Immigration Records?

[AmandaP]

I have ancestors who immigrated from Ireland to Cheshire/Lancashire in the 1830s, are there any records that I can trace that will tell me where from Ireland they came from?

Regards,
AmandaP
Australia

[Geoff E]

I think a lot of us would be ecstatic to find such records but, as it was simply a move from one part of GB/UK to another, I doubt that such records are likely to exist.

[Bill749]

Hi Amanda

Census records will usually just say "Ireland" and, since Ireland was a single place and part of the UK at that time, you are unlikely to find much information on their migration (not immigration, as it was within the same country) - people used to cross backwards and forwards from Ireland to England all the time, eventually settling down if they had nothing to go back for.  It is just a ferry trip like you might take between Australia and Tasmania.

Also, since church records for Ireland pre-1800 are virtually non-existant, you would be unlikely to get much further back than you already have.

A large number of Irish came to Lancashire and the North West with the army in the early 1800s, so if you think your ancestor may have been a soldier it would be worth trying to find his service records, as these would contain information about his place of birth.

However, as these have not been digitised, you would need to employ a researcher to search for them at the National Archives in Kew.

Regards, Bill

[AmandaP]

Thank you both Geoff and Bill for your replies.

Bill, the army records actually sound like a good lead.  You are correct, I have found the census records for the family and all they say is Ireland (this is how I've calculated the decade they moved to England as the older children were born in Ireland and the younger ones in Stockport).  My grandfather used to speak of "Ann Hogan, a great Dublin Lady who ran away with a red-coat", to date I hadn't found any substance to that, I guess Grandpa mightn't have been so crazy after all!

Regards,

Amanda