Hebden & Variants Family Website
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Early Settlers in the New World Hebdens were early settlers in the New World. Some of the first settlers of this name or its variants were: John Ebden who settled in Barbados in 1670. In 1663, he is recorded as being a servant, and crossed the Atlantic in the tobacco ship "Reformation". Barbados still has a thoroughfare called Ebden Street. Thomas Ebdon settled in Boston Massachussetts, arriving from Newfoundland on September 20th 1716 aboard the sloop "Elizabeth" captained by Samuel Roberts. On the ship's manifest he is shown as "Mariner", though whether he was a member of the crew, or a passenger is not entirely certain. Thomas Hebden settled in Virginia in 1634; John Hebden settled in Virginia in 1651. They were followed by many others. In the last 150 years, members of the Hebden Clan have looked for a new life and new opportunities in other parts of the world. Popular destinations were America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India. It is probably no coincidence that with the exception of the USA, these countries were former colonies or dominions of the British Empire. A New Start in the USA |
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In more recent times other factors encouraged family members to seek a fresh start in America. Low wages and poor working conditions and the threat of war prior to 1914 started a mass exodus from Europe including the UK. In Canada and the United States, the period between 1865 and 1917 was one of rapid industrial growth and urbanisation. By this time, the descendants of earlier migrants (English, Scots, Germans, and Scandinavians) were largely working as skilled labourers. With the increasing importance of mass production, the need for large amounts of unskilled labour meant that many new immigrants were able to find jobs only as assembly line workers. Female immigrants worked in both skilled and unskilled fields, often in textiles or as domestic help. Several members of my own family moved from employment in the cotton mills of East Lancashire and quickly found work in the mills of Philadelphia. Because jobs were available mainly in industrial areas, migrants from Eastern and Southern Europe tended to settle mainly in areas of urbanisation and industrialisation. At the same time, many people looking for work migrated from rural to urban areas. The overall effect was one of rapidly expanding cities and industrial growth. It surprised me to find how many single females migrated often as groups of friends or neighbours, though this was more likely to be because of improved marriage possibilities across the Atlantic. For 1920 and 1930 US census data click on the link, or go to the data pages Canada: a gateway to the US |
Travel poster for New York, published by the Municipal Art Committee - City of New York. from the collection of David Levine http://www.travelbrochuregraphics.com/ |
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Many migrants from the UK headed for
Canada. As a Dominion, it was easier for British Subjects to enter Canada than the
United States, and once there, entry to to the US was across a
land border rather than disembarkation at New York or Boston.
Canada also had many attractions in its own right. It was more
"Anglicised" or European than its neighbour and its abundance of cheap
farming land offered rich opportunities to settlers prepared to
work hard. For the Hebden Clan, The most popular choice was
Ontario, together with Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba.
Although subsequent generations tended to move elsewhere, there
are still many Hebden families in Ontario. Australia |
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| The earliest
settlers in Australia had little choice about being there. Later
emigrants from the UK headed for Victoria, entering via
Melbourne or New South Wales entering via Sydney. As with the
USA and Canada, life in Australia offered opportunity, freedom
of choice and potential wealth which Alistair Cooke famously described as "The
Abundant Life". The image (right)
"Australia Land of Opportunity" is
from the collection of Björn Larsson,
http://www.timetableimages.com
A number of shipping lines operated services from the UK to Australia, notably Orient Line and Australian Commonwealth Steamers, sailing from London via the Suez Canal and Columbo to Freemantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The journey from London to Melbourne took about 7 weeks. For lists of Hebden Clan emigrants travelling to Victoria on unassisted passages, click here or go to the data pages India |
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immigration to India and the sub-continent took place as a
result of Military, Government and Trading activity during the
Empire period. Many of the people connected with the Indian
Government under British Rule stayed on, as did those with
interests in tea plantations, and import and export businesses.
India did not have the same levels of immigration seen in the
United States and Canada, or Australia in the 20th century.
To find families and descendants in other countries go to the People and Places page and check the list of Countries Towns and cities. Click on the number of the chart to explore the particular branch of the family shown. |
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