Myriam Cherti, Institute for Public Policy Research
Afriat and Bejelloun, Belisha and Benkiran are names of some of the pioneers of Moroccan migration to Britain in the 18th and 19th century. Most of them were traders in silverware and textile from Fes who ventured in setting up businesses in Britain after the English cotton goods entered Morocco via Gibraltar and Tangier. The historical development of Manchester as the manufacturing and commercial centre of the British textile industry, particularly the mass production of cotton, made the city universally famous. The Moroccan cotton traders who made Manchester their home for almost a century became noted as much for their business integrity as their distinct religious practices and cultural traditions. By juxtaposing the family histories of the Afriats and the Benjellouns this paper offers a brief insight into the unique experiences of early accounts of integration, belonging, entrepreneurship and transnational practices.