Migration to Britain, 1750-1900: sources by Discovering Historical Sources

Learn more about these sources from the British Library and other archives on migration to Britain between 1750 and 1900.

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:11:44 UTC

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, second edition, 1789

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:12:08 UTC

Location: London

Creator: Olaudah Equiano

Format: Printed book

^Copyright:^{Public domain}

Letter from Olaudah Equiano to the Norfolk Chronicle, 1794

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:12:15 UTC

Location: Norfolk

Creator: Olaudah Equiano, Norfolk Chronicle

Format: Letter, newspaper

^Copyright:^{Public domain}

The Asiatic in England by Joseph Salter, 1873

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:12:40 UTC

Location: London, England

Creator: Joseph Salter

Format: Printed book, illustration

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

Lascari-Bât, 1896

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:12:46 UTC

Location: London

Creator: A L Valentini

Format: Printed book, dictionary

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

Photographic collage featuring lascars, 1906

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:14:37 UTC

Location: London

Creator: Reinhold Thiele, The Illustrated London News

Format: Collage, photograph

_{Copyright: Chronicle / Alamy Stock Photo}

Mina Ayah's employment agreement, 1896

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:15:22 UTC

Location: Calcutta, British India

Creator: Mrs G F Greenhill

Format: Manuscript

_{A transcript is available in the sources label document on this Padlet.}

_{Copyright: We have been unable to locate the owner of the copyright in this material. Please contact}_{copyright@bl.uk}_{with any information you have regarding this item.}

Photograph of an ayah with the Greenhill family, c. 1890-1910

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:15:27 UTC

Location: British India

Creator: Unknown

Format: Photograph

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

Photograph of the interior of the Ayahs' Home in Hackney, 1904

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:15:32 UTC

Location: London, England

Creator: Unknown

Format: Photograph

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

Photograph of the exterior of the Ayahs' Home in Hackney, 1921

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:15:37 UTC

Location: London, England

Creator: Unknown

Format: Photograph

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

Henry Mayhew's interview with Irish street-sellers, 1861

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:16:17 UTC

Location: London, England

Creator: Henry Mayhew

Format: Illustration, printed book

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

German: 'German London', Living London, 1901

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:16:23 UTC

Location: London, England

Creator: Count E. Armfelt

Format: Printed book

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

Photograph of a tailoring workshop, c. 1900-1910

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:16:29 UTC

Location: London (East End), England

Creator: Unknown

Format: Photograph

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

Photograph of Copenhagen Street, Leeds, 1901

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:16:33 UTC

Location: Leeds, England

Creator: Unknown

Format: Photograph

_{Copyright: Leodis by Leeds Libraries}

A view of the East India Docks, 1808

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:21:15 UTC

Location: London

Creator: William Daniell

Format: Print

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

Ignatius Sancho by Francesco Bartolozzi, 1781

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:22:22 UTC

Location: London

Creator: Francesco Bartolozzi

Format: Engraving

^{Copyright: Science History Images / Alamy Stock Photo}

May Morning by John Collet, 1761-1770

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:23:31 UTC

Location: London

Creator: John Collet

Format: Painting

^{Copyright: London Museum}

Conti brothers outside their first café in Ystradgynlais, c. 1920

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:24:50 UTC

Location: Ystradgynlais, Wales

Creator: Unknown

Format: Photograph

^{Copyright: People's Collection Wales. Photograph kindly loaned for copying by Mr A. Conti.}

Jewish East London, 1899

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:25:51 UTC

Location: London (East End), England

Creator: George Arkell

Format: Map

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

Aliens Act cartoon, 1906

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:27:21 UTC

Location: Britain

Creator: Unknown

Format: Cartoon

^{Copyright: Jewish Museum London}

Map of the Manchester Ship Canal general plans, 1889

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:28:01 UTC

Location: Manchester

Creator: John Heywood

Format: Map

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

Photograph of navvies constructing the Manchester shipping canal, 1890s

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-04-29 11:28:06 UTC

Location: Manchester

Creator: Unknown

Format: Photograph

^{Copyright: Manchester Libraries, Information and Archives}

Examination papers for Indian Civil Service, 1858

discovering_historical_sources — 2025-05-06 11:51:17 UTC

Location: London

Creator: Indian Civil Service

Format: Examination papers

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

A Voice from the Aliens, Jewish trade unionist pamphlet, 1895

britishlibrarylearning — 2025-12-01 16:13:20 UTC

Location: Cardiff, Wales

Creator: Joseph Finn

Format: Pamphlet

_{Copyright: Modern Records Centre, University Library, University of Warwick}

Navvy’s and Labourers Guide, 1891

britishlibrarylearning — 2025-12-01 16:14:02 UTC

Location: Manchester

Creator: Navvies and General Labourers Union

Format: Newspaper

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

'A public house in Fleet Street', London Chronicle, 1764

britishlibrarylearning — 2025-12-01 16:14:34 UTC

Location: London

Creator: London Chronicle

Format: Newspaper

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

Explore this timeline to learn more about some of the people who came to Britain between the mid-1700s and early 1900s.

britishlibrarylearning — 2025-12-02 12:25:39 UTC

Photograph of Emily Chung Ting, The London Magazine, 1911

britishlibrarylearning — 2025-12-02 12:40:39 UTC

Location: Liverpool

Creator: The London Magazine

Format: Magazine

_Copyright:_{Public domain}

Watch our short animation and discover sources about Black, Irish, South Asian, European and Jewish people who moved to Britain in the 1700s and 1800s.

discovering_historical_sources — 2026-03-31 15:03:23 UTC

Learn more about migration to Britain between 1750 and 1900 through our teaching resources, including articles by historians.

discovering_historical_sources — 2026-04-23 12:58:59 UTC