Lithuanian immigration records

[sandymarj]

Hi to all,
I am new to this site having discovered it following research I have been doing on Scotland's People site.
My father John Miller was born in Carfin in 1924 and his parents immigrated to Australia in 1926/7
My grandparents were of Lithuanian descent and I have been able to find some great records on Scotland's People site despite some scary surname spelling variations.
I think I actually solved one mystery tonight by finding that my grandmother was actually born in Scotland, it was her parents that immigrated from Lithuania.
I have also found from my searching that a vast majority of Lithunanians came to the area around Carfin when the local coal miners were striking during the late 1800's early 1900's. The mine owners recruited the Lithuanian/Polish with the promise of work and they were not aware they were being used as strike breakers.
What I am wondering is, would any immigration records have been kept and if so, where would they be now? I have not been able to find any information online. I am trying to trace where in Lithuania my descendants were from.

My father's original surname was Plausczinas (with many spelling variations) and his parents adopted the surname Miller before coming to Australia.
My grandmother's maiden name was Augustaitis and her family adopted the surname Augustas/Augustus

I married into the Marjoribanks family so the Scottish connection is strong.

Thanks in anticipation of your help

[joette]

HI & Welcome to TS sorry I can't help you on this one but I am sure there will be somebody who can.

[LesleyB]

Hi Sandymarj
I don't know the answer to your question about immigration records. I'm hoping someone else may be more knowledgeable. But I wonder if it might be worth contacting the National Archives of Scotland?
www.nas.gov.uk

Would any of your family have been round for the Scottish 1901 or 1891 census? You may have checked these already, but I just wondered if it might give any clues as to area of Lithuania - maybe a bit of a longshot....

I'll keep thinking!
Best wishes
Lesley

[camweh]

Hi Sandymarj,

This might interest you:

John Millar is from Stevenston in Ayrshire. his parents were Lithuanian refugees who settled in Scotland. John wrote a book about the Lithuanian refugees who arrived in Scotland. I believe there were a few who went to work in Alfred Nobel's Dynamite Factory at Ardeer in Stevenston at that time. I know of one family who changed their name to Smith.

The details:
"The Lithuanians in Scotland: a personal view" by John Millar. 1998. Published by House of Lochar, Isle of Colonsay, Argyll, PA61 7YR. paperback with 166 pages.

John Millar is a Scot born of parents who left Lithuania before the Great War to escape persecution and find employment in industrial central Scotland. Through a selection of reminiscences from members of the Lithuanian community in Scotland and his own detailed research he traces their struggle for survival in an alien world."

[Andrew C.]

As you point out a large number of Lithuanians and Poles came to the Lanarkshire area to work in the mines. Bellshill (which is a about five miles from Carfin) is home to the Scottish Lithuanian Social Club. The local Roman Catholic church held regular services in Lithuanian. If you checkout one of the scottish mining websited there are references for the Lithuanina miners who died in the Hattonrigg pit accident in Bellshill.

[Jamboesque]

And here's me thinking that the Scottish Lithuanian Social Club was situated along Gorgie Road.

Or is that just for the new weathly employees of a certain Edinburgh Footbal Club.

[tomvallance]

Hi Sandymarj,
I am interested to ask how have you got on with your enquiries since your post in 2006?
I have a similar situation to yours but am just starting.
regards
Tom Vallance