Cork emigrant ships also travelled to St John, New Brunswick in 1847. Details of their voyages can be found in Section 4: Abeona , Aeneas , Bache McEvers , Caledonia , Enterprize, Kingston , Mary x 3, Pallas and Sally .
Addendum : A question for the curious reader.
Between May and December 1847, the State of New York documented 52,946 Irish immigrants arriving in New York, the main American port of entry. Based on several sources, 90%, approximately 47,650 of them, arrived on ships from Liverpool with a mortality rate of 1.9%. In that same year ships from Liverpool carried 27,051 Irish emigrants to Quebec, the main Canadian port of entry. These experienced a mortality rate of 15.36% which was an eightfold higher death rate than that of those travelling to New York. Embarkation at the Port of Liverpool has been identified as a major morbidity-mortality risk factor that year for the Irish travelling to Quebec: the death rate matching slavery's darkest years. Yet for that larger cohort who chose instead the voyage from Liverpool to New York the mortality was within the limits of ‘ normal ’ for European travellers. Since these approximately 74,700 Irish emigrants all sailed during the same period out of the Port of Liverpool, how do you explain the low mortality rate in New York in comparison with the high mortality rate documented in Quebec?
Famine and emigration
( Tottenham )
During and immediately following the Irish Famine, 1845 – 55, emigration from Ireland to the USA was almost 1.5 million with another 340,000 travelling to British North America. Many sailed from Ireland to ports in Britain (particularly Liverpool) to catch much larger and more seaworthy vessels to America. Passage from Ireland to Liverpool was relatively cheap and 1.5 million Irish immigrants arrived in that city 1846 – 51 of which half to two thirds proceeded to the USA or Canada. This was reflected in the Irish population of Liverpool which increased from 17% to 24%, in just one generation after the Famine (1871). The percentages of ship sailings by port, carrying Irish emigrants to New York 1846 – 51, were: Liverpool 60%, London 6%, Glasgow 7%, Other UK 2%, Ireland 24%, Other Europe 1% (Crowley, Smyth and Murphy).
Fish Trade
( Elizabeth )
The contribution the Roches of Kinsale made to Irish maritime history is documented : ‘ in 1537, only forty- five years after Columbus’s historic crossing, the Mighell of Kinsale, with merchant John Roche aboard, landed 4000 of salt fish of the New Land at Bristol, and 1000 more belonging to Edmond Mollege ’ (De Courcy 1992) . This fish trade with the northeast ports of modern- day Canada continued: ‘ The carriage of codfish in bulk gave employment to a large fleet of brigantines and schooners right up to the start of the First World War. It was a hazardous trade which required the greatest skill on the
359
Powered by FlippingBook