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Archiver > Scotch-Irish > 2006-06 > 1151328905


From:
Subject: Re: [Sc-Ir] Re:Early ports before 1800
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 13:35:05 +0000


Hi Beverley, I don't know how wonderful it was -- but one reason to start our genealogy society is so that we can jumpstart our journey by reading some essays or articles rather than some 100 year old two-volume book!

When I first started this, there was a lot of speculation on the list I was then on (not this)
about where the Irish Protestants had gone. At one time Dublin was a Protestant town
(of course so was Boston once <grin>), and every town had some. Plus there were colonies
of German and French and Flemish Protestants. They're gone. Where? No one really knew.

Then I did some Ontario research for a client and read a book on the Irish up there.
They were largely Methodists and largely from areas outside of Ulster. They all went
to Canada!!! Mystery solved.

Of course many other people migrated from the southern colonies north, lured by
attractive land schemes. They were not all loyalists. There were a couple land
speculation schemes 'up there' too as I recall. I believe there's information in the archives.
These never went too well with the Ulster Scot since he'd been burnt too many times
by 'big men' as well as the government. Discovering that your ancestor arrived due
to a land scheme is a major discovery since the agent recruited from a small area
(no national TV shows to run ads on then) and once you figure out where they
recruited from you'll find your man.

I have heard the settlement of Canada was delayed due to the black fly! Having fallen their victim in New England I can believe it <grin>!

Linda Merle


-------------- Original message --------------
From: "BAClarkson" <>

> Thanks, Linda, for this wonderful essay!
>
> It provides a huge clue as to why so many Scots Irish came to Canada via the
> USA- clearly family were already here, probably the earliest Scots and
> Scotch Irish who made those first desperate missions to the New World- told
> them it was safe and that there was unattached arable land. Since Canada was
> largely settled later as you have pointed out, it fits. We never were that
> great at venture capitalism, so we got a wonderful heritage.
>
> New Brunswick, I have come to learn, was almost called New Ireland when
> formed in 1784 because most of the settlers whether Loyalists or not came
> from there.
>
> Beverley
>
>
>

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