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‘Lines of credit, debts of obligation’: migrant remittances to Britain, c.1875–19131

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  • GARY B. MAGEE
  • ANDREW S. THOMPSON

Abstract

Britain of the nineteenth century was a net recipient of migrant remittances. Surprisingly little, however, is known about the flow of such funds to the UK. This article addresses this hiatus in several ways. First, it provides an account of the main mechanisms by which remittances were transferred in this period. Second, it presents new estimates of the volume of remittances flowing to Britain between 1875 and 1913, and, in doing so, offers a comparison of remittance patterns between different Anglophone societies. Third, it assesses the significance of remittances for their recipients in the UK. The article ends by considering the implications of all of the above for the way in which historians are currently trying to formulate the concept of a ‘British world’.

Suggested Citation

  • Gary B. Magee & Andrew S. Thompson, 2006. "‘Lines of credit, debts of obligation’: migrant remittances to Britain, c.1875–19131," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 59(3), pages 539-577, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ehsrev:v:59:y:2006:i:3:p:539-577
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0289.2006.00349.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Imre Ferenczi, 1929. "International Migration Statistics," NBER Chapters, in: International Migrations, Volume I: Statistics, pages 47-76, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. The Conference on Research in Income and Wealth, 1960. "Trends in the American Economy in the Nineteenth Century," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number unkn60-1, January.
    3. Davis,Lance E. & Gallman,Robert E., 2001. "Evolving Financial Markets and International Capital Flows," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521553520, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Timothy J. Hatton, 2010. "The Cliometrics Of International Migration: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(5), pages 941-969, December.
    2. Magee, Gary & Ishaq Bhatti, M. & Li, Alice Shuaishuai, 2015. "The economic modeling of migration and consumption patterns in the English-speaking world," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 322-330.
    3. Chinmay Tumbe, 2015. "Towards financial inclusion: The post office of India as a financial institution, 1880–2010," The Indian Economic & Social History Review, , vol. 52(4), pages 409-437, October.

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