Treffie
09-06-2011, 05:52 PM
Taken from here (http://www.agor.org.uk/cwm/themes/Life/society/migration.asp).
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Immigration
As a result of the expansion in the coal industry, the second half of the nineteenth century had a huge increase in the South Wales Valleys.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/-3pv80L2Lm44/SiF1g2lwxmI/AAAAAAAAFfI/UkgDtqFxZ6I/Gifach%252520Goch%252520fron%252520Tonypandy%25252 0064.5.jpg
Between 1851 and 1911, it is estimated that some 366,000 people moved into the South Wales Coalfield. The peak of this migration occurred between 1901 and 1911 when 129,000 people moved into the area. Such was the rate of growth at the time that South Wales absorbed immigrants at a faster rate than anywhere in the world except the USA.
Up until the 1890s, many of the people who moved into the Coalfield were from other counties in Wales, such as Cardiganshire, Montgomeryshire and Merioneth. After the 1890s, many more immgrants came from England, particularly Somerset, Gloucestershire and Cornwall. People also came from further afield, such as Ireland, Scotland and even Australia.
In Dowlais and Abercrave, there were communities of Spaniards. In Merthyr, there were small communities of Russians, Poles and French and in many of the Valley towns, Italians opened cafes.
Two statistics tell the story, in 1801 the population of Glamorganwas 70,879 - in1901 it was 1,130,668. In 1851, the population of the Rhondda was 1,998 - in 1911 it was 152,781.
Emigration
The decline of the coal industry in South Wales during the period 1919 to 1939 meant that there was mass unemployment.
As a result, almost 500,000 people left the valley communities during the inter-war years to try and find work elsewhere. The Rhondda for example, lost around 36% of its population between 1921 and 1951.
Many went to towns in England such as Wolverhampton and Slough where new manufacturing industries were developing. Others went further afield to the US, Canada and Australia.
----------------------------
Immigration
As a result of the expansion in the coal industry, the second half of the nineteenth century had a huge increase in the South Wales Valleys.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/-3pv80L2Lm44/SiF1g2lwxmI/AAAAAAAAFfI/UkgDtqFxZ6I/Gifach%252520Goch%252520fron%252520Tonypandy%25252 0064.5.jpg
Between 1851 and 1911, it is estimated that some 366,000 people moved into the South Wales Coalfield. The peak of this migration occurred between 1901 and 1911 when 129,000 people moved into the area. Such was the rate of growth at the time that South Wales absorbed immigrants at a faster rate than anywhere in the world except the USA.
Up until the 1890s, many of the people who moved into the Coalfield were from other counties in Wales, such as Cardiganshire, Montgomeryshire and Merioneth. After the 1890s, many more immgrants came from England, particularly Somerset, Gloucestershire and Cornwall. People also came from further afield, such as Ireland, Scotland and even Australia.
In Dowlais and Abercrave, there were communities of Spaniards. In Merthyr, there were small communities of Russians, Poles and French and in many of the Valley towns, Italians opened cafes.
Two statistics tell the story, in 1801 the population of Glamorganwas 70,879 - in1901 it was 1,130,668. In 1851, the population of the Rhondda was 1,998 - in 1911 it was 152,781.
Emigration
The decline of the coal industry in South Wales during the period 1919 to 1939 meant that there was mass unemployment.
As a result, almost 500,000 people left the valley communities during the inter-war years to try and find work elsewhere. The Rhondda for example, lost around 36% of its population between 1921 and 1951.
Many went to towns in England such as Wolverhampton and Slough where new manufacturing industries were developing. Others went further afield to the US, Canada and Australia.