Anglo-Italian Family History Society

Patterns of Immigration

This table describes the main waves of Italian immigration to Britain and the places that people settled. Whilst it cannot provide conclusive proof of an ancestor's origins, as the table reflect general trends only, it may provide clues to where your family originated from on the basis of when they arrived, where they settled, and occupations reported in censuses etc. The material has largely been derived from the researches of Terri Colpi (referenced TC1), plus references submitted by individuals. We welcome further contributions, particularly relating to 20th century immigration patterns.

Town/City District Dates (approx.) Place of origin Occupations Ref.
Aberdeen Market Sq. / Justice St. 1880-90s Parma, esp Borgo Val di Taro (Pr) and Bardi   TC1
All   1000-1800   Artists, churchmen, musicians, scholars, writers TC1
All Abbeys pre 1760 Tuscany, Piemonte, etc Artists, churchmen, musicians, scholars, writers TC1
All   1870 - Friuli. Esp. Sequals, Fanna, Spilimbergo, Solombero and Cavasso Nuovo in Pordenone. Mosaic and terrazzo workers (continues today) TC1
All   1890s-   catering TC1
All (Itinerant - northward from London)   1860s- Lucca, mostly Barga and Coreglia Antelminelli Figurine makers  
All main centres   1840s- Appenines (Tuscany and Emilia Romagna) esp. Borgo Val di Taro (Pr), Bardi (Pr) Poor, unskilled peasants: Agricultural, labouring (eg paviors/asphalters), street entertainers (esp. Barrel organ), street vendors, esp. Ice-cream, chestnuts TC1
Barrow in Furness     Barga (Lu)   ?
Bedford     Busso (Cb)   ?
Bedford     Montefalcione (Av)   ?
Bedford     Sant' Angelo Muzaro (Ag)   ?
Bedford     Buonvicino (Cs)   ?
Bedford     Castelluccio (Fg)   ?
Bedford     Campania   ?
Bedford   1950s   brickworkers TC1
Cardiff       Organ grinders via London ?
Cardiff       Ice cream vendors via London ?
Cardiff       Chestnut vendors via London ?
Carlisle     Barga (Lu)   ?
Dundee   1880-90s Parma, esp Borgo Val di Taro (Pr) and Bardi   TC1
Dundee     Rome   ?
Edinburgh   19th century Upper Val Taro (Parma at the juncture of Emilia, Liguria and Tuscany)   ?
Edinburgh   1800- North, mostly Lombardy, Liguria, esp.clockmakers from Como Craftsmen, artisans esp. glassblowers, clockmakers TC1
Edinburgh Grassmarket 1880-90s Ciociaria (Val Comino, Val Liri, Arpino, Arce, Isola Liri, Atina, Picinisco)   TC1
Fraserburgh   1880-90s Parma   TC1
Glamorgan   19th century   Seamen, Mainly people wanting to emigrate to America ?
Glasgow Garnet Hill   Tuscany, espcially Barga (Lu)   ?
Glasgow     Lucca (Lu) Statuette sellers ?
Glasgow   1800- North, mostly Lombardy, Liguria, esp.clockmakers from Como Craftsmen, artisans esp. glassblowers, clockmakers TC1
Glasgow   1860s- Lucca, mostly Barga and Coreglia Antelminelli Figurine makers  
Glasgow Cowcaddens and Garnethill, Gallowgate, Gorbals 1880-90s Ciociaria (Val Comino, Val Liri, Arpino, Arce, Isola Liri, Atina, Picinisco)   TC1
Greenock     Frosinone, Belmonte, Castello   ?
Hull   1800- North, mostly Lombardy, Liguria, esp.clockmakers from Como Craftsmen, artisans esp. glassblowers, clockmakers TC1
Inverness     Lucca (Lu) Statuette sellers ?
Leicester     Barga (Lu)   ?
Liverpool   1800s   Seamen, Mainly people wanting to emigrate to America ?
Liverpool   1800- North, mostly Lombardy, Liguria, esp.clockmakers from Como Craftsmen, artisans esp. glassblowers, clockmakers TC1
Liverpool   19th century Liguria (Genova), Campania (Napoli) sailors TC1
London Holborn from 1861 Lombardy   ?
London Holborn from 1861 Emilia Romagna   ?
London Holborn from 1861 Tuscany   ?
London Holborn from 1861 Campagna   ?
London Soho 1890s Mostly northern Italians, Piemonte, Lombardy. Catering ?
London Near Tower of London 1200 (late) - early 1300 Veneto, Genova Traders TC1
London e.g. Lombard St. 1350- Lombardy, etc. Banking, finance TC1
London Clerkenwell 1600s (late) - North, mostly Lombardy, Liguria Craftsmen, artisans esp. glassblowers, clockmakers TC1
London Clerkenwell 1800- North, mostly Lombardy, Liguria, esp.clockmakers from Como Craftsmen, artisans esp. glassblowers, clockmakers TC1
London Clerkenwell 1840-   Specialist traders TC1
London   1818-1860   Political refugees (mainly temporary) TC1
London   1820s (late) -, esp 1840s- Appenines (Tuscany and Emilia Romagna) Poor, unskilled peasants: Agricultural, labouring, street entertainers (esp. Barrel organ), street vendors TC1
London     Ciociaria (Frosinone, part Isernia, part Caserta), esp. Picinisco (Fr) Known as 'Neopolitans' but weren't Artist's model TC1
London   1850s - Lucca, mostly Barga and Coreglia Antelminelli Figurine makers  
London   1850- Val Rendena (Tr), esp. Pinzolo and Carisolo Knife grinders (continues today)  
London Clerkenwell 1860s-   Women (an occupation of wife?!) TC1
London Clerkenwell 1800s Appenine mountains, especially Upper Valtaro (Pr), Val Ceno. Lunigiana and Garfagnana (Tuscany). Esp. Hamlets of Bratto, Braia, Grondola (commune of Pontremoli). Grezzo, Casanova (commune of Bardi). Val Dena, Rovignalia (Commune of Borgo Val di Taro). Som   TC1
London Clerkenwell 1850- Esp. Val Liri and Val Comino and Ciociaria.Fontitune, Valle Porcina (commune of Picinisco). Mortale (Casalattico).   TC1
London Finsbury, Kings Cross, Islington 1880s     TC1
London Soho 1890s Piemonte, Lombardy   TC1
London   1860s-   Craftsmen, itinerent, semi-skilled esp. Figurine makers and knife grinders TC1
London?   1800s (late?)- Ciociaria (Frosinone, part Isernia, part Caserta) Playing the Zompogne (bagpipes) TC1
Manchester   1800- North, mostly Lombardy, Liguria, esp.clockmakers from Como Craftsmen, artisans esp. glassblowers, clockmakers TC1
Manchester Ancoats 1877 Ciociaria (Val Comino, Val Liri, Arpino, Arce, Isola Liri, Atina, Picinisco) Terrazzo workers, plasterers, stonemasons to build town hall TC1
Merthyr Tydfil   1880-90s Parma, esp Borgo Val di Taro (Pr) and Bardi   TC1
Newcastle   1880-90s Ciociaria (Val Comino, Val Liri, Arpino, Arce, Isola Liri, Atina, Picinisco)   TC1
Nottignham   1949-   women - textile workers, foundry workers, miners, Tin-plate workers, brickworkers TC1
Nottingham   1960s   brickworkers TC1
Paisley     Lucca (Lu) Statuette sellers ?
Paisley   1860s- Lucca, mostly Barga and Coreglia Antelminelli Figurine makers  
Perth     Parma, esp Borgo Val di Taro (Pr) and Bardi   ?
Perth   1880-90s Parma   TC1
Peterborough   1950s   brickworkers TC1
Porth   1880-90s Parma, esp Borgo Val di Taro (Pr) and Bardi   TC1
Southampton   1200 (late) - early 1300 Veneto, Genova Traders TC1
Stonehaven   1880-90s Parma   TC1
Swindon     Calabria, Sarda Ichnusa, Abruzzo e Molise, Trinacria   ?
Swindon   1891-1905 More people from the South, though 24% from Lombardy   ?
Tonypandy   1880-90s Parma, esp Borgo Val di Taro (Pr) and Bardi   TC1
Treorchy   1880-90s Parma, esp Borgo Val di Taro (Pr) and Bardi   TC1
Wales     Emilian Valleys (Ceno, Taro etc)   ?
Welsh Valleys     Parma, esp Borgo Val di Taro (Pr) and Bardi   ?
West Coast Scotland     Lucca (Lu) Statuette sellers ?
Woking   1960s Sutera, Sicily Mushroom farming ?
Woking   1960s Mussomeli (Ci), Sicily Mushroom farming ?
Woking   1960s Solerno Mushroom farming ?

Table compiled by Daphne Dashfield, conceived by Elaine Collins.