The records in the Hugesovka Research Archive provide very useful original material for the study of the theme 'Migration and Emigration'.
John Hughes, an engineer from Merthyr Tydfil, went to the steppes of the southern Ukraine (then part of Imperial Russia) in the 1870s. Here he established an iron works and major industrial complex, and a town developed around it: Hughesovka.
The
Hughesovka works, about 1912
Between 1870 and 1917, a number of skilled British workers, many of them Welsh, went out to Hughesovka to work in technical or managerial posts. Many were accompanied by their families, and a flourishing expatriate community was established. More about Hughesovka
Part
of the town of Hughesovka
Using some of the records in the Hughesovka Research Archive, we have created two classroom resources which can be used to:
- Develop knowledge and understanding of the history of migration and emigration
- Develop skills in historical enquiry, particularly the interpretation and evaluation of original documents
- Gain practice in extracting and recording information
Resource 1: Why Emigrate? Several original documents provide insight into the reasons why different people decided to go to Hughesovka
Resource 2: New emigrants and established families.The feelings of new arrivals revealed in their writings, and contrasted with the experiences of those who grew up there.
Prior Learning
It is assumed that the pupils will already have some understanding of emigration, both in general and historical terms. It will also be helpful (though not essential) to know something about the story of Hughesovka - viewing the main Hughesovka web pages will provide this background information.
Using the Resources
The resources can be used as a whole-class activity, on an electronic whiteboard, or downloaded as PDFs to use as traditional worksheets.
You can also use the images (or any of the images on this website) to create your own classroom resources, or for any other educational purpose within the school. If you want to use them for any other purpose, please contact the Glamorgan Record Office.
Or why not visit the Glamorgan Record Office to look at the records yourself? We welcome contacts with teachers.