Westward Cork Migration by Sail 1815-1860 by John Sutton

PART I CALENDAR OF CORK EMIGRANT SHIP SAILINGS 1815-60

States might invade Upper Canada through Upper New York, cutting the St Lawrence River link between Montreal and the British naval base at Kingston. The Ottawa River, with a few improvements, was navigable between Montreal and Bytown. The British also greatly improved defenses at Quebec City, Kingston and Halifax at this time, and encouraged the settlement of Upper Canada through emigration. The completion provided an immediate improvement for agriculture in Upper Canada and a calmer waterway for Great Lake shipping, since the St Lawrence between Kingston and Montreal still had seasonal turbulent shallow sections. ( The Rideau Canal became the oldest continuously operating canal system in North America and in 2007 was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site .) * Head Tax in New Canadian Emigrant Bill ‘The Emigrant Tax Bill, in conformity to the dispatch from the Minister of the Colonial Department, has passed through both Houses of the Legislature. It imposes a tax of 5 shillings currency a head on each adult passenger or emigrant coming to Canada, from any port in the United Kingdom; two children under fourteen years of age and three under seven years of age, reckon as a grown person, children under twelve months do not reckon as passengers. The Bill has excited an extraordinary sensation in the mercantile body, who regard it as destructive of the shipping interest, and as the sure means of turning the route of Emigrants, even those whose ultimate destination is Canada, to New York, where a Company is generally said to be forming for the purpose of conveying Emigrants from the United Kingdom to that port, and forwarding them thence to Canada, at a lower rate than they can obtain passage to Quebec, and be forwarded to the Montreal District and to Upper Canada, by the St. Lawrence’ ( The Quebec Mercury , 27 Feb 1832). * Port of Quebec Report 41,809 emigrants arrived through July 1832 at the Port of Quebec, with the following distribution: Ireland: 23,242 ( 55.5%), England: 14,375 (34%), Scotland: 3,823 (9%) *UK Emigration Report 103,140 emigrants departed the UK in 1832 : BNA: 64%, US: 32%, Australia: 3.6%. * Cork Emigrant Departures 1832-37. Between 1832 and 1837 , Cork Harbour saw an average yearly departure of 4,103 emigrants. This made it Ireland’s fourth busiest emigrant departure point after Londonderry, Belfast, and Dublin, each of which saw marginally more emigrants depart during that period (McCarthy 2019, 198). 1833 A-LIST

Ship

Captain

Cork Dep

Arrival

Voyage Emigrants

Source

ALBION VITTORIA

Abel Isaac

12 Apr 12 Apr

Quebec Quebec Quebec

passengers 1 8 passengers 1 8 passengers 1 8

Mitchel

ROBERT MCWILLIAM DOMINICA

Williamson 12 Apr

H Bowman 12 Apr

Quebec

passengers 1 8