scots/Irish

[letznz]

I have discovered that many of my ancestors in Ayrshire I had thought of as Scots originally had their roots in Ireland. Some were weavers who settled initially in Girvan around 1800 -1820 before moving inland to other border counties.I was curious about by what means the many migrants made the crossing eg small boat (eg asian boat people), very small boat eg ( a one family vessel), or were there regular ferry crossings for trade etc during this period.I wondered if there were any regulations governing immigration to Scotland, was it all one way traffic, and what inducements prompted many Irish to move as it was considerably before the potato famine.
letznz

[johnniegarve]

letznz, It's only a short crossing and folk went back and forth on the ferries. The original settlers crossed from Scotland after 1600. There would have been no restrictions on travel. The West of Scotland experienced a boom in cotton weaving and attracted many linen weavers from Ireland, others were attracted by canal/railway building and general industrialisation. This might explain the move. Johnnie.

[Hibee]

Hi letznz

Technically, it wasn't migration. Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1801.

Hibee

[joette]

I know that many rowed across to Ireland from the mainland & islands of Scotland to worship & to marry.
I have come across in a few Parish Records rebukes to folk who had the audacity to chose a non-establishment Churchman to marry them or christen their children-not only rebuked but fined also & then their Marriage was "Regularised".Mention is made of "crossing into Ireland" for Sunday worship" too.
And going by the number of my ancestors who have ultimately originated there the crossings must have been a usual occurrence. Much to my

[Elwyn 1]

According to a publication about the Reformed Presbyterian Church, in the 1600s when there was a shortage of Presbyterian Ministers in Ireland, “as many as 500 members of Rev Livingston’s former congregation at Killinchy, Co Down would sail to Stranraer on a Sunday, worship with him there, and sail home again that evening.” And that was in the days of sailing ships. Clearly people went back and forth in large numbers, all the time.

Until the 1770s, there were legal restrictions in Ireland on marriages conducted by someone who was not a priest in the Church of Ireland (the established church) and this led to large numbers of Presbyterians traveling to Scotland to marry there, to be sure their marriage was valid (and to avoid a COI service) and then go back again. All the Irish marriages from the Portpatrick marriage register are on line:

www.ulsterancestry.com/ShowFreePage.php?id=279

A book has been written on the history of the boats and ferries that have operated on that route over the centuries: IRISH PASSENGER STEAMSHIP SERVICES VOL 1 North of Ireland DB McNeil 1969.

According to this book, up until 1830 was the era of the individual shipowner.
Competition was fierce and some went out of business within months. In the 1820s few passengers booked. Most turned up at Belfast docks and took the next departure. Agents would tout for business and on at least one occasion an agent offered free food and free passage.

1830 saw Burns Line start to dominate the market. In 1882 they acquired the Ardrossan route and gradually took over most of the main services between Northern Ireland and the Clyde.

[letznz]

Thanks guys for all the "food for thought" and useful links.Fascinated by the stories of human history in Ireland. Letznz