Population Migration

Irish Migrants | 1 | 2 |

On 30th June 1858, in order to prevent a repeat of the events of the previous evening, Wolverhampton magistrates called in extra forces.
The Local Yeomanry, special constables, were sworn in and an extra one hundred and twenty policemen from surrounding areas were brought in to the town.

With these extra forces placed around the Corn Exchange the lecture went ahead before an exclusively Protestant audience. The lecture passed off without incident despite the presence of a large number of Irish Catholics outside the building.

In the aftermath of the disorders an Irishman named Patrick Flaherty was charged with riot and unlawful assembly. During his trial the judge, Mr Justice Hill, expressed the opinion that there had not been a riot in Wolverhampton because the Irish had not adopted an overtly menacing stance. Flaherty was convicted of unlawful assembly and was bound over to keep the peace.

Following the trial there was outrage in certain quarters and a Wolverhampton Protestant Alliance was proposed. However, due to a lack of interest and lack of a unified opposition to Popery amongst the Anglicans and Dissenters, the proposal came to nothing.

More serious were the disorders that accompanied the visit of William Murphy, a member of the Protestant Evangelical Mission and Electoral Union in February 1867. Murphy had already visited Newcastle-under-Lyme where there had been disturbances from the Irish community.

The lecture was set for 18th February at the Agricultural Hall, Snow Hill. A strong police presence was there to prevent any trouble from breaking out. Thousands of Irish descended on the hall while others succeeded in buying tickets for the lecture. When Murphy arrived on the platform to speak a number of Irishmen broke up chairs and attempted to rush the stage. Several policemen inside the hall were injured in the clashes and the meeting was postponed.

Agricultural Hall, Snow Hill, Wolverhampton in 1910 (M7/AGR/E/1)

On the 19th February Magistrates swore in extra special constables. Further violence occurred, however, when several thousand Irishmen gathered outside the hall to throw stones at the windows. A number of police were injured by the stones and flying glass. The situation was eased by the arrival of the Volunteers who forced back the crowd.

On the 20th February the Mayor obtained further assistance to stem the growing violence: two hundred special constables were sworn in, a force of county police was sent from Stafford, and a troop of the 9th Hussars arrived from Birmingham. On Friday 22nd Murphy was able to deliver his speech while the police contained four thousand Irish who had gathered outside the building. However while this was in progress there were disturbances in the Stafford Street area where people and houses of known Protestants were attacked and windows broken.

On the Thursday evening another four thousand people gathered outside the hall. The meeting passed off without major incident, but fearing more trouble on Friday, the Magistrates obtained extra assistance including a detachment of Hussars sent by train from Coventry, extra special constables and a further body of county police. These forces were able to contain any trouble and following the meeting Murphy left town.

The following May, William Murphy gave a series of lectures in Sedgley, a few miles from Wolverhampton. On 7th May 1867 the Wolverhampton Chronicle published extracts from one of Murphy's speeches.

Extract from Wolverhampton Chronicle, 7th May 1867

Looking at the speech in the 21st century one wonders what all the fuss was about. Murphy was no stranger to controversy, however, for his speeches in North Shields two years later provoked the same kind of riots as they had in Wolverhampton.

William Murphy returned to Wolverhampton in May 1867 when he was called to give evidence in the case of a Mr Scott, a local bookseller, who had been prosecuted by Wolverhampton Watch Committee for selling copies of one of Murphy's lectures.

Report from Wolverhampton Council's Watch Committee
regarding obscene books, 18th March 1867 (C-WAT/5)

News of Murphy's arrival quickly reached the Irish quarter and on leaving the court Murphy was attacked by a crowd of Irishmen who attempted to drag him away to Stafford Street. Murphy was forced to the ground, beaten and subjected to gross insult; the police had great difficulty in rescuing him. This was the last time that William Murphy visited Wolverhampton!

In March 1867 the Town Council enquired whether the Home Office would pay for the extra policing required during Mr Murphy's lecture:

Resolution of Watch Committee, 1 April 1867 (C-WAT/5)

By 1871 the population of Wolverhampton had grown to 68,291, with an Irish population in excess of 12,000 (1 in 5.6 of the population were Irish).

The Irish migrants were mainly young unmarried men and this is reflected in the type of work they did. Information from the 1871 census returns show that the occupations of migrants were mainly labouring jobs in iron works, farm labourers and miners. Female occupations included servant, housekeeper and lodging housekeeper. Other occupations included shoemaker, nail cutter, confectioner and jailer.

The Roman Catholic church Due to an absence of educational facilities for Catholic children in the town the Roman Catholic Church founded the church and school of SS Patrick and George in 1849, and by 1851 there were three Roman Catholic day schools in Wolverhampton capable of catering for 745 children. By 1878 five Roman Catholic schools could collectively accommodate 1,648 children. One of the children educated by the Sisters of Mercy at St Joseph's Convent School was Margaret Tate, who would later be known as Maggie Teyte, the famous opera singer.

The 1991 census figures show there were 2,099 people living in Wolverhampton who had been born in Ireland.

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© Copyright. Wolverhampton City Council, 2002