RootsChat.Com

bykerlads,

Sorry,  wish I kept my written notes; my browsing history clears daily.   I started with newspapers during that era,  then advertising, woolen mills, emigration, immigrants, which led to illegal hiring of contract laborers, etc.  I checked for  historic newspapers on Ancestry, but that seemed a dead-end.  I remember checking  Google maps to see where the towns in the UK were located and which town/city would seem  most likely targeted by advertisers.  I already knew where Lawrence was, since I had lived there in the 1970's.

I read some of the government  report, but with over 700 pages,  I skimmed.  I read that  the men who were recruiting UK workers were paid commisions by the mill owners  for every employable person they could bring to America. And the steam ship lines were in on it as well.  But some of the testimony was so well coached, it was difficult reading.  I guess everyone knew it was illegal, but when a family has a chance for a better life and full employment for all who are old enough to work, well, that looked better than what they were leaving behind.  And their passage was either paid in advance by the agent, or refunded when they reached the American woollen mill.   I found it interesting that the advertisements were not just for the man of the family, but for the man and several of his children.

This search was similar to one I made to find out how the other side of my family was recruited from eastern Europe to work in coal mines in Pennsylvania.

Just Googled and got this:  House of Representatives 50th Congress July 1888, the testimonies regarding the illegal import of workers were transcribed into a book.  One example:
Testimony of Jonas Denby (origianlly from Keighly) of Lawrence, Massachusetts
testimony given  to the House Committee July 1888

He states that advertisements were place in Keighly News, Nov 1886, Bradford Observer, Bradford Daily Telegraph, Leeds Daily News, and Kidderminster Shuttle by a Mr F H Johnson, of Bradley, Huddersfield wanting to (illegally)  import woolen mill workers (adults and children)  to America and to pay their fare.  He answered the ad and emigrated to America with his family so that he and 4 or 5 of his young children could work in the Lawrence Mills.

Google it.  There's over 300 pages

Ancestry will not allow combining two trees.
Period.  No fun.

One more suggestion:
I learned my lesson after watching friends try to kill their printers out of sheer frustration when not working properly.   I copy everything I need printed and go to the library.  The computers there have printers.  The cost is usually very reasonable