Scotch-Irish-L Archives

Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 1997-11 > 0880199799


From: tom gormel <>
Subject: Irish Immigrant Literacy
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 1997 06:56:39 -0500


There has been a lot of discussion recently about establishing
"paths" of different groups of SI immigrants. Soem of you folks have
mentioned that these groups of Presbyterians were well educated. The
question that comes to my mind is, did they read and write English? I
think we often take that for granted but I'm not sure that was true. My
great grandfather was a Presbyterian from County Antrim when he
immigrated to the country as a young man. He came to this country
without his family. According to the federal census records, he could
not read or write English. He signed his naturalization papers with his
"mark" (X). In the 1800's, did the most Irish immigrants speak, read
and write in Gaelic? I have often wondered if my ancestor ever
wrote to his family in Ireland telling them about his new life in the
US. If he couln't write in English, is it likely he could have written
in Gaelic?

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