Advanced Genealogy
Mass Immigration
First African Descendants
The first Africans visited Britain as Roman legionaries around 2000 years ago, and people of African descent have lived in Britain for hundreds of years. In the eighteenth century several were celebrated personalities. The black community, made up primarily of seamen from the Empire, grew especially around the ports after the First World War. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, many colonists joined the armed forces and stayed in Britain once the war had ended.
‘Empire Windrush’
After 1948 increasing numbers of people from the colonies arrived in Britain, starting with the settlers on the ‘Empire Windrush’. There were no barriers to colonial migration (and therefore no records other than a passenger lists). This loophole was re-examined during the 1950s, when the authorities became colonists were coming to Britain. Some industries and companies sought to recruit staff from the colonies – London Transport, for example, which brought many West Indians over to work on the Underground. In 1962, as a consequence of mounting public pressure and fear of civil unrest, the Commonwealth Immigrants Bill was passed. This introduced the era of managed immigration: colonists were allowed entry on the offer of a job. They were granted vouchers if they showed sufficient evidence of pending employment. Specimen applications are held at the PRO.
On 24 May 1948 the Empire Windrush left Jamaica with 300 passengers below deck, 192 above. Most of those travelling were women or ex-servicemen who did not know what fate awaited them in Britain. Some had jobs promised to them, mainly in the RAF. The majority, however, had no idea what they would do when they arrived. As the ship neared its destination, newspapers fomented public discontent at its arrival, and questions were asked in Parliament.
Most of the settlers had nowhere to go. They were eventually put up in the Clapham Common Deep Shelter (an air raid bunker) until they found a place to live. Most did so in nearby Brixton, which to this day remains the heart of London’s black community.