Surname: O'Connor, Kelly, Barrett Per Edward Laxton's wonderful book, The Famine Ships, 1996, the west of Ireland has beautiful stretches of coastline where the sea mists and loughs, rivers and streams and reliable rainfall endow the surrounding countryside with a beautiful green cloak. Sligo's majestic sweep of its broad bay is dominated by Benbulben, by the dramatic rise of this angular, flat-topped mountain. This is Yeats country, where William Butler Yeats, born in 1865, found inspiration for so much of his poetry and where he chose to be buried in the churchyard at Drumcliffe. The port of Sligo was the embarkation point for many of the "coffin" ships and for the poorest passengers, usually the victims of landlord emigration. The port had a long tradition of sending her ships to all corners of the world, and Peter O'Connor, a leading Sligo merchant, ordered a 276-ton barque, "Industry," to be built in 1839 to carry a regular cargo of Canadian timber through the shallow channel in the bay and up the river to his saw mills. In 1845, the owner proudly proclaimed that she had journeyed from Sligo to Quebec, under Captain Thomas Barrett, her regular master, in 29 days. It is not known whether she was carrying passengers on that trip, but 18 months later she carried 184 Famine emigrants from Sligo to New York, leaving December 26, 1846, under the command of Captain Michael Kelly. Although the late crossing was unusual at the time, dangerous winter voyages would become commonplace during the Famine years. During the crossing, "Industry" ran into a succession of storms which allowed little progress. Over three long winter months the ship floundered at sea; food and water ran low even with strict rationing and two seamen and 15 passengers died from malnutrition. "Industry" arrived in America on April 11, 1847, after 106 days at sea. Surname: O'Connor "Industry" to Quebec and " Linden" to New York - 1850 Notice to Passengers appeared in Irish newspaper, August, 1850: "INDUSTRY" FOR QUEBEC - Those who have engaged passage per the barque "Industry" for Quebec are required to come on Tuesday, the 20th inst. to pay the balance of their passage and put their luggage &c, &v, on board. There are a few berths not yet engaged. Persons who intend to go to the Canadas this season, should not lose this favourable opportunity, and being the only direct one they will have this season. THE BARQUE "LINDEN: FOR NEW YORK - Will be taking her passengers &c, &c, on board on Saturday, the 24th instant. This favourite ship is well known in the passenger trade between this port and New York. Those persons who wish for a direct passage, free from the inconvenience and expense of going to more distant ports, will do well to make timely application for passage by those fine vessels - the rates of passages are moderate. Apply to P. O'CONNOR, Merchant Sligo, 16th August, 1850 Involuntary transportation of paupers and felons from Ireland to the USA - Sligo, 1730s - 1740s Surname: Bruen, Harcan, Farrell, Fanly, Fitzgerald, Mullican, Conolly, Gallway, Gallagher, Gawny, Reilly, Mackey, Johnins, Connelly, Bourke, Higgins, Coser, Cogher, Gilmartin, Jordan, Cugly, Cosly, Cullen, Sodon, Sharcot, Kenny, Hussey, McHugh, Fitzmorris, Forragher, Costelloe, McGlinn, O'Hara, Trawly, Connolly, Kegan, Hughs, Higgins, Bram, Gawny, Duke, Galway, Percival, Mullican, McMoroy, Kilmartin, Mealy During the 17th and 18th centuries over 60,000 men, women and children were involuntarily transported from the British Isles to the American colonies. The vast majority of these people were felons and paupers but there were a number of political and religous dissidents such as the Cromwellian transportees of the 1650s. The English courts were far more likely to order the transportation of prisoners than were the Scottish or Irish Courts, banishing about 50,000 prisoners to the colonies to work as indentured servants. The Scottish authorities ordered fewer than 3,000 prisoners to be transported and the Irish courts approximately 4,000. In 1719, an act was introduced into the Irish House of Commons for "the better and more effectual apprehending and transporting of felons and others," and given Royal assent on March 8, 1725. The kidnapping and shipment of children to America and their sale as indentured servants began to cause concern, however, and in January, 1743, the Irish Government established a committee to examine the whole system of transportation in detail. Information presented to the committee contains valuable data pertaining to 2,000 Irish men and women transported to the American colonies duriig the mid-eighteenth century. As a result of this committee's investigations, further legislation was introduced in the Irish House of Commons in January, 1752, tightening up the rules governing the transportation of prisoners. Information specifically regarding Co. Sligo: One document lists prisoners scheduled to be transported. You may find the names slightly misspelled. The county given was "Sligoe." 1. Henry Bruen. 2. Rosanne Harcan 3. John Farrell (also known as Fanly and Fitzgerald). 4. Bridget Harcan. 5. John Mullican 6. James Conolly 7. John Gallway (also known as Gallagher) 8. John Gawny 9. John Reilly 10. John Mackey (also known as Johnins) 11. Michael Connelly 12. William Bourke 13. Dennis Higgins 14. Daniel Coser (also known as Cogher) 15. Dennis Gilmartin 16. Patrick Jordan 17. Loughlin Cugly 18. Patrick Cosly On other documents: Lent assizes, 1736: 66 pounds presented and paid to James Sodon, Esq. for transporting John Cullen, James Sharcot, John Kenny, John Hussey, Neil McHugh, James Fitzmorris, Thomas Forragher, Patrick Forragher, Bridget Costelloe and Catherine McGlinn. Summer assizes, 1740: 18 pounds presented to be paid Charles O'Hara, Esq. for transporting John Farrell, (otherwise Trawly and Fitzgerald), Michael Connolly and Thady Kegan. Lent assizes, 1739: 24 pounds presented to be paid Blashford Hughs, Esq. for transporting Dennis Higgins, Bridget Harcan, Henry Bram and Joan Gawny. Summer assizes, 1741: 6 pounds to be paid Christopher Duke, sub-sheriff, for transporting John Galway. Summer assizes, 1742: The sum of 36 pounds to be paid to John Percival, Esq. for transporting Daniel Mullican, Teigue McMoroy, Patrick Jordan, William Bourke, Dennis Kilmartin and John Mealy (otherwise Johnins). Note, if I discover any information regarding what ports in the USA they arrived in I will post an addendum. I just thought this was interesting information. I did notice that most Irish individuals appeared to fit into the "pauper" category more than "felons." contributor: Jean Rice jeanrice@cet.com