History of Migration

The boom brought about through the rise of the coal industry brought a new dimension to the population of the valleys, with a huge increase of unfamiliar faces from far off places setting up home in South Wales.

Between 1851 and 1911, records show that around 366,000 people moved into the area. The peak of this migration occurred between 1901 and 1911 when 129,00 people came to the Valleys for the first time. Such was the growth at this time that South Wales welcomed more immigrants at a faster rate than anywhere in the world, except the USA.

Up until the 1890s, many of the people who moved here came from other areas of Wales. After the 1890s, it was the English who came in their droves as well as those from further afield such as Ireland, Scotland and even Australia.

In places like Dowlais and Abercrave, many Spanish families settled in creating their own little communities. Many Russians, Poles and French came too along with the Italians whose cafes still serve the towns until this day.

The decline of the mining industry tells a different story with many people leaving the Valleys between 1919 and 1939 in particular.