Young Immigrants to Canada

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Poor Law Unions

The Poor Law Unions appear to have started the emigration of females to Canada in the late 1840's. Many of these young women were from the Unions in Ireland, who sent women at the time of, or just after, the famine. The following is information taken mainly from Sessional Papers and British Parliamentary Papers.

1851

• 234 from the Carlow Union
• On board the Governor [sailed on April 26, 1851] there were 120 from the Newcastle Union, County Limerick; viz., 106 females, one male, and thirteen children. The females were almost all single. Of the total some 110 were sent to Bytown (present day Ottawa).
• Nenagh and Killbrush Unions sent 248 women of which 200 were sent to Toronto. From there some were sent on to Hamilton, others to St. Catherine's and some to Cobourg where work was found for them.

1852

• June 9, 1852 on the Roderick Dhu were 280 persons from the New Castle Union.
• June 26 another 160 and 200 more from the Rathkeale Union. About 75-100 of these females were sent on to Bytown where they obtained work. Off the remaining number Montreal took 13, Port Dover 60 and Kingston, Toronto and Hamilton 168. The United States claimed 30. However, a child, Mary Kallaha, aged nine, died at sea. One of the women, Mary Winn, from Kiladysart Union, was ill when she arrived at Port Dover and she was placed in the care of Dr. Seagon, who agreed to care for her until she was well and then provide her with work. A lad, Patrick Noone, from New Castle Union, stayed with Mr. Fuller at Port Dover.
• The Georgiana brought 161 people from New Castle Union August 7, 1852 and on August 10 there were 202 more from Croom Union on board the Hope. Kingston received 96 of the women from Croom Union and placed them in positions in Belleville, Ontario. Toronto employed 92 women with all of the women from the Georgiana finding work.
• July 19, 1852 saw 85 single women from the Roscommon Union sailing on board the Industry arriving at Quebec July 30. The agent sent 40 of them to the eastern townships (present day Quebec). Two of these women went to the United States to friends and the rest were sent on to Hamilton and Toronto.
• Some 54 single women, from the Strokestown Union, were on board the Alert which sailed July 28, 1852 from Dublin to Quebec. They arrived August 17 and all but three went immediately to the United States. Of the remaining three women, two found work in Montreal and the other in Bytown.
• Baltinglass Union sent 167 women on the Enterprise
• Carlow Union 160 on the Annandale

1853

• Carrickmacross Union sent 27 girls to Canada in 1853.
• On board the Crescent City, Ballymahon Union sent 56 girls who were placed in Toronto.

1858

• Some 243 persons arrived at Quebec from various Unions

1859

• In 1859 the Poor Law Unions in Ireland sent 14 widows with 20 children. Great difficulty was experienced in finding employment for them.

1862

• Ballycastle, Balrothry, Carlow, Clonmel, Cork, Kanturk, and Tullamore all sent inmates to Canada.
• 18 women arrived from the London Refuge Union.

The report of 1862 showed the following arrivals.

Unions Sending Only Women
Date	Name of Union	Women	Children
May 10, 1962	Ballycastle Union	5
May 29	Rev. Mr. Fizzelle (Dublin)	1
June 29	Cork Union	100
July 7	Balrothery Union	8	3
July 14	Tullamore Union	13
August 4	Kanturk Union	29
August 30	Callon Union	7
September 6	Rev. Mr. Frizzelle (Dublin)	4
September 6	Cork Union	2
October 24	Cork Union	2

1863

• 241 women sent from various unions in Ireland.
• Assisted passage was given to women by various Unions that year. Among them were: Rev. R. Frizelle[sic], of Dublin, 7; Waterford Union, 61; Sligo Union, 18; Clara Charitable Loan Fund, 16; Mr. Clement's Est., Co. Donegal, 3; Ennis Union, 26 and 1 male; Edenderry Union, 20 and 3 males; South Dublin Union, 34; Parsonstown Union, 17; Old Castle Union, 8; Clogher Union, 13; Kilmallock Union, 18; and St. Lewis Convent, Co. Monaghan
• Hamilton received women from Edenderry Union.

1864

• 18 Limerick Union girls came on the steamer Damascus.
• Irish Unions: Ballymahon, Cavon, Mullingar, Ballynacarrett, Edenderry, and Limerick also sent women.

1865

• Limerick Union sent 13 girls to Ottawa.
• The St. David brought 70 women, 1 man and 9 children from Limerick Union. They were sent to St. Patrick's Home in Montreal for lodging. From the same party of Limerick women 13 were sent on to Ottawa. They arrived and were placed in the Orphan's Home of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Mary Collins, Ellen Henshey and child, Kate Spealy, Margaret Moriarty, and Honora Connell were sent on to Pembroke. Four of these women then returned to Ottawa. Ann Ryan, Margaret Purtell, Bridget Mara and Bridget Mack were sent to Portage du Fort. Kate McCormick and brother, Margaret Shaughnessey, Mary Pearce and Ellen Graytrix remained in Ottawa. In addition, 9 of the Limerick girls were sent to Kingston, 6 to Camden, 3 to Amherst Island and to Ernesttown.

1874

• South Dublin Union sent a number of females to Canada July 27, 1874.

For more information on workhouses, check out Peter Higginbotham's Workhouse site and Rossbret Workhouse site.

If any one has additional information on any of these children please contact me.

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© Marjorie P. Kohli, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 1997-2002
Last updated: October 16, 2002 and maintained by Marj Kohli