Norfolk is not known for witnessing heavy Irish settlement, but a study of the 1881 census here provides an interesting a snapshot of the lifestyle of Irish migrants in the late 19th century.

The 1881 census returns for England and Wales have been indexed by surname, place of birth and place of residence. It has been compiled by County Family History Societies, and collated and published by The Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU) on CD-ROM. A search for Irish families in Norfolk using Ireland as birthplace produces a list of 1,015 names. Some of these include children born to English parents, who might have been soldiers who happened to be stationed in Ireland at the time.

The results are interesting. Far from being confined to the usual stereotypes (labourers and domestic servants), we can see that the Irish in Norfolk were involved in most occupations, right across the social spectrum.

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