Why did people emigrate? Can you think of three possible reasons?
Historical records can give us some clues.
This is Hughesovka, an iron and steel works in the Ukraine, as it was in 1912.
The works was set up in the 1870s by a Welshman, John Hughes, an engineer from Merthyr Tydfil. A lot of skilled workers from Wales and other parts of Britain went to Hughesovka to work. Many of them took their families with them, and stayed there for many years.
In 1917, after the start of the Russian revolution, almost all the British families left Hughesovka and came back to the UK. Hughesovka was renamed Donetsk, and it is still an important industrial centre.
Source 1
Rees Richards went to Hughesovka with his wife and children about 1888. He came from Merthyr Tydfil where he probably worked in the Dowlais Iron Works. In Hughesovka, he worked in the blast furnace department. In May 1889, he wrote a letter to a friend in Dowlais. At the end of the letter he wrote,
"Write back, any news will be acceptable from you. I am glad to see that trade is looking up in the old country at last"
Questions
- What do you think Rees Richards means by the 'old country'?
- What does he mean when he says 'trade is looking up....at last'
- Can you suggest a reason why Rees may have emigrated to Hughesovka?
Source 2
Annie Gwen Jones went to Hughesovka in 1889. She was tutor to the granddaughters of John Hughes. You can see her in this photograph, standing on the right, with the girls and their father.
Many years later, she wrote about her time in Hughesovka. She wrote that
"the varied interests of the strange life around me and the natural desire and curiosity to see everything new helped me to feel at home in Hughesovka."
She also mentions a man from Llansamlet
"who remembers discussions going on in his family as to whether they would go to Russia...Talk of these emigrants was frequent in their house because an uncle - engineer in the Swansea district - wanted to be of the party."
Questions
- In your own words, explain what helps Annie Gwen Jones get used to living in Hughesovka.
- How do you think the Llansamlet family (especially the uncle) felt about the idea of going to Hughesovka? What makes you think this?
- Can you suggest a reason why both Annie Gwen Jones and the Llansamlet family might have wanted to go to Hughesovka?
Source 3
This is a photograph of Percy Cartwright and his wife Gwladys in their carriage, with their driver. Percy was a chemist in the laboratory at the Hughesovka works. On the back of the photograph Gwladys wrote
"Our next conveyance will have to be a new sledge"
And here is another bit of Rees Richard's letter:
"1 shilling here will go as far as two shillings and sixpence there [in Wales]...Fancy, lamb for 3 pence per pound, mutton and beef 2 pence per pound"
Questions
- What sort of life do you think the Cartwrights led in Hughesovka?
- What is Rees Richards saying about money and prices in the Ukraine compared with Wales?
- In the light of these two sources, can you suggest another reason why people might emigrate?
Summary
There are many reasons why people might want to emigrate. Different people have different reasons. Some people may have several reasons, others just one.
Can you fill in the gaps in this sentence?
From these historical sources, we have learned that sometimes people emigrated because there was not enough _______ at home, because they were ____________ by the idea of seeing new places, or because they hoped for a better __________ __ _____________.