genealogy - vre2.upei.ca
TRANSCRIPT
- by Terrence M. Punch
When the time came to unveil this statue of Daniel OVonnell in Dublin in 1882, it was OVonnell the Emancipator who was being celebrated, not the frustrated exponent of Repeal
This Island story has its roots in Nova Scotia. One hundred and
forty years ago, the Roman Catholics of Halifax, Nova Scotia, were predom- inantly Irish by birth or descent. A largely ethnic difference had resulted in the creation of two Roman Catholic dioceses in the colony. Cape Breton and eastern mainland Nova Scotia belonged to the Highland Scots; the Diocese of Halifax was solidly Irish. As one might expect, therefore, the local Catholic newspaper tended towards an Irish attitude in political affairs. Rather insensitively, then, has a 20th century writer, Gertrude N. Tratt, described the Register as "intended to create or foster controversy.... Frankly Irish partisan, it attacked and was attacked by the Protestant and Conservative press in the Capital."
The Register continued only for five years. But such a five years they proved to be! The period 1841-1845 must be regarded as the political highpoint of Irish Nova Scotia history. (Indeed, until Reformer Joseph Howe made the blun- der of falling out with the Roman Catholics in the late 1850s, the Catholic vote was pivotal to his success.) During that period, an Irish constitutional issue stirred and helped to politicize Irish feeling everywhere. That issue was Repeal of the Act of Union of 1801 (which had immersed the Dublin Par- liament within the British Parliament a t Westminster). Led by Daniel O'Connell, whose successful struggle for Catholic political rights in the 1820s
had made him the spokesman for the awakening nationalism of the Irish populace, the campaign for Repeal was the Irish issue of the early 1840s.
Repeal Associations or groups of sympathizers existed wherever there was a community of emigrant Irish- men. Hotbeds of Repeal sentiment developed in Halifax and St. John's, Newfoundland, the places haying the largest numbers of urban-dwelling Irish in this region before the Great Famine of 1846-49 pushed new waves of emi- grants out of Ireland. It was not long before these gentlemen felt a mission- ary urge to carry the gospel of Repeal throughout the region. Prominent Re- pealers from Newfoundland and Hali- fax converged on Charlottetown, in neighbouring Prince Edward Island, to help organize the movement in the island colony. There they were assisted, no doubt, by Edward Whelan, a 19 year-old journalistic prodigy and ardent Repealer, who had been editor of the Register until early 1843. That summer, he had established his own n e w s p a p e r , t h e Palladium, in Charlottetown.
The Repealers succeeded in holding Repeal meetings northeast of Char- lottetown, at Fort Augustus and Mon- aghan (Watervale), and to the west, at Barrett's Cross Roads (Kensington) and Bedeque. Probably as a token of their success, the Halifax Repeal leaders reported the names of those attending their meetings in the Catholic (read "Irish") press of Halifax. Accordingly,
a compilation was published in the Register of November 6,1843.
Examination of these lists uncovers several interesting facts. Along with their names, for example, the birth- places of many Repealers were re- corded. The lists also reveal that sev- eral Repealers were women, and that a good proportion of the Island Repeal- ers were not Irish, but Scots. One was
Edward Whelan, editor of the Palla- dian (ex- of the Halifax Register,), was the champion of Repeal on Prince Edward Island in 1843.
29
even an Englishman! Altogether, 150 Island Repealers are listed, all but 30 of them with their birthplace recorded. The value of such a list to the genealo- gist and historian must be appreciable, and I am very pleased to offer it for the analysis of scholars and the informa- tion of family historians.
Sources
The lists published in this article came from the November 6, 1843 edition of
the Halifax Register (copy in private hands). Gertrude Pratt's remarks about that publication appear in A Survey and Listing of Nova Scotia Newspap- ers, 1752-1957 (Halifax: Dalhousie University School of Library Service, 1979), p. 71. More on the Irish Catholic community in Nova Scotia, and the Repeal movement there, can be found in my "Larry Doyle and Nova Scotia," in Talamh An Eisc: Canadian and Irish Essays (Halifax: Nimbus Pub- lishing Ltd., 1986).
And what of the Repeal movement itself? It was doomed. The British government and people had no inten- tion whatever of acceding to the dis- solution of the Act of Union, however massive Irish agitation became. Brit- ish intransigence, O'Connell's tempor- ary imprisonment, and, finally, the devastating Famine conspired to kill the movement, ifil
Repeal meeting at Ten Mile House, St. Peter's Road:
1. Joseph Affleck, Dumfrieshire, Scotland 2. Daniel Bradley, Donagh, Donegal 3. Mrs. D. Bradley, Donagh, Donegal 4. John Byrnes, Monasterevin, Kildare
7. Philip Coyle, Drumsnat, Monaghan
Clonfeacle) 9. Anthony Dougan, Donagh, Monaghan
10. James Dougan, Donagh, Monaghan
12. James Fitzpatrick, Portarlington, Queen's 13. Mrs. J. Fitzpatrick, Donagh, Monaghan 14. Arthur Fitzpatrick, Charlottetown, PEI 15. James Hughes, Tehallan, Monaghan 16. John McCarron, Donagh, Monaghan
18. Bernard McKenna, Donagh, Monaghan 19. Owen McManus, Kilmore, Monaghan 20. John McPhedy, Donagh, Monaghan 21. Andrew McPhee 22. Peter McPhee, Rockcorry, Monaghan 23. John [Mc]Phee, Rockcorry, Monaghan 24. Francis McQuaid, Carnahoe, Monaghan 25. James McQuaid, Carnahoe, Monaghan (Carnowen,
Parish of Killeevan) 26. John McQuaid, Carnahoe, Monaghan 27. John McWeid, Donagh, Monaghan 28. Henry Mooney, Jr., Co. Monaghan 29. John Mooney, Donagh, Monaghan 30. Mrs. L. Mooney, Donagh, Monaghan 31. Patrick Mooney, Co. Monaghan 32. Robert Mooney, Donagh, Monaghan 33. Robert Mooney, Donagh, Monaghan 34. Henry Morney, Donagh, Monaghan 35. James Moynagh, Donagh, Monaghan 36. John Moynagh, Donagh, Monaghan 37. James O'Connors, Graiguenamanagh, Kilkenny 38. Michael Treanor, Scotstown, Monaghan
Repealers resident at New London Settlement:
39. Matthew Corrick, The Rower, Kilkenny 40. John Deagan, Willan, King's
41. Alexander Finlay, Banffshire, Scotland 42. James McLaughlin, Sr., Donegal Town 43. James McLaughlin, Jr., Donegal Town
45. Patrick Morrison, Tehallan, Monaghan
Repealers named for Try on Settlement:
46. Philip Began, Annaghbeg, Monaghan (Parish of
54. Mark Foran, St. James Parish, Wexford 55. James Funehan, Callan, Kilkenny
58. Nicholas Kent, Old Ross, Wexford 59. Donald McDonald
67. James O'Connel, City of Waterford 68. Paul Perry
The largest gathering of Repealers was the eighty-one
70. James Barratt, Queens 71. Mrs. Thomas Barratt, Carlow
73. John Brennan, Wexford 74. Martin Brennan, Wexford
30
75. John Campbell 76. James Conners, Kerry 77. John Connick, Sr., Kildare/Wexford 78. Daniel Connors, Kerry 79. James Connrick, Wexford 80. Margaret Connrick, Wexford 81. Bernard Croaklin, Monaghan 82. John Cullaton, Wexford 83. Maurice Curran, Waterford 84. Michael Deegan, Queen's 85. William Deegan 86. Edward Delaney, Callan, Kilkenny 87. Mrs. Edward Delaney, Kilkenny 88. John Delaney, Queen's 89. Simon Delaney, Kilkenny 90. Garrett Dempsey, Wexford 91. Miss Julia Donoghue, Portarlington, Queen's 92. Timothy Driscoll, Drumbeg, Cork 93. John Duggan, Queens's 94. Anne Dunn, Queen's 95. John Dunn, Kilmacthomas, Waterford 96. Thomas Dunphy, Kilkenny 97. Daniel Ferris, Cork 98. John Hennesy, Youghal, Cork 99. Peter Hickey, Sr., Queen's
100. Thomas Hickey 101. William Hickey 102. John Terence Kavanagh, Monaghan 103. Ephraim Keed, Nova Scotia 104. Patrick Kelly, Tyrone 105. Michael Lacey, Wexford 106. John Larrissy, Kilkenny 107. Arthur McGill, Antrim 108. John Mclntyre 109. Roderick Mclntyre 110. John McKenna, Monaghan 111. Alexander McKinnon 112. Alexander McLellan
113. Angus McLellan 114. Angus McLellan 115. Donald McLellan 116. John McLellan 117. James McMillan 118. Donald McMullen 119. Hugh McNeil 120. Malcolm McNiel 121. Dennis Maher, Mullinahone, Tipperary 122. Edmond Maher, Mullinahone, Tipperary 123. Thomas Maher, Mullinahone, Tipperary 124. Michael Meagher, Tipperary 125. Niel Morrison 126. Mrs. Morrison, Tralee, Kerry 127. Lawrence Mullally, Kilkenny 128. Luttrell Mulligan, Monaghan 129. Michael Mullin, Monaghan 130. Peter Mullin, Monaghan 131. Patrick Murphy, Monaghan 132. Mrs. Moses Cormick 133. James O'Brien, Clashmore, Waterford 134. Mathew O'Shea, Tipperary 135. John Perkins 136. James Power, Waterford 137. John Power, Waterford 138. Patrick Power, Waterford 139. Mrs. Power, Waterford 140. Margaret Shehan, Midleton, Cork 141. Michael Shehan, Midleton, Cork 142. Norah Shehan, Midleton, Cork 143. Patrick Shehan, Cork 144. Hugh Tiph [or Sept], Sussex, England 145. Miles Trenor, Monaghan 146. James Traynor, Monaghan 147. Thomas Walsh, Ballinaskill, Queen's 148. John Whelan, Monaghan 149. William Whelan, Drumsnat, Monaghan
Distribution of the 5,600 people on Prince Edward Island born in Ireland, 1848 (after Clark, Three Centuries and the Island [Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1959J)
31
When the time came to unveil this statue of Daniel OVonnell in Dublin in 1882, it was OVonnell the Emancipator who was being celebrated, not the frustrated exponent of Repeal
This Island story has its roots in Nova Scotia. One hundred and
forty years ago, the Roman Catholics of Halifax, Nova Scotia, were predom- inantly Irish by birth or descent. A largely ethnic difference had resulted in the creation of two Roman Catholic dioceses in the colony. Cape Breton and eastern mainland Nova Scotia belonged to the Highland Scots; the Diocese of Halifax was solidly Irish. As one might expect, therefore, the local Catholic newspaper tended towards an Irish attitude in political affairs. Rather insensitively, then, has a 20th century writer, Gertrude N. Tratt, described the Register as "intended to create or foster controversy.... Frankly Irish partisan, it attacked and was attacked by the Protestant and Conservative press in the Capital."
The Register continued only for five years. But such a five years they proved to be! The period 1841-1845 must be regarded as the political highpoint of Irish Nova Scotia history. (Indeed, until Reformer Joseph Howe made the blun- der of falling out with the Roman Catholics in the late 1850s, the Catholic vote was pivotal to his success.) During that period, an Irish constitutional issue stirred and helped to politicize Irish feeling everywhere. That issue was Repeal of the Act of Union of 1801 (which had immersed the Dublin Par- liament within the British Parliament a t Westminster). Led by Daniel O'Connell, whose successful struggle for Catholic political rights in the 1820s
had made him the spokesman for the awakening nationalism of the Irish populace, the campaign for Repeal was the Irish issue of the early 1840s.
Repeal Associations or groups of sympathizers existed wherever there was a community of emigrant Irish- men. Hotbeds of Repeal sentiment developed in Halifax and St. John's, Newfoundland, the places haying the largest numbers of urban-dwelling Irish in this region before the Great Famine of 1846-49 pushed new waves of emi- grants out of Ireland. It was not long before these gentlemen felt a mission- ary urge to carry the gospel of Repeal throughout the region. Prominent Re- pealers from Newfoundland and Hali- fax converged on Charlottetown, in neighbouring Prince Edward Island, to help organize the movement in the island colony. There they were assisted, no doubt, by Edward Whelan, a 19 year-old journalistic prodigy and ardent Repealer, who had been editor of the Register until early 1843. That summer, he had established his own n e w s p a p e r , t h e Palladium, in Charlottetown.
The Repealers succeeded in holding Repeal meetings northeast of Char- lottetown, at Fort Augustus and Mon- aghan (Watervale), and to the west, at Barrett's Cross Roads (Kensington) and Bedeque. Probably as a token of their success, the Halifax Repeal leaders reported the names of those attending their meetings in the Catholic (read "Irish") press of Halifax. Accordingly,
a compilation was published in the Register of November 6,1843.
Examination of these lists uncovers several interesting facts. Along with their names, for example, the birth- places of many Repealers were re- corded. The lists also reveal that sev- eral Repealers were women, and that a good proportion of the Island Repeal- ers were not Irish, but Scots. One was
Edward Whelan, editor of the Palla- dian (ex- of the Halifax Register,), was the champion of Repeal on Prince Edward Island in 1843.
29
even an Englishman! Altogether, 150 Island Repealers are listed, all but 30 of them with their birthplace recorded. The value of such a list to the genealo- gist and historian must be appreciable, and I am very pleased to offer it for the analysis of scholars and the informa- tion of family historians.
Sources
The lists published in this article came from the November 6, 1843 edition of
the Halifax Register (copy in private hands). Gertrude Pratt's remarks about that publication appear in A Survey and Listing of Nova Scotia Newspap- ers, 1752-1957 (Halifax: Dalhousie University School of Library Service, 1979), p. 71. More on the Irish Catholic community in Nova Scotia, and the Repeal movement there, can be found in my "Larry Doyle and Nova Scotia," in Talamh An Eisc: Canadian and Irish Essays (Halifax: Nimbus Pub- lishing Ltd., 1986).
And what of the Repeal movement itself? It was doomed. The British government and people had no inten- tion whatever of acceding to the dis- solution of the Act of Union, however massive Irish agitation became. Brit- ish intransigence, O'Connell's tempor- ary imprisonment, and, finally, the devastating Famine conspired to kill the movement, ifil
Repeal meeting at Ten Mile House, St. Peter's Road:
1. Joseph Affleck, Dumfrieshire, Scotland 2. Daniel Bradley, Donagh, Donegal 3. Mrs. D. Bradley, Donagh, Donegal 4. John Byrnes, Monasterevin, Kildare
7. Philip Coyle, Drumsnat, Monaghan
Clonfeacle) 9. Anthony Dougan, Donagh, Monaghan
10. James Dougan, Donagh, Monaghan
12. James Fitzpatrick, Portarlington, Queen's 13. Mrs. J. Fitzpatrick, Donagh, Monaghan 14. Arthur Fitzpatrick, Charlottetown, PEI 15. James Hughes, Tehallan, Monaghan 16. John McCarron, Donagh, Monaghan
18. Bernard McKenna, Donagh, Monaghan 19. Owen McManus, Kilmore, Monaghan 20. John McPhedy, Donagh, Monaghan 21. Andrew McPhee 22. Peter McPhee, Rockcorry, Monaghan 23. John [Mc]Phee, Rockcorry, Monaghan 24. Francis McQuaid, Carnahoe, Monaghan 25. James McQuaid, Carnahoe, Monaghan (Carnowen,
Parish of Killeevan) 26. John McQuaid, Carnahoe, Monaghan 27. John McWeid, Donagh, Monaghan 28. Henry Mooney, Jr., Co. Monaghan 29. John Mooney, Donagh, Monaghan 30. Mrs. L. Mooney, Donagh, Monaghan 31. Patrick Mooney, Co. Monaghan 32. Robert Mooney, Donagh, Monaghan 33. Robert Mooney, Donagh, Monaghan 34. Henry Morney, Donagh, Monaghan 35. James Moynagh, Donagh, Monaghan 36. John Moynagh, Donagh, Monaghan 37. James O'Connors, Graiguenamanagh, Kilkenny 38. Michael Treanor, Scotstown, Monaghan
Repealers resident at New London Settlement:
39. Matthew Corrick, The Rower, Kilkenny 40. John Deagan, Willan, King's
41. Alexander Finlay, Banffshire, Scotland 42. James McLaughlin, Sr., Donegal Town 43. James McLaughlin, Jr., Donegal Town
45. Patrick Morrison, Tehallan, Monaghan
Repealers named for Try on Settlement:
46. Philip Began, Annaghbeg, Monaghan (Parish of
54. Mark Foran, St. James Parish, Wexford 55. James Funehan, Callan, Kilkenny
58. Nicholas Kent, Old Ross, Wexford 59. Donald McDonald
67. James O'Connel, City of Waterford 68. Paul Perry
The largest gathering of Repealers was the eighty-one
70. James Barratt, Queens 71. Mrs. Thomas Barratt, Carlow
73. John Brennan, Wexford 74. Martin Brennan, Wexford
30
75. John Campbell 76. James Conners, Kerry 77. John Connick, Sr., Kildare/Wexford 78. Daniel Connors, Kerry 79. James Connrick, Wexford 80. Margaret Connrick, Wexford 81. Bernard Croaklin, Monaghan 82. John Cullaton, Wexford 83. Maurice Curran, Waterford 84. Michael Deegan, Queen's 85. William Deegan 86. Edward Delaney, Callan, Kilkenny 87. Mrs. Edward Delaney, Kilkenny 88. John Delaney, Queen's 89. Simon Delaney, Kilkenny 90. Garrett Dempsey, Wexford 91. Miss Julia Donoghue, Portarlington, Queen's 92. Timothy Driscoll, Drumbeg, Cork 93. John Duggan, Queens's 94. Anne Dunn, Queen's 95. John Dunn, Kilmacthomas, Waterford 96. Thomas Dunphy, Kilkenny 97. Daniel Ferris, Cork 98. John Hennesy, Youghal, Cork 99. Peter Hickey, Sr., Queen's
100. Thomas Hickey 101. William Hickey 102. John Terence Kavanagh, Monaghan 103. Ephraim Keed, Nova Scotia 104. Patrick Kelly, Tyrone 105. Michael Lacey, Wexford 106. John Larrissy, Kilkenny 107. Arthur McGill, Antrim 108. John Mclntyre 109. Roderick Mclntyre 110. John McKenna, Monaghan 111. Alexander McKinnon 112. Alexander McLellan
113. Angus McLellan 114. Angus McLellan 115. Donald McLellan 116. John McLellan 117. James McMillan 118. Donald McMullen 119. Hugh McNeil 120. Malcolm McNiel 121. Dennis Maher, Mullinahone, Tipperary 122. Edmond Maher, Mullinahone, Tipperary 123. Thomas Maher, Mullinahone, Tipperary 124. Michael Meagher, Tipperary 125. Niel Morrison 126. Mrs. Morrison, Tralee, Kerry 127. Lawrence Mullally, Kilkenny 128. Luttrell Mulligan, Monaghan 129. Michael Mullin, Monaghan 130. Peter Mullin, Monaghan 131. Patrick Murphy, Monaghan 132. Mrs. Moses Cormick 133. James O'Brien, Clashmore, Waterford 134. Mathew O'Shea, Tipperary 135. John Perkins 136. James Power, Waterford 137. John Power, Waterford 138. Patrick Power, Waterford 139. Mrs. Power, Waterford 140. Margaret Shehan, Midleton, Cork 141. Michael Shehan, Midleton, Cork 142. Norah Shehan, Midleton, Cork 143. Patrick Shehan, Cork 144. Hugh Tiph [or Sept], Sussex, England 145. Miles Trenor, Monaghan 146. James Traynor, Monaghan 147. Thomas Walsh, Ballinaskill, Queen's 148. John Whelan, Monaghan 149. William Whelan, Drumsnat, Monaghan
Distribution of the 5,600 people on Prince Edward Island born in Ireland, 1848 (after Clark, Three Centuries and the Island [Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1959J)
31