Researching Your Windrush Generation Family History

This article explores the origins, contributions, and legacy of the Windrush generation, with a focus on how to research family history linked to this significant group. 

HMT Empire Windrush

The 75th Anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush in 1948 has stimulated a broad interest in the migration movement that saw an estimated 500,000 people arrive in Britain between 1948 and 1971 from former colonies in the West Indies, East Indies, Africa, and India.2 This migration laid the foundation for a modern multicultural Britain, and the stories of the Windrush generation have become an important part of British family history.

Everyday Legacy Tree Genealogists works with clients to discover their family history in Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad, and Guyana, among so many others, connecting them to a history that can often be shrouded in uncertainty. 

Paddington Station, Westminster, Memorial Plaque

While this blog article focuses on those who arrived from the twenty or more colonies in the West Indies, immigrants arrived from across the British Commonwealth, including colonies in India, Africa, and the East Indies, and Legacy Tree Genealogists is honoured to research the family histories of them all. These hopeful immigrants shaped a nation not only in an economical capacity, but in a cultural one—Caribbean music, food, and literature has become important to the identity of the United Kingdom. The long-overdue celebration of the impact these migrants had on Britain has encouraged many descendants to seek an understanding of their own place in the complicated history of the Windrush Generation.  

Who Were the Migrants of the Windrush Generation? 

After the devastation of World War II, Britain critically needed workers to help rebuild its economy. Bombings across the country had left major cities in ruins, badly needing to be rebuilt; one in six Londoners were left homeless after the war.4 At the same time, war deaths left the workforce decimated. In particular, the British Government was calling for workers to support the postal service, the transport system, and the new National Health.  

1940 Blitz bomb damage to Hallam and Duchess Streets, Westminster, London

Simultaneously, life in many of the Caribbean colonies was difficult. Jamaica was widely damaged by a hurricane in 1944, poverty rates were high, and wages were advertised as up to five times higher in Britain. At this point in history, residents of the British West Indies were British or Commonwealth citizens. Though independence movements were growing, many considered Britain their mother country—they assumed they would be welcomed and valued for the contributions they could make to an economy in ruins.6 Instead in many cases they were met with racist hostility, living conditions no better or worse than those they left behind, and jobs they were often over-qualified for. Because of these painful facts, many families didn’t discuss their origins and descendants are now looking for answers. 

What Records Remain for The WindRush Generation? 

Although researching family history in the modern era can be difficult due to privacy restrictions, there are many avenues available to descendants looking to trace their Caribbean heritage. 

1. Oral History — Oral histories play a critical role in tracing Caribbean family history. Even the smallest pieces of information—a vaguely remember name or possible village can place you on the right path to finding your ancestors. Interview as many living relatives as you can now to avoid losing important information. 
2. Birth, Marriage, and Death Records — Birth, marriage, and death records can be ordered from the General Register Office. The closer to the current day the event is, the more specific the information that may be required. These records can provide specific birthplaces and dates and parent names, which will aid in finding the right family in the islands. 
3. Passenger Lists — Passenger lists are available for both incoming (BT 26) and outgoing (BT 27) ships from ports in the United Kingdom between 1878 and 1960. Outbound lists are available through The National Archives’ official partner, Find My Past, while both inbound and outbound lists are available through Ancestry.com.7 If you can’t find what you are looking for in one database, it is worth checking in the other since indexing can vary. 
4. Immigration Documents — Immigration requirements changed over time for people born in colonies and Commonwealth countries. Because of this fact, varying documents were created with each new Act. The different documents created and where to access them is complicated, but an excellent place to start is MyHeritage’s database United Kingdom, Naturalisation Certificates and Declarations. These naturalisation documents often include very specific birth places. Other documents related to sponsored immigration and sometimes found at The National Archives include employment contracts, trade union membership documents, housing agreements, and school registrations. 
5. The British Nationality Act of 1948 gave anyone with a Commonwealth passport the same residence and employment rights as anyone with a British passport. 
6. The Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1962 revoked these automatic rights and required Commonwealth citizens to apply for work permits. 
7. The Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1968 further restricted immigration rights of Commonwealth citizens. Unless they had a parent or grandparent born in Britain, they were subject to the same restrictions as immigrants from non-Commonwealth countries. 
8. The Immigration Act of 1971 effectively ended the Windrush migration by replacing work permits with limited-time employment vouchers. 
9. Caribbean Archives — archives in the Caribbean vary by island in their accessibility, records retention, and in what records were initially created. Most research here requires working with onsite researchers, and exhausting all British sources first is recommended for the most success. 

What is the Windrush Scandal, and Why Does it Matter? 

One of the main challenges in preserving Windrush legacies is the loss or destruction of documents, a problem highlighted by the Windrush Scandal. Young children arrived in Britain on their parents’ passports. They were given landing cards, the only document proving their legal immigration status, which were collected when they arrived in Britain. In 2010, the Home Office destroyed these landing cards, leaving an estimated 15,000 people or more with no way to prove their legal status. Many were illegally deported. If your ancestor was one of these children, documentation may be hard to locate, though tracing them is not impossible. 

Connecting Generations 

The stories of the Windrush generation are being revitalized, ensuring that future generations understand their historical significance. Educational programmes in schools, as well as documentaries, films, and books, help to preserve these legacies. Museums and cultural centres have created exhibitions dedicated to the Windrush experience, and digital projects, such as the Windrush Archive and online databases, have made it easier to access records related to this era. These efforts are crucial in safeguarding the stories of this generation and the family histories connected to them. Legacy Tree Genealogists is honoured to be a part of connecting living descendants to their Windrush Generation ancestors. For those interested in tracing their Windrush roots, reach out today.