8. Number Thirteen and London's Harlem - the arrival of Lascars from Bengal

Question 1

Key dates

Answer 1

• 1869, The Suez Canal opened, providing job opportunities for Lascar seamen

Question 2

Increased immigration of Lascar seamen

Answer 2

• In the 19th and early 20th century, East London was also the home to a small but growing number of Lascar seamen who had been working on British merchant ships
• They came from parts of the Empire: Malta, China, Cyprus, the Caribbean and especially from Bengal
• They worked on ships bringing tea and jute from Bengal to Britain, some were abandoned in London, unable to return home because their contracts had ended

Question 3

The Suez Canal

Answer 3

• The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 enabled ships to travel from Asia to Europe without having to go all round Southern Africa, cutting journeys by months
• The entrance to the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean was guarded by two ports facing each other, Berbera in Somaliland and Aden in Yemen
• The two were strongly linked and both were controlled by the British Ships docking and refuelling in Aden’s natural labour, offered job opportunities for Somali men who had crossed the gulf

Question 4

Why did Lascars migrate to Spitalfields?

Answer 4

• They worked on ships bringing tea and jute from Bengal to Britain
• Some were abandoned in London, unable to return home because their contracts ended
• Others jumped ship to escape their employers
• The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 also resulted in an increase of Lascar immigration
• Enabled ships to travel from Asia to Europe without having to go all around Southern Africa, cutting journeys by months