out about your family,and how, because I think I am going to try the social side to see if there may be a record of what my lot did in Shenstone/Weeford.
 
Members of my family moved from Cornwall, Stafford, Leeds they all ended up in Aston One was in Fishing to work in the Cycle Industry , From Stafford was in the Brick making industry to the Gun Trade, From Leeds on the Railways to the Canal industry. Most of my family ended up in the Cycle industry for most of their working life.

This might be of interest to you:)

https://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/politics/reform.htm
 
I have not researched my collection of nere-do-wells. Ignorance is bliss or so they say. My favourite subject at school was Social and Economic History and the Industrial Revolution. Its a good grounding for what you are interested in.
I like to read other peoples family research and enquiries. It is possible to pick up a lot of information about movement and trades from these entries. Today we have migrants from abroad, they come by any means possible ,often with no money and take low payed unskilled jobs. Things were no different in the past when people migrated from the countryside to the towns.
To travel by goods train without paying is difficult these days because of containerised wagons but in the past it was common ( my dad was a Goods Guard.) There was always shanksies pony ( you walked).New farming methods, bad harvests foriegn imports all caused people to shift location and jobs. At this time massive migration was taking place from European countries to the Americas.
I could go on for ever, I love this subject. If you need information try the education sites on the web or even try further education which a lot of people do. Your local library would very likely be pleased to help. Good Luck ...arkrite.
 
Thanks Arkrite,its all very interesting.I find it all fascinating as I said earlier,because if we try to put ourselves in the position of our ancestors,it it so difficult to imagine what it must be like. Take for example, I felt a bit peckish just now,so I got a rice cake out of the packet and some peanut butter out of the jar....what would they have done. I spilled my morning tea on my sheet so I washed it and put a fresh one on......what did they do...what happened when it had to be replaced?....I could go on.If you moved house,as did my lot,were all your wordly goods so few that they could be carried on your back? Where did you your bed from to sleep on when you arrived?. Have you found any education sites that help with those sort of questions?

Or has anybody else?

Regards Suze
 
Suze, if you are interested in family research,try this site to get you started,https://rmhh.co.uk/sitemap.html.The first rule is don't go to pay sites until you have exausted the freebies,the forum members are very helpful, and usually have the answers.
happy hunting.
 
Hi Ray

Thanks for posting the link to this site. I hadn't seen it before, but there is loads of very interesting information here, and I am going to save it to my favourites. It will keep me busy all afternoon :D

Judy
 
Not at all Ray - there is loads to learn on that site. Plenty of good links that I didn't know about. You learn something new every day :grinsmile:

Judy
 
Maybe once someone left a rural area and moved further afield, then once they were established family members or friends followed suit, possibly staying with them until they found work and somewhere to live.
Jeoffry.
 
Jeoffry said:
Maybe once someone left a rural area and moved further afield, then once they were established family members or friends followed suit, possibly staying with them until they found work and somewhere to live.
Jeoffry.
Click to expand...


Good theory....bit like people do now from other countries .It makes sense because I think from the censuses I have seen, there was always a houseful !!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top