The experience of Irish Protestant immigrants in Scotland Flashcards
Most early settlers in Scotland were Protestants from Ulster. What skills did they have and give an example of where protestant communities tended to live together to be near their place of employment.
They had skills in the cotton & textile industry or knowledge of jute, both were in demand in Scotland. By 1830, new towns had grown up to accommodate workers in these industries. Girvin, in Ayrshire had a population of around 6,000 in 1831, and approximately 4500 of these inhabitants were Irish.
Why were work opportunities plentiful for Irish Protestants
Being the same religion as most Scots helped with this. They easily integrated with Protestant communities. They also tended to be more skilled workers.
Give examples of where Irish Protestant immigrants settled
Many Irish Protestants settled where the weaving trade was strong, such as Renfrewshire, Ayrshire & Glasgow. They also worked as farm labourers in the south-west of Scotland. In the mining and iron-making districts of Larkhall & Airdrie in Lanarkshire, the collieries of West Lothian, and the shipbuilding industry at Govan in Glasgow.
Why were there more job opportunities in Scotland for Irish Protestants? Give an example
Many Scots were migrating abroad, leaving a gap in the labour market.and there was a fast pace of industrialisation in Scotland. These semi-skilled jobs commanded up to 50% better pay than the same work in Ireland. Firms like the ironworks William & Baird & co employed a mainly Protestant workforce, at its Coatbridge site and advertised job vacancies in Belfast newspapers. There were also many Protestants who took unskilled work or semi-skilled work. In 1880 more than 65% of Irish Protestants in Greenock were occupied in unskilled labour.
