The figures given above of 500,000 dying as a result of the Blight in North East England would suggest that they did not "avoid the terrible plight of famine"

The fact that the urban centres in the North East of England were booming and could accomidate a displaced rural population goes someway to explain why there wasn't a large migration from the area. Indeed the growth of North East industry accomidated large numbers of Irish migrants peacefully into the urban industrial population.