Lithuanians

Often confused with the Polish, it is thought that the majority of Lithuanian Christians arrived in Scotland between 1890 and 1905.

They left for economic reasons and to escape the Russian feudal land system, military conscription and the suppression of the Lithuanian language, culture and religion. They worked as labourers in the factories of Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, and in the mines of Edinburgh and Fife.

Once settled, they sent for their families and formed small communities in these areas, with their own organisations, shops, clergy and newspapers.

Over the years however, they have become progressively assimilated into the majority community. Many people's Lithuanian names were changed by officialdom or by Lithuanians themselves, in an attempt to avoid discrimination in employment.