A large number of Irish settled in Ancoats and it was recorded that by 1851 half of the men in Ancoats were Irish. However it was during the 19th Century when mass immigration from Italy to Ancoats occured and led to the creation of what became known as Ancoats Little Italy.
Between 1865 and 1900 thousands left Italy (mainly farming peoples) and settled in Ancoats, outnumbering the amount of English and Irish living there. They became known as the pioneers of the modern day British ice cream industry.
Ancoats was in the parish of St. Michaels, one of many Roman Catholic Churches in the area. In 1888 it was realised that a society needed to be formed for this community and the Manchester Italian Catholic Society was formed. The most popular calendar event for this society was what became known as the 'Festa of the Madonna of the Rosario', this was a procession that began at St. Vincent's convent (which has now closed down) so it now runs from the St. Michaels Roman Catholic Church.
More information can be found on: http://www.ancoatslittleitaly.com/
What interested me the most in discovering this piece of Ancoats history was the establishment of the ice cream industry and the imports of Italian food as it is well loved today. This may be a possible route for my research.
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