The Cost of the Famine Immigration

Abstract

Clearly, the term ‘cost’ can have various connotations. Importantly, with regard to the famine immigration, there was the cost to the recipient towns of social disruption, deteriorating housing conditions and, in many instances in the north of England, bad inter-communal relations. Such social costs are difficult, though not impossible, to assess. A relatively easy cost to measure is the financial cost of providing relief and medical aid. The issue to be addressed in this chapter is that of the financial cost of the famine immigration to those British towns receiving the refugees. In particular, how large was that cost? What was the incidence of the taxation or, in other words, who paid? Did the cost have a deleterious effect on business? However, before attempting such analysis, the perceptions regarding such matters on the part of contemporary observers and administrators will first be established in order to see if their fears matched the reality. This is important because the resentment over perceived financial burdens influenced attitudes towards the Irish refugees. Then in section III we examine the levels of expenditure on the relief of the Irish in particular towns and the cost of the famine Irish in particular. The expenditure, as a rate per pound is then estimated in section IV. We conclude with an assessement of the effects of this tax burden.