London pupils set to uncover unheard French WW1 migrant stories

Historians from Goldsmiths, University of London are teaming up with London school pupils to delve into the under-explored archives of newspapers published for French-speaking migrant and refugee communities in WW1-era London.

Professor Richard Grayson and Dr Charlotte Faucher (Goldsmiths, Department of History) are working with 30 students and staff at the Lycée français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington and NewVIc 6th Form College in Newham.

Conducting original research with sources from the National Archives that historians are yet to explore, the researchers are studying the worlds of both refugee and permanently settled communities in the capital, and the interactions between these groups and the British.

They’ll take a look at the daily worries and questions faced by the French in London, their view of the war, and how the French experienced gender and social class away from home.

While French pupils aged 12-18 explore Francophone papers published in London, non-Francophone pupils are looking at 100-year-old British papers to see how migrant and refugee communities were portrayed: no doubt drawing interesting parallels with modern day reporting.   

‘Francophones in London during the First World War’ is just one project taking place through ‘Gateways to the First World War’ - a WW1 centenary public engagement centre funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

The project links to the Gateways theme of ‘life on the home front’. It aims to broaden the historical perspective on the First World War initially among children of today’s Francophone community in London and lead them to act as historians.

Professor Grayson, who has extensive experience working with schools on WW1 and WW2 history projects, comments: “This is an exciting opportunity for academics and schools to work together on a topic which has both historical and contemporary significance. I know that students will relish using primary sources and that their skills as historians will develop significantly.”

Dr Faucher, an expert on Francophones in London during the war comments: “The literature on Belgian refugees in Britain during the First World War has developed over the last three decades but little is known about other French communities in Britain at the time, be they refugees or part of the established communities.

“There have only been two survey publications on the history of London’s French community – in 1933 and 2013 - and these did not touch on the First World War.”

“By taking a linguistic rather than national approach to the topic, we’ll be searching for information and fascinating stories written for or about Belgian, French, Swiss and perhaps African nationals living in London a century ago.”

Over the course of the project, pupils and teachers will be writing a blog in which they will reflect on the processes of historical research and showcase their archival findings.

The project will lead to a bilingual exhibition which will be mobile and travel to a number of places over time.

Follow the project at ww1francophonesinlondon.wordpress.com

A Twitter feed - @WW1LondonFranco - is also up and running.