Tracing Irish emigration to England

[MartynWilson99]

Hello:

I suspect that there is no real answer to this, but I am trying to trace when my father, born in Co Wicklow (Ireland) came to live in England. He was born in 1910 and apparently came over in the 1930s: he was certainly living in Leicestershire in 1939 as he is on the 1939 Register. Does anyone know of any official record showing precisely when he came over?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[p.risboy]

There was free movement to the UK. I doubt very much you find any shipping records. Did he have children, and did he marry before the 1939 register. May indicate how soon he came over.

Was he on the 1911 Irish census, which is free to view, HERE

Steve.

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[MartynWilson99]

Hi Steve

Thanks for the reply. Yes, he had children, of whom I am one, but not before the 1939 Register - at least, not as far as I am aware. He married in 1940 but he and all of his siblings have long-since died.

Thanks again
Martyn

 

[Elwyn]

There have never been records of passengers travelling from Ireland to England. All you can do is note when someone last appears in Irish records and first appears in UK records and assume they arrived in the gap. (But of course it’s a short journey and many people went to and forth all the time for holidays, weddings etc, so he may have made many journeys. But you’ll never know from any shipping records).

 

[MartynWilson99]

Thanks Elwyn. The problem I have found is that the only Irish records I can find for my father is the Irish census of 1911. I believe that there was also a Census in 1926, the results of which were cleared for publication a few years ago, but this still hasn't happened. He may be in that (he'd have been about 16 years old at the time). I've been trying to search English local authority records and Electoral Registers but had no joy yet. I shall keep trying!

 

[Elwyn]

There’s been a fair amount of discussion about the 1926 census on other boards. There is/was a legislative bar which has closed it for 100 years. The Irish Government was keen to release it but it requires primary legislation. That particular Government has long fallen by the wayside, and I don’t think it’s a big priority these days, especially as there are now only 6 years to go. I somehow doubt we’ll see it before 1926.

Tracing your father’s arrival may be difficult. Many single men stayed in lodging houses and so the records that he may be in are probably pretty limited. Most Irish people went to England to find work so it’s reasonable to assume he went sometime between 1928 (when he’d have been 18) and 1940 when he married. If you can find him in the 1939 register that’s possibly as close as you are going to get.

 

[MartynWilson99]

Thanks again, Elwyn. I'm trying to find out if any of my (surviving) cousins have any information which might help, but I'm not hopeful. His older sister came to England some time in the 1930s and he may have come with her or followed her but I suspect you may be correct: I have him in the 1939 Register and will have to be content with that!