ABSTRACT
Despite the large number of migration studies outlined in Chapter 1, there remains a basic lack of information about the ways in which the direction and characteristics of migration changed over time and space from the late-eighteenth century. This chapter, therefore, provides an introductory description of the pattern of migration in Britain investigating a series of questions, including the following. What were the characteristics of migrants and non-migrants? Where did people move from and to? How frequently did individuals move home? What distance did people move? Why did individuals and families decide to move house? The chapter investigates the extent to which these features varied over time, between British regions, and from one migrant to another depending on personal characteristics. Later chapters will focus in more detail on the process of migration, in an attempt to explain these patterns and investigate the impact of migration on people and its significance for wider society.
