Westward Cork Migration by Sail 1815-1860 by John Sutton

PART I CALENDAR OF CORK EMIGRANT SHIP SAILINGS 1815-60

Missouri River to the Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, Utah and destinations in California, is still regarded by scholars as the largest land migration in history’ (Buck 2015, 15). What might the relevance of the Oregon Trail be for our Irish emigrants struggling to reach America’s shore? Oregon was sparsely populated and the California population in 1840 was a mere 8,000. Oregon would not achieve statehood until 14 February 1859, whereas California would achieve statehood 9 September 1850 - and neither had a significant Irish population in the mid-1840s. Yet Ireland would be documented as the country that provided the most foreign-born citizens to both Oregon and California in the 1860 US Census. Their migration would have taken them from their east American arrival ports, onward by sea (interrupted by the Panama isthmus) or overland on the Oregon Trail. Many proved up to the challenge and recall that railways could provide but little help in the 1840s and 50s.

1844 A-LIST

Ship

Captain

Cork Dep

Arrival

Voyage Emigrants Source

PALLAS URANIA

Robert Hall Thomas Cooper Clarke

5 Apr 18 Apr 1844

St John 26 May

emigrants 1 8 12 emigrants 1 8 emigrants 1 8 10 12 emigrants 8 12 emigrants 8 12 emigrants 1 8 emigrants 1 8 emigrants 1 8

Quebec

JOHN FRANCIS

Henry Deaves 29 Apr

St John NB 30 May 1844 St John NB 31 May 1844 St John 22 Jun St John NB

THOMAS HANFORD ISADORE ALBION

Arthur Herbert

J Dunbar Thomas Howell Benjamin Matson Thomas Prosser

9 May

BACHE MCEVERS Clancy

19 May 21 May

St Andrews NB

KINGSTON

Quebec

KANGAROO

15 Jun

Quebec

emigrants 1 8

B-LIST Coxon

– of Newcastle sailed for St John NB from Cork 15 Apr with emigrants. Arrived 26 May. – of Newcastle sailed for Quebec from Cork 18 Apr with emigrants. – of Seaton sailed for St John NB from Cork 20 Apr with emigrants. Arrived 30 May. -- of Annan arrived at New York from Glasgow via Cork 8 Jun with emigrants. – of London arrived at St John NB from Cork 9 Jun with emigrants. – (port unknown) arrived at St John NB from Cork 20 Jul with emigrants.

Four Sisters

Martha

Bark Eagle

Clio Kitty