Emigration and the Labouring Poor

Robin Haines has analysed the origins, occupations, literacy, and mobilization of emigrants recruited in the UK on behalf of colonial legislatures. Her exploration of strict selection procedures shows that the symbiosis between the clergy, empire-minded philanthropic societies, and parishes, which combined to fund the emigrants' considerable pre-departure expenses, increased the opportunities for underemployed rural and domestic workers during an era of farm rationalization and industrial restructuring. Although poor, hybrid state and private funding enabled them to relocate to Australia where their skills were in demand.

Zusammenfassung
Drawing on analysis of the origins, occupations, literacy, and mobilization of emigrants recruited in the UK on behalf of colonial legislatures, this work demonstrates how a variety of factors combined to increase the opportunities for underemployed rural and domestic workers, from 1831 to 1860.

Inhalt
List of Tables - List of Maps - Acknowledgements - Abbreviations - Introduction - The Context - Who were Australia's Government-assisted Emigrants? - Recruiting in the Countryside - English Poor Law Recruitment - Irish Poor Law Recruitment - Promotion: Philanthropy, Commerce, and Colonization - Experiments in Charitable Cooperation - Scottish Recruitment: the Highland and Island Emigration Society - 'Noughting will give me more pleasure than to send for you' - Endnotes - Appendices - Bibliography - Index