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Migration &
Empire,
1830-1939
Immigrants in Scotland -
Lithuanians

In today’s class I am learning to:
• Describe the experiences of Lithuanian
immigrants in Scotland
• Explain why some Scots supported or
opposed Lithuanian immigration
Immigrants in Scotland - Lithuanians

Lithuanian migration has often received less
attention than other immigrant groups, but there
was still a significant population in Scotland.

Reasons for
moving

• The Russian Empire used Russification.
This meant that countries under their
control (including Lithuania) had to
speak Russian and could not follow their
own customs, such as religious beliefs.
• Catholic Lithuanians were oppressed by
the Russian Orthodox Church, and
Lithuanian Jews faced attacks too.
• Some Lithuanians also fled to Scotland to
avoid being conscripted into the Russian
Army.
• Others moved to escape the extreme
poverty in their country, including having
to pay very high taxes to the Russian
Empire.

• For most Lithuanians, the
long term aim was to live in
the USA. Scotland was a
temporary home to allow
them to earn enough money
to pay for their US fare.
• It is even claimed that on
arrival in Scotland some
Lithuanians believed they
were in the USA.

Where they
lived

There were two groups of
Lithuanian immigrants
 Jewish Lithuanians
tended to move to
Glasgow
 Catholic Lithuanians
lived in other areas.

• Jewish Lithuanians moved to areas
where there was a Jewish community,
such as the Gorbals in Glasgow
• Catholic Lithuanians went to areas
where there was mine work, such as
West Lothian and Ayrshire. Others
went to North Ayrshire to work in the
smelting industry, or steel works in
Lanarkshire.
• Bellshill in Lanarkshire was a
particular magnet for Lithuanian
immigrants. They were attracted by
nearby mines and steel works.

Employment

Jewish Lithuanians went
to areas like Edinburgh
and Glasgow and worked;
 in the tailoring
industry, set up
businesses selling
tobacco
 as hawkers and
peddlers.

Catholic Lithuanians
moved to areas of heavy
industry and worked:
 In mines (women also
found work here too)
 In steel works
 On farms (especially at
Harvest time)

Housing
conditions

• Jewish Lithuanian
immigrants tended to live
in poor quality housing in
places like Glasgow, in
particular the Gorbals.
• Here they faced the same
problems as others in
these areas, including
overcrowding and poor
sanitation.

• Catholic Lithuanians
mainly lived in poor areas
near to their work, such
as the mines of Ayrshire
or metal works in
Lanarkshire.
• They also had to live in
poor quality and
overcrowded homes as a
result of this.

Personal
identity

One of the main reasons
that Lithuanians came to
Scotland was to avoid the
Russification policy, which
forced them give up their
personal identity.
As a result of this it was
important that once in
Scotland they continued to
celebrate their heritage.

• Lithuanian communities in Scotland continued to
speak their native language.
• In addition they set up newspapers, which not only
helped them read in their language but also to find
out information about life in Lithuania.
• Lithuanian businesses, insurance companies and
shops were also established in Scotland, which brought
more money into the community.
• Other social groups for Lithuanians included youth
clubs, social clubs, football teams, choirs and scout
groups.
• Lithuanian immigrants also continued to practice their
religious beliefs, which was Catholicism for most of
them.

Relations with
Scots

• Lithuanians made up only a small proportion
of Scotland’s population; they also living in
only a small number of areas across the
country.
• Whilst this limited the discrimination they
faced, it did not stop it happening.
• To help them better integrate, some
immigrants changed their surnames to reflect
Scottish names, for example, Bernotaitis
became Brown.

However many Lithuanians still faced
criticism from Scots.
 Many Lithuanians worked in mines, often being
used by employers as strike breakers.
 Other Scots felt angry that the immigrant
Lithuanians would sometimes work for lower
wages than Scots. This lead to fear about jobs and
money.
 Some politicians also campaigned against their
presence, saying Scots did not want to accept the
“paupers of Europe”.
 Lithuanians also suffered (in the same way as
other immigrants) from negative stereotypes –
such as the idea they were poor, drank too much
and carried disease

After World War One the British
government withdrew financial support
for Lithuanian women and children,
forcing them to go home. There were
two main reasons for this
 The 1920s was a period of economic
decline, so the government couldn’t
afford to support them
 There was fear that Lithuanians might
be Communists

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2e_MbNu
xls

Make a colour spider diagram titled
Lithuanians in Scotland
Include information on the following branches
 Reasons for coming to Scotland
 Where they lived
 Employment
 Housing Conditions
 Personal Identity
 Relations with Scots
Scottish emigration – Pull Factors

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