This hands-on and interactive workshop explores the arrival of 250,000 Belgian Refugees into Great Britain during the First World War. Many of them made their way to London and either stayed for the duration of the war or were accommodated in other parts of the country.
Delivered by a team of experts including historians from Manchester Metropolitan, Utrecht and Huddersfield Universities, the session will start with a short introduction to this history.
With access to records held by The London Archives, this session will also explore some of their stories and gain insights into their lives in the capital and beyond. This will include overviews of the health and wellbeing of the Belgian refugees and, using materials from London County Council’s infamous Colney Hatch Asylum, will also consider the impacts of war and displacement on their mental state.
Through the study of original plans, pictures, minute books and patient files, you will learn how to conduct your own research in this field. In addition, you will discover how to work with the ‘Tracing the Belgian Refugees’ database, where you can search for and even add your own information on Belgian refugees in Britain.
