Migration through History

Revision Notes
 Migrants in Britain E D E X C E L G . C . S . E

c800 – c1500: c1500 – c1700: c1700 – c1900: c1900 – present: c1948 – c1970
Medieval England Early Modern England Century Britain Modern Britain Notting Hill

Introduction Welcome to England Welcome to early modern England What was Britain like in the 18th What was Britain like in the years Where is Notting Hill and what
at the end of the eighth century and 19th C? 1900 to the present? was it like between 1948-1970?

The Vikings: who were they and Why did the Protestant migrants Why did the Irish come & what How did WW1 & WW2 pull What was Britain like after WW2?
what impact did they have? come & what was their impact? was their impact? people into Britain?

The Normans: who were they and Why did the Jews return & what Why did the Jewish refugee’s What were the experiences of Why did Caribbean’s move to
what impact did they have? was their impact? come & what was their impact? migrants like in Britain after WW1 Notting Hill?
& 2?
Jews: life in England 1000–1300 14 Why did Africans come to England
Why did were Africans forced into How did migration help to rebuild What was housing like for
& what was their impact? Britain after the world wars? Caribbean’s in Notting Hill?
Britain & what was their impact?

Who else came to England during Why did Indians come to England Asian Migration to Britain from the
the medieval period? Why did the Asians come & what Commonwealth after 1948 What impact did Caribbean
& what was their impact?
was their impact? culture have on Notting Hill?
CASE STUDY: What impact did migrants have on Why did migration increase from the
The city of York under the Vikings Why did the Europeans come & 1970’s onwards? How did Caribbean’s help
culture?
what was their impact? themselves?

CASE STUDY: Sandwich and What do race riots reveal about the
Racism and Policing
Canterbury in the 16th C experiences of migrants from the
1980’s onwards?

What impact did migrants have on Black Activism

Britain in the years 1900 to the
present?
Medieval Migration c.800-1500
Who Migrated Why? Experience Impact
Vikings c.800 up till Started as raiders, Settled in Danelaw so experience was Language changes. Some Vikings
1066 (Hardrada then as settlers. ok. Sometimes fought with Saxons but kings. Danelaw & culture. York
attempted) often got on with them established as capital city.
Normans 1066 onwards To invade Faced uprisings. Dealt with using Massive. Complete takeover.
Harrying of North. Language. Architecture. Religion.

Jews c.1066 onwards As moneylenders Faced persecution. They had royal Helped loan money for buildings.
(invited by Normans) protection for a while. Pope allowed
Christians to make profit & eventually
forced to convert or leave by the King.
European Traders Escape black death in Mostly positive but did face some Helped English economy
(Lombards, Hansa & Europe/wars. For persecution. Were often successful (secondary industry). Invested in
Flemish). economic reasons business men so did well. banks & other businesses.
(jobs)

Case Study: Viking York (Jorvik).

York is the North East of England and they turned it into a major settlement; surrounded by fertile lands, good for trade inland
& overseas, was wealthy. York grew under the Vikings & trade flourished with lots of different skills such as clothworkers,
woodturners, jewellery-makers, potters etc. Most Saxons & Vikings lived in peace but sometimes Viking & Saxon leaders did
try to fight against the other group.
Early Modern Migration c.1500-c.1700
Who Migrated Why? Experience Impact
Protestant Migrants. The Reformation introduced Protestantism in Some groups v. rich & had positive Skilled workers introduced skills to England
E.g. Walloons, Europe. Many Protestants were persecuted in experience. Some poor took to crime. in silk weaving, ironworking, design.
Huguenots & Palatines. Europe so moved to the more tolerant Huguenots established Bank of England.
England. Also invited (Flems & Walloons) for Spitalfields & churches. Helped economy.
economic reasons.
Second Jewish Persecution in Europe. Encouraged by Established Jewish Communities Synagogues and Jewish culture starting to
Migration Religious tolerance in England (esp. under (Jewries). Some became rich/successful, impact England. Some Jews were very
Cromwell as they would help the economy). some poor. Still faced anti-Semitism e.g. successful businessmen.
forbidden some jobs.
African Migration. British Empire established links with Africa & Some worked as servants for the Not much. Black people becoming more
Morocco, “Black rest of world. Many black migrants at this time wealthy & did well. John Blanc. Often accepted in society at this time but often
Tudors” were escaping slavery or brought as slaves. respected in society & many became seen as “fashionable items”
rich. Slaves weren’t.

Indian Migration British Empire & increased trade led to more Depended on who they worked for.
Indians moving to England as servants, Ayahs were sometimes abandoned.
nannies (ayahs) & sailors. Lascars worked on docks; difficult life.

Case Study: Sandwich & Canterbury

1561. Flemish weavers moved to Sandwich as town officials were worried about the towns’ decline. They wove high-quality cloth. In 1569
English population began complaining they were losing jobs to the Flems so laws were passed to stop Flems taking other jobs. Lots of Flems
moved to other towns to take other work.
1575. Canterbury was given permission to invite Walloon migrants from Europe to work there. Mostly weavers, the Walloons were successful
producing high-quality cloth. Many became rich, building their own houses & workshops. They employed local English people & taught them
their skills. Trade & the economy in the area prospered.
Victorian/Industrial Migration c1700-c1900
Many changes led to increased migration in this period. The industrial revolution meant cities were growing & factories needed workers.
Transport developments led to greater trade links in Britain & the world. The growth of the British Empire made links between Britain & her
colonies across the world and the slave trade led to mass movement of people.
Who Migrated Why? Experience Impact
Irish (mostly to Fleeing poverty & starvation in search of Irish took jobs as labourers (navvies) digging Built Railways & Canals. Huge impact on
Liverpool & better life in England. canals & making railways. Hard work. Faced History of Liverpool.
Glasgow due to prejudice from many English for their Religion
transport links) (Catholic).
Jewish Refugees Came to join existing communities in Britain & Were supported by already established Jewish Some Jews succeeded (e.g. Marks &
still faced anti-Semitism in Europe/Russia. communities but still faced anti-Semitism due to Spencer). Synagogues built. Jewish food.
language/culture differences & the fact they Jews often worked in sweatshops in
would often work for less pay. London. Jack the Ripper.
African Development of the slave trade & greater Similar to last period. Many black Africans helped persuade
trade links within the British Empire saw more MPs & public to abolish slave trade
Black African Migrants move to Britain. (which happened in 1807). Coleridge-
Taylor.
Asian Links with India via the East India Company led Some Ayahs stayed with their families & did well, Mosques & temples being built.
to workers (ayahs & lascars) arriving in Britain. some were abandoned & became poor. Some
lascars found work, some abandoned.
European Italians & Germans moved to avoid wars in Germans settled throughout Britain, Italians in
their countries as well as being encouraged by London. Generally well accepted as they
Britain’s more liberal view & expanding contributed well to society and the economy (&
economy. they were white).
 Victorian/Industrial Migration c1700-c1900 Case Studies
Liverpool (Irish) London (Jewish Migrants)
• Due to location (port on North West of England) • Late 19th Century (1880s) thousands of Jews
Liverpool prospered from transatlantic slave trade. migrated to London from Eastern Europe &
• Many slavers invested in the city but when slavery Russia to escape persecution
ended, Liverpool began importing/exporting all • Many arrived with only what they could carry &
sorts of other goods & became a flourishing city for went to already established Jewish communities
migrants. of Whitechapel & Spitalfields in East End
• Liverpool very attractive city as it was easy to get
• Many found themselves working in sweatshops
work in and around the docks
for long hours for little pay. Few could speak
• Irish Community in Liverpool; English on arrival
• Built docks/warehouses & then worked in them
• 1840s Irish businesses & pubs • Jewish Free School set up to try to improve the
• Lots of Irish lived in poverty & fell ill to diseases such lives of Jews in London
as typhus (nicknamed the ‘Irish fever’. • There was a lot of racial tension & violence
• Most Irish were Catholic targeted at the Jews; some believed Jack the
• Many Irish got blamed for crimes in Liverpool Ripper to be Jewish
• Other migrants;
• Liverpool also attracted Indian sailors (lascars), Chinese
& African sailors.
 Change Reason for Migration
Some women were given the vote in 1918 & all women had the vote This meant more people were represented in society

Migration in the from 1928.

The NHS was established in 1948
including migrant communities
This meant people were needed as doctors, nurses and

Modern Period In 1975, Britain voted to join the EU but then voted to leave in 2016.
other hospital staff
This allowed people to freely move between members
of the EU to help countries economies prosper.
c.1900-Present Day The Race Relations Act (1965) was passed. This made it illegal to Laws like this gave protection and rights to migrants in
discriminate on the "grounds of colour, race, or ethnic or national the country.
origins"
Laws like the Equal Pay Act (1970) Minimum Wage Act (1998) & With laws like this being passed, it made Britain a more
• There were a number Equality Act (2010) were passed attractice place to live.

of different reasons The Second World War brought death and destruction to the British
Isles. Britain therefore needed to rebuild after the devasatation of this
People (particularly from the British Empire) would
migrate from 1945 onwards to help rebuild the
for migration in the war & began to invite people to move to England to rebuild. "mother country". The most famous is referred to as
the "Windrush Generation" from the Caribbean.
modern period. The Turbine & jet engines were invented in this period & became cheaper With international travel easier, more migrants can
to make & operate. afford & make their way into Britain
table shows these… Britain needed help from her colonies to build a big army to fight in the This led to millions of people from India, the
First & Second World Wars Caribbean, African colonies migrating to help Britain
• They can mostly be fight.

classified into Poland was occupied by Germany & Russia during the Second World
War
c. 160,000 Poles fled to Britain (about 14,000 joined
the RAF to continue fighting).
• War As Nazi Policies took effect in Germany it became clear that it would c. 60,000 Jewish refugees fled to Britain, many of
involve the persecution of Jews. which were children as part of the Kindertransport
• Legal changes In 1947, India gained independence from Britain & the country was Thousands fled to Britain to escape the fighting
split into India & Pakistan. This led to extreme violence. between India & Pakistan.
• End of British Empire In 1951, Britain signed up to the United Nations Convention on Britain now had to offer asylum to any foreign
Refugees. refugees asking for protection from war or
persecution in their own country.
Experience of migrants in the Modern Period c.1900-Present Day
Who Experience
First World War; During the First World War, c.60,000 Belgians fleeing the Germans were welcomed in Britain. There was plenty of work available as British men were fighting. However, the
Belgians government made it clear they could only stay for the duration of the war. When the war ended, they were given a 1-way ticket home. About 90% did this.

First World War, There were thousands of Germans living in the country when the First World War broke out. In August 1914, Parliament passed the British Nationality Act & the Status of Aliens
Germans Act which made them enemy aliens. This resulted in resentment towards the Germans, fuelled by the media in newspapers. Mobs attacked & looted German shops; German
food was taken off menus & anti-German demonstrations broke out.

First World War When the war ended in 1918, many British soldiers returned to find their jobs had been taken by migrant workers. This was particularly bad in the docks. Merchant seamen had
joined the Royal Navy & lascars had taken their jobs (who worked for less money). This caused riots and tension between British & Indian sailors/dockworkers.

Second World War, When the Second World War ended in 1945, Poland was controlled by the Soviet Union so many Poles did not want to return home. In 1947, Parliament passed the Polish
Poles Resettlement Act giving Polish servicemen (& their families) the right to remain in Britain. About 120,000 decided to do this. Due to their service in the war, they were generally
accepted & Polish communities were established in industrial towns.

Second World War, Many Jewish refugees from the Second World War stayed in Britain or moved on to Canada, USA or Israel. Many of their families in Europe had been murdered in the camps.
Jews Jewish children had a range of experiences depending on who they were sent to stay with in Britain.

Second World War, During the Second World War, the British government became concerned about any German & Italian people living in Britain & set up tribunals to decide if they posed a threat to
Germans/Italians Britain or not. As many of the migrants were actually fleeing the Nazis, not many were considered a threat & about 348 out of 35,000 Germans were interned. Many British
people were sympathetic to Germans or Italians being interned, especially after a boat carrying 1,150 internees was sunk by a German U-Boat.

Hostility after 1950s In the early 1950s migrants had been mainly single people. After this, it became more common for families to migrate together. The media started to consider groups like the
Kenyan Asian migrants as an “immigration problem” & in 1967 the NF (National Front) was founded. They wanted to end immigration & expel immigrants from Britain. A popular
Tory MP, Enoch Powell, made an explosive speech in 1968 known as the ‘rivers of blood’ speech. Although he was sacked as MP, his speech had a huge impact & did gain a lot of
support. A survey found 75% of people in Britain believed there were too many ethnic minority migrants in Britain.

Brixton, 1981 On 10th April, 1981 rioting began in Brixton (S London) where c. 25% of the residents were from an ethnic minority. The rioters, who were mostly second-generation young men
born to the Windrush Generation, fought the police for 3 days. 300< were injured & about £7.5million of damage was caused. The trigger for the riots was accusations of police
brutality but tension had been building for years. Brixton was an area of poor housing, a higher-than average crime rate & high unemployment where about half of the young
black men were unemployed.

Burnley, 2001 Tensions in Bradford, Oldham & Burnley led to violence. These cities all had large, mostly Asian, migrant communities. Asians in these cities faced economic hardship & racism
made worse by the presence of the BNP (British National Party). Outside a nightclub in Burnley on Friday 22nd June, 2001, a fight broke out between rival drug dealers; some
white, some Asian. As the fight spread, an Asian taxi driver was attacked with a hammer by white youths. A rumour spread that the driver had been killed so the next night, a
group of Asian men attacked the Duke of York pub & its white customers fought back. Rioting continued over the weekend with hundreds involved in firebombing & assaults. This
was clearly a racist conflict.
Impact of migrants in the Modern Period c.1900-Present Day
Migrants have played a huge impact in our modern society, many of which you know through experience. Below is just a
short list of some of the examples you could talk about. From cultural impacts such as music and food, to political impacts
and economic impacts.
Many Migrants in the Modern period played important roles in social change. For example: In 1955, the Bristol Omnibus Company banned black & Asian people
from working on the buses. There was no law to stop them doing this. Paul Stephenson organised a Boycott of the buses which became international news. In
1963, the company reversed their decision. Also see; Dr Harold Moody, Jayaben Desai, Doreen Lawrence & Malala Yousafzai.
Show Racism the Red Card is an anti-racism education charity. Shaka Hislop donated money to set up the company. They use football players to run educational
workshops for young people & adults in Britain.
Black Lives Matter is a movement that originated in the US in 2013 but came to international attention when George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in
2020. In Britain, the movement led demonstrations in major cities against the legacy of the Empire & slave trade.
Migrants and the children of migrants have become important British politicians. For example, Rishi Sunak's parents were born in Southeast Africa, Sadiq Khan's
parents moved from Pakistan as was Humza Yousaf's father.
Migrants in this period have become role-models in every walk of life. E.g. Hans Kreb a biochemist migrated when Nazis prevented Jews from working. In 1953,
he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology. Mo Farah was born in Somalia but moved to England to escape war. He's pretty decent at running.
Britain's public services have always relied on migrant workers. Irish nurses had worked in Britain for years but when the NHS was established in 1948, more
migrated from Ireland & further afield. Many members of the Windrush generation worked on public transport.
Migrants have had a positive impact on setting up businesses & creating jobs. Tilda Rice, for example, is a successful business established in Britain by migrants.
The Thakar family were Ugandan -Asians who came to Britain in the 1970s.
Although starting in the period before, the modern period continued to see a change as migrants built more places of worship. The Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sikh
temple in Birmingham is the biggest gurdwara in Europe.
The 20th century saw a boom in shops & restaurants selling Asia, Caribbean, Eastern European produce & dishes. They are a common site
Many migrants have made huge impacts in the worlds or writing, acting, art & music. For example; Idris Elba's parents migrated from Sierra Leone & Ghana. He
has starred in many popular television shows. Michael Omari's mother is from Ghana. He was the first Black British Artist to headline Glastonbury.
Immigration has changed was people eat & drink in Britain. Chinese, Indian, Turkish restaurants are found in pretty much every high-street in every UK town and
city.
Festivals started by migrants are now deeply embedded in British culture. Diwali is celebrated in schools across the country, the Chinese New Year sees
celebrations in many major cities and the Notting Hill Carnival is one of London's highest-profile events where c.1 million people attend each year.
Modern Case Studies: Bristol & Leicester
Bristol Leicester
Being a port in the South West of England, migrants have been settling in Bristol Leicester has a long history of migration & today is one of the most multicultural cities in Britain. Nearly ½ of
for centuries. In the 20th Century, war had crippled Britain & due to a worker the city’s population can trace their ancestry to Asia, Africa or the Caribbean. The largest ethnic group is Asian
shortage, people were encouraged to migrate to Britain to work. Many of these who started settling from 1945 onwards.
people were from the Caribbean & by 1958 there were around 1300 Caribbean
migrants in Bristol. By 1960, this number had grown to c.3000 but many of these In 1947, India gained independence from Britain & split into 2 countries: India & Pakistan. This led to lots of
people found it difficult to find work. fighting & thousands dying as huge numbers fled across the new borders. Some came to Britain to escape this
violence. This benefitted Britain as there was a shortage of workers after the war & the government were
encouraging people to move to work. Many of these Asian migrants moved to Leicester to work in the textile,
This small Caribbean community in Bristol faced hostility & discrimination where
clothing & footwear industries as well as on public transport.
landlords were reluctant to rent houses to migrants. This meant many ended up
in poor-quality housing; overcrowded and unfit for people to live in. This was
mostly in the St Paul’s area of Bristol. These communities also faced gangs of The experience of many migrants varied greatly. Some were treated with kindness & adapted to a new life
white working-class racists known as Teddy Boys. quickly. Others struggled to be accepted & suffered racist abuse & unequal opportunities in housing & jobs.
Often, qualifications gained in India were not recognised in Britain so well-qualified professionals such as
Like in many towns & cities, Caribbean migrants in Bristol established their own teachers, medics & engineers sometimes worked lower-skilled jobs in factories.
social networks & communities by holding dances, sports clubs & giving advice. In
October 1966, the Bamboo club was opened. It contained a restaurant, theatre In 1972, Ugandan President Idi Amin kicked all Asians out of Uganda. Many fled to Leicester to join family or
workshop & several sports teams. They hosted many acts including Bob Marley, because they knew of the Asian community already established there. Leicester City Council claimed that that
Tina Turner & Desmond Dekker. the city was ‘full up’ & began to discourage Ugandans moving to Leicester. Despite this, over the next ten
years the Asian population of Leicester doubled to nearly c.60,000.
In 1955, the Bristol Omnibus Company stopped all Black/Asian men working on
their buses as drivers or conductors. This is a “colour bar” & there was no law to The National Front began to target Leicester. There were NF marches in 1974 and 76 & the party won 19% of
stop them doing this. A group of local Jamaican migrants had a plan to combat the the council vote. However, they began to lose support in the 1980s as many of their voters became shocked
racist bus company by announcing a boycott of their buses. After marches & by the racism & violence.
protests, the boycott made national news supported by prominent figures.
Eventually, the bus company announced they would end the “colour-bar”. The impact of the Asian migration on Leicester has been huge. Although Leicester Council were originally
hostile to the migrants, they now celebrate the city as a multicultural one. The reason for this is because
In 1968 the West Indian Development Council organised a street festival in the St many migrants had been successful businessmen & entrepreneurs. By 1994, there were 1,446 Asian-owned
Pauls area of Bristol in an attempt to bring the European, Caribbean & Asian businesses in Leicester By 2004, over 10,000. These companies employ thousands of people & contribute
communities together. Starting off as a small-scale event with dancers, singers, millions of pounds to the economy. On top of this, Leicester holds festivals celebrating the diversity of the city
steel bands & food stalls, it has now developed into an event attracting many as well as, just like Romford, having shops & restaurants reflecting its multicultural background.
thousands from across Britain.
Environmental Study:
Notting Hill
Revision Notes
Background to Notting Hill
Notting Hill is located in West London. Over time,
the district has changed dramatically.
Once, a poor area of the city, Notting Hill
attracted vast numbers of migrants from the
Caribbean who arrived after the Second World
War with the help of the British Nationality Act.
After being ‘sold’ the idea of living in their
respected ‘mother country’ many black people
who lived in Notting Hill experienced hostility and
racial discrimination.
Today, Notting Hill is one of the ‘coolest’, most
fashionable and multicultural places to live in
London, attracting fashion designers, musicians
and a variety of celebrities.
Historical sources can help us analyse how
Notting Hill has changed over time.
Notting Hill after the Second World War
Term Definition
Slum Housing Before the Second World War, many houses in Notting Hill had been declared unfit to live in. However, after German bombs destroyed
many London buildings, people had to continue living there in the 1950s in overcrowded conditions (HMOs). Because these houses
were cheap to rent, poorer members of the Caribbean Community moved to Notting Hill.
Slum Landlords Many people took advantage of the desperation of the Caribbean Community in Notting Hill by not repairing the properties,
overcharging tenants & in some cases renting out individual beds. Peter Rachmann was one such landlord who exploited legal
loopholes to replace his white tenants with Caribbean migrants who had fewer rights. He used threats & violence to control his
“empire”. Rachmanism.
Bruce Kenrick & the In the early 1960s a former Second World War medic came to live in Notting Hill. He had become a Christian Minister & was shocked
Notting Hill Housing at the appalling living conditions. He established the NHHT which was a charity housing association with the aim of raising money
Trust through donations to do the houses up & rent them at reasonable prices. In the first year, they bought 5 houses housing 50 people, by
1975 they owned 1,000 & by the early 1980s were renovating c.800 homes a year.

Pardner Schemes Some Caribbean migrants took their own positive steps to tackle the housing issues they faced. This system was common in Caribbean
where people would buy houses together. A group of migrants would put their savings together to put down a deposit on a house.
This helped to ease the crises.
Caribbean Migrants in Many Caribbean migrants of the Windrush Generation were attracted to Notting Hill. This was due to the fact the houses were so run
Notting Hill & the down they were cheap to rent. Also, landlords such as Peter Rachmann was willing to rent to the black community whereas landlords
Windrush in other areas weren’t. As black communities started to grow, this in turn encouraged more black migrants to live in Notting Hill.
 Caribbean Culture in Notting Hill The Notting Hill Riots
Portobello Road Market
Notting Hill was the destination for many migrants from the Caribbean. Many of the white working-class in
Portobello Road runs almost the length of Notting Hill & in the late 1800s had developed into a market the area believed that the houses being rented by black migrants should be theirs. Also, because the colour
mostly selling food to local residents. As more migrants moved to London, the market evolved to reflect bar was forcing members of the black community to take low paid manual work, they were competing with
the people living there. After the Second World War, the market gained a reputation for selling bric-a-brac the white-working class for work. With the rise of the Teddy Boys & the White Defence League, tension rose
(usually second hand) & is now a very popular tourist destination with a range of food, clothing and & rose with many white residents in the area believing they were fighting to “Keep Britain White”.
general goods stalls.
During the summer of 1958, gangs of Teddy Boys started to attack the homes & businesses of Black
Due to the Colour Bar, many cafes, shops, restaurants & bars refused to accept Black people; Slowly, residents with petrol bombs & bricks with individuals being harassed on the streets. On 24 th August, a gang
enterprising businessmen opened up businesses to cater to the local Black community. Frank Crichlow of white youths assaulted 5 Black men with metal bars. This continued for days where groups of white
opened The Rio which became a meeting place for the Black community. There was also the Calypso Club youths continued to target Caribbean cares, shops & homes whilst the Black community took to the streets
& Fiesta One which allowed people to socialise until the early hours. A common feature of these places to defend themselves. 140+ (mostly white) people were arrested during the course of the riots
was the shebeen; this was a bar (in a front room or basement) where alcohol was illegally served. They Caribbean community leaders had told local police of their concerns in the build up to the riots yet no action
offered cheap entertainment, played loud music & were free from racism found in the white-owned was taken. The police were accused of reacting too slowly when the riots began & not doing enough to stop
establishments. them. The riots were followed by a worsening relationship between the Caribbean community and the
All Saints Road police & there were more riots in 1976.

All Saints Road was at the heart of Notting Hill’s Black community. After The Rio was closed in the late
1960s, Frank Crichlow opened a new restaurant called The Mangrove (1968). He sponsored the Mangrove
steel band, giving young Black people the opportunity to learnt an instrument. The road also contained
barber shops, coffee bars, fruit stalls & places to buy music & clothes. It became very fashionable
attracting Bob Marley, Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix & the Beatles. The road also had a reputation for illegal
shebeens & illegal drugs.
 The Murder of Kelso Cochrane
• Kelso Cochrane was murdered on 17th May
1959. He was attacked by 2 white youths near
Portobello Road in Notting Hill. 2 men were
arrested but released with the Police claiming
that the murder was a robbery gone wrong.
No-one has been convicted of the murder.
• Many people were shocked by the actions of
the Police and the IFFC were set up. They
helped arrange Cochrane’s funeral as well as
putting pressure on the Government to remove
racist Police Officers and get more police in
Notting Hill.
• Politician’s like Oswald Mosley tried to take
advantage of the racial tension in Notting Hill.
Mosley claimed that the Black communities of
West London were responsible behind a lot of
crime and he tried to end “coloured migration”.
Claudia Jones
West Indian Gazette Caribbean Carnival
• In 1958, Claudia Jones established the first major • In August 1958 the Notting Hill Riots occurred.
Black weekly newspaper called the West Indian Jones decided to organise a Caribbean carnival to
Gazette in the hope it would help her in the fight try to pull the community together & celebrate
for equality. The newspaper reached c.15,000 aspects of African-Caribbean culture with a wider
readers and performed a number of functions… audience.
• It featured stories about what was happening in the • The first carnival was held indoors & featured jazz
Caribbean as well as in the UK musicians, dancers, singers, steel bands & a beauty
• It reviewed the work of Black actors, artists, sculptors contest
and writers (this was rare in other newspapers)
• Some of the money raised was used to help pay the
• Provided information about jobs, housing & local
events fines of both Black & white men involved in the
riots.
• It soon became an annual event & is seen as the
forerunner to the Notting Hill Carnival
Frank Crichlow and the Mangrove Restaurant
In March 1968, Frank Crichlow opened the Mangrove restaurant on All Saints Road in Notting
Hill. By 1970, it had become the centre of the Black community & was a key social spot in the
area.
The police regularly raided the Mangrove to search for drugs but none were never found. Many
believed these raids were because there was resentment at Frank Crichlow being a successful
The Mangrove
Black businessman.
Due to these regular raids & to resist this unfair harassment, the BBP organised a demonstration
which took place on 9 August 1970. 150 took part in this demonstration accompanied by 200
police.
During the demonstration, there were some violent clashes & the police made nine arrests
including Frank Crichlow, Darcus Howe, Altheia Jones-LeCointe. They were arrested on charges
of inciting a riot which carries a long prison sentence. They became known as the ‘Mangrove
Nine’.
The ‘Mangrove Nine’ stook trial at the Old Bailey where the defendants demanded an all-Black
jury because British law states that people should be tried by their peers. The demand was
rejected. The Jury had 2 (out of 12) Black members.
2 of the nine defendants decided to defend themselves & did a brilliant job of demonstrating
that the police version of events was false or exaggerated. The trial really showed examples of
police brutality & racism.
The Jury acquitted all nine defendants of the most serious charges & the judge publicly
acknowledged that the police behaviour had been motivated by racial hatred. The verdict was
seen as an inspirational victory for the Black community & is today viewed as a landmark
moment in the story of Black British civil rights.