McGowan - Death or Canada: the Irish famine migration to Toronto, 1847

DEATH
OR
CANADA

DEATH
OR
CANADA

The Irish Famine Migration to Toronto, 1847

Mark G. McGowan

A Manuscript Researched and Written in Conjunction with the Ireland Park Foundation and the Ballinran-Tile Films Production, Death or Canada
2009 Novalis Publishing Inc.

Book Design: Blaine Herrmann
Cover images: Movie still from Ballinran Productions Limited (front cover, top); Entrance to Toronto, Library and Archives Canada (front cover, bottom); Ballinran Productions (front flap); Ballinran Productions (back flap, top); M. McGowan (back flap, middle); Caherciveen Famine Cemetery, Kerry, E.J.P. McGowan (back cover).
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Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

McGowan, Mark, 1959 Death or Canada : the Irish migration to Toronto, 1847 Mark G. McGowan.

A manuscript researched and written in conjunction with the Ireland Park Foundation and the Ballinran-Title Films Production, Death or Canada. Includes bibliographical references.

Print ISBN 978-2-89646-129-5
PDF ISBN 978-289646-754-9
ePub ISBN 978-2-89646-887-4

1. IrishOntarioTorontoHistory--19th century. 2. IrelandHistoryFamine, 1845-1852. 3. CanadaEmigration and _immigration--History19th century. 4. IrelandEmigration and _immigrationHistory19th century. 5. Toronto (Ont.)Social conditions19th century. 6. Toronto (Ont.)History19th century. I. Title.

FC3097.9.I6 M32 2009 971.35410049162 C2009-900705-3

Printed in Canada.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the

Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our publishing activities.

Upon the whole I am obliged to consider the immigration of this year a calamity to the Province.

Anthony B. Hawke

Chief Emigrant Agent, Canada West

16 October 1847

The Irish Labourers Pater Noster

In Te Domine speravi

Give us this day our daily bread

Father in Mercy, hear our Prayer.

All hope in human aid has fled

We sink in deep despair

Our little ones scream out with pain

And clamour to be fed.

Father, they cry out to us in vain

Give us our daily bread.

Oer the gaunt infant at the breast

The mother bows her head.

The fount is dry, in vain tis prest

Give us our daily bread.

The eldest born, with hollow eye

And eager stealthy tread.

Would take the food we cannot buy

Give us our daily bread.

We must not beghe shall not steal

Though stores before us spread.

But we will work with earnest zeal

Give us our daily bread.

Famine hath laid her withering hand

Upon each little head.

Oh Christ! Is this a Christian land?

Give us our daily bread.

Thy will be doneFather receive

Our souls when we are dead.

In heaven we shall not pine and grieve

Or want our daily bread.

J.P.L. Walton, 29 December 1846
Limerick Reporter, 15 January 1847

Contents

Acknowledgements

Th I chose to write an overview of the events with the intent of placing the Famine in its historical context, while offering a glimpse of Toronto history that is still relatively unknown to most of the citys citizens.

As I ploughed through newspapers and correspondence of the time, I became increasingly impressed by the stories of individual initiative and courage: Michael Power, Torontos first Roman Catholic bishop, who died of typhus while serving the migrants; of George Grasett, MD, who lost his life as a result of daily contact with sick Irish migrants at the General Hospital; of Edward McElderry, the Emigration agent who met and dispersed the hordes landing at Reess wharfhe eventually died of dysentery, leaving a widow and eight children. These stories needed to be told. As my research assistant, Michael Chard, and I dug deeper, new evidence of the human story of the migration came to lightlists of the sick and the dead, who had until now been forgotten by history. As a social historian I was compelled to bring their lives to the fore; their names are listed in Appendix C.

I would like to thank Robert Kearns and the Ireland Park Foundation board of directors for their suggestion that this project be undertaken and for their financial help for the employ of two research assistants. Michael Chard, the principal research assistant, pursued clues like an intrepid detective; he has all the instincts of Hercule Poirot, combined with the industriousness of a gifted historical researcher, and the offbeat, intelligent humour of Gary Larson. Without his assistance, this volume would not have been possible. Patrick McGowan provided needed computer expertise and transcribed the Convalescent Hospital Ledger into a machine-readable data sheet. When published, this ledger should prove invaluable to researchers. Pat also pieced together the list of the dead from the fragments that Michael and I were able to provide for him. We began with about three dozen names; our Appendix C now contains the names of over 660 persons.

Neil Sands completed some excellent work begun by Michael Chard in the records of St. James Cemetery, and assisted with compiling the new list of the Famine victims. Once again, my most trusted colleague in archives, Marc Lerman, allowed Michael and me to probe the riches of Archives of the Archdiocese of Toronto (see Appendix D); Nancy Mallet gave similar assistance in the archives of St. James Cathedral (Anglican). Seamus Beattie, my good friend, assisted me as I navigated through the records of Limerick City and through the vast historical papers of Theresa ONeill, his late aunt, who was one of Irelands most dedicated local historians. Our search for the Irish sailing ship the Jeanie Johnston has become legendary in Warrenpoint, County Down. I am also very grateful for the assistance I received from Dermot Foley, Tom Dwane, and Kevin Hannafin, who directed me to specific Famine sites in County Kerry. Dr. Victor Fennell of Camp, on the Dingle Peninsula, offered my wife and me invaluable assistance on one of Irelands wettest days as we explored, logged and photographed Famine ruins at Killelton.

I would also like to thank Novalis Publishing, particularly Kevin Burns, former Editorial Director, English Books, who greatly encouraged this project at a time of my own despair. Since then, Michael OHearn and Ronald Albert have provided a steady hand in guiding the manuscript through various publishing hurdles. Most recently, Anne Louise Mahoney provided needed editorial expertise and has made this a much better book.