Anglo-Scottish migration and the Making of Great Britain, 1603-1762The University of Manchester

'Anglo-Scottish migration and the Making of Great Britain, 1603-1762' will investigate migration between England and Scotland in the early modern period. Although studies of British external migration in this period have been developed, this has seldom included a focus on movement within Britain. Consequently, the long-term effects of this movement for the development of the British state or a British identity in a period characterised by a changing Anglo-Scottish political relationship have not been considered in any detail.

The research undertaken by the network will focus on the period from the union of the crowns in 1603, through the union of the English and Scottish parliaments in 1707, and into the mid-eighteenth century, by which time the British state was secure and a form of British identity had arguably emerged. At either end of this period stands James VI and I, a Scottish king who became king of Great Britain, and Lord Bute, a Scottish politician who became prime minister of Great Britain. The research generated by the network will ask questions regarding the origins of individual and groups of Scots who settled in England in the early modern period, and explore their experiences of this movement. It will identify the catalysts for this migration taking place and its consequences both for the composite nations of England and Scotland, and for Great Britain as a coherent state. The network will consider this primarily from an historical perspective, but will incorporate scholars of related disciplines and will ask questions with relevance to contemporary society (see Academic Beneficiaries/Impact Summary).

In the upper levels of society there is significant evidence of Scots at the royal court, in government, holding military and colonial offices, and integrating within aristocratic circles. Below this strata the picture is less clear. This network will penetrate beyond existing, vague notions regarding the experiences of Scottish doctors and soldiers, to uncover the stories of ordinary Scots who made their way to England and whose lives became part of the glue that created Great Britain. The experiences and perception of individuals who left their homes in Scotland and made new lives for themselves in England must be placed alongside our analysis of state formation and national identity. Why did they leave; where did they go; what skills did they bring with them; what resistance did they encounter; to what extent did they create new identities? These are just some of the questions that will be considered by the network, and we will answer them by using a range of theoretical approaches, embracing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. This research will include an attempt to consider the number of Scots who settled in England, to analyse their occupational classification, and to assess regional variation, but will also assess their motives and relate selected narratives.

One central question that will be addressed is the extent to which this migration might be considered to be successful. The working thesis is that Scots did not have a difficult time in England, that they mixed at all levels in the host society, and that neither was the legitimacy of their own identity seriously challenged, or any impediment put in the way of their integration into local communities. Scots could choose to remain distinctively Scottish, or they could assimilate and become English, or indeed British. That thesis needs to be tested with greater empirical data, particularly outside elite society. But if it is correct, we need a more refined explanation than some indistinct notions of similar language and religion and a united monarchy. We may also be able to construct a model of 'successful' migration with a view to feeding into discussion of migration policy.

In addition to the benefits to academic research, teaching and learning, broader societal benefits will flow to a public interested in family history, genealogical research and local history, as well as feeding into discussions regarding the nature of migration and the formation of public policies designed to facilitate successful migration and integration in contemporary Britain.

Dissemination of the findings of the network will occur in several ways. Most obviously, this will include academic outputs such as a collection of research essays edited by the PI and CI, and the Working Papers series hosted on the project website. This work will contribute to academic debate in several fields (as discussed at length elsewhere in this application), and to the development of academic methodologies and theories. The PI and CI are currently exploring funding opportunities for a future project derived from this research, from which a co-authored monograph will emerge.

These publications, however, will not be directed solely at an academic audience. The findings of the network will engage with an audience beyond the academic sphere, with the nature of the research undertaken lending itself to successful public engagement, through collaborations with local history societies, museums, public lectures, the organisation of public events and, in the future, a radio or television documentary. (See Case for Support/Pathways to Impact statement.)

In order to ensure as wide an audience as possible, not only will the network website disseminate academic work, advertise network colloquiums, and promote related conferences, it will also host resources for public consumption. The website, designed by expert staff within the IT Department at the University of Manchester, will be user-friendly, will advertise public engagement events, and will host a public debate forum connected to the research of the network. It is the policy of the IT Department to support the website indefinitely, to host the website on highly resilient servers in the University web farm (including daily, automated backups), and the University is committed to best practice in terms of design and accessibility of web pages. It is anticipated that through the website, members of the public will be able to appropriate the work of the network for their personal interest, particularly those with an interest in genealogy and family history. The website will host a public forum, in which members of the public can share their ideas and research, and solicit advice from academics. To facilitate this interaction further, the network will organise a public exhibition to promote the network and to engage the public in our wider research agenda. Schools will be invited to participate, raising awareness of deep-rooted migration within communities. This outreach will in part be facilitated by the CI's engagement with schemes such as 'Historians Connect!' (http://www.raphael-samuel.org.uk/young-history-workshop/) and registration with the Academic Enrichment Programme at the University of Manchester. The Investigators have made contact with the Migration Museum project (http://www.migrationmuseum.org/), an initiative being developed which, in their own words, aims to 'tell the story of movement into and out of the UK in a fresh and engaging way'. An approach made to the Project Coordinator has been well received, and it is anticipated that a mutually beneficial relationship will continue beyond the lifespan of this network. As well as disseminating our findings more widely in the public sector, this initiative will afford opportunities for expanding the research network to academics, museum curators and public participants. In involving the public in work which has often been confined to the academic sphere, the network will contribute in a real way to the development of cultural activity and awareness within Britain.

[Please see Pathways to Impact Statement for more details.]