advertising to immigrants

[apehangmom]

Okay .. dumb question that I have not been able to get the answer to .. yet..
I know that when people left Britian.. it was for a million reasons .. religion , health .. poverty to riches .. but how did the average person hear about the towns that they went to? Did older famliy allready live there.. or was it a matter of good advertising on a newspapers part.. One satistic I got was more Hanings were in the Cincinnati Ohio area in 1901, than anywhere in the USA. I know settlement was a personal choice but .. what part did the 'paper media play, ( I have always wondered why my family choose where they did to settle and what influenced their choices) chris

[Barnzzz]

I know my GG grandfather couldn't make his mind up whether to go to California for the Gold Rush or to South Africa for cheap land. He'd read about both in the newspapers. Eventually he went to a meeting held by a group of Wesleyans who were trying to increase the number of their group emigrating to South Africe, he went along with them.

So, it was a mixture of newspaper stories and personal pursuasion in his case.

Sue

[Geoffers]

I think contact between the various countries and their old homes had something to do with it. The records created as a result of the Poor Law Amemdment Act 1834 are held at Kew in class MH12; the records include a 'remarks' column. When Thomas Lowe and his family emiograted in 1850, the remarks column included; "Thomas Lowe with wife and seven children are encouraged to emigrate to the United States of America by their relatives who are resident there."

Thomas Lowe came from a rural area of Norfolk and left to an agricultural area in Madison County, New York State - checking American census returns in the same area shows the surnames Pye, Dyball, Allen, Wright, Wegg, and several others which are known to be common in Norfolk. I could imagine one family who had emigrated, writing back to family in Norfolk. One or more of the family then speaking to relatives and complaining about the cost of liviing, low wages, etc - I would guess there was a good deal of chinwagging at the local as well and some of it was more than the booze talking - there must have been many a family who laboured on the land who thought quite seriously about a hoped for better life elsewhere.

Sooner or later, one emigrant family becomes two, two becomes four and so on. I have been led to belive that in one county of New York, it has been calculated by local historians that up to 60% of the population have roots in Norfolk. I have not looked into it, but I would guess that similar patterns occurred elsewhere, possibly groups of Scots, or Welsh, or from Yorkshire, Lancashire etc forming groups within local communities in countries to which they had emigrated.

For internal migration within the UK, there were posters advertising the fantastci wages available to families for moving to the urban areas of Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Midlands - to work in factories.

[daleaway]

One of my great great grannies (Mary Devenport, from Birmingham) wrote a very long letter back to a cousin in the UK when she arrived in New Zealand in 1857.

It went into particulars about the voyage, standard of food and entertainment aboard, shipboard life, and the price of and availability of accommodation and everyday goods once they had arrived.

She concludes by writing:

"We made the quickest and best passage ever made to New Zealand which was 86 days. The average has been 120 to 135 days.

I cannot give you but very little account of the place at present but will do so in my next letter to you. The place is very mountainous, the scenery grand, the climate most healthful. I have no doubt in a short time we shall do exceedingly well. They are all wood houses, the one we live in has six rooms rent 12/- week. Provisions are very dear: butter fresh 1/- lb; bread 1/-4d a loaf, cheese 1/2d lb, bacon 1/- lb to 1/2d lb. Ham 1/2d lb. Candles 1/-, potatoes 6/6 112lb. Milk 1/- quart, tea very good 2/- lb, coffee 1/6, sugar 6d, meat 7d to 8d.

I should like Joe to come as he would soon be a gentleman, as his trade is very good, and get plenty of money. We would take care of him. Land is very cheap, 10/- per acre freehold."

From letters like hers being passed around you can see that people could well understand what it was they were emigrating to.

We are very lucky that her letter was transcribed by another family member (it must have been passed round a lot) and so survives to the present day.

[v.wells]

What a wonderful letter to have. I have just been reading about different reasons for emigrating from Britain. A lot of military men and their families immigrated to where the land was cheaper and the climate more to their liking. But to actually have a for real letter describing life in another country is really fascinating. What a joy for you!:)

[apehangmom]

This is a subject that I actualy interested enough in to want to write a book about it.. only genealogists would be the only ones interested in buying it.. (But I also have a Norfolk ... Nicholas Wright 1559 He and his son Peter came to Plymouth probably about the 1640s on a Mass. Bay colony program.. They stayed till Peters daughter Mary was half beaten to death for her quaker views) But I wonder if they came because they had heard of the Pilgrims leaving to persue religious freedoms.. Probably by word of mouth at that point. I do not know how much print freedom you had, to talk about these things. BUT I also guess that letters were probably the original way.. Then word spread by mouth to the villiage and then where the villiage residents traveled.. in light conversation.. Hey did you hear about so in so.... they left for amercia Maybe some didnt know where they were going.. And took a family vote once they got through customs.. But I also bet that once trains were set up the word of mouth was widespread.. But did the United States or seperate states do advertising Come live in Rhode Island... COme to Cincinnati Ohio. that would be neat to know.. thanks chris

[Julie Tyrell]

Hi

I subscribe to Cornwall@rootsweb.com and a very kind lister has been transcribing the newspaper and then emails to all subscribers. I thought someone might find this interesting regarding emigration to South Africa.

Weekly Newspaper. 16th January, 1846.

EMIGRATION - From Plymouth to the Cape of Good Hope. Free Passage under
the sanction of Government. The undersigned are authorised by her Majesty's
Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners, to grant a Free Passage to the
above eminently healthy and prosperous Colony, to married Agricultural
Labourers, Shepherds, Male and Female Domestic and Farm Servants,
Bricklayers, Carpenters, Masons and Smiths. The demand for labor at the
Cape is urgent, and is well remunerated in wages, provisions, clothing and
lodging. All particulars will be furnished on application to JOHN MARSHALL
& Co., 26, Birchin-lane, London; at the Emigration Depot, Plymouth; or to
their Agents - Mr. JOHN GEAKE, jun., Launceston, Mr. W. B KELLOW, St.
Austell, Mr. NETHERTON, Truro. The next ship will embark her passengers at
Plymouth, on the 10th of February next. Dated, January 14, 1846.

Julie