Research and Publications

In 2025 Peterborough and the surrounding communities will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the migration of some 2,000 British sponsored Irish immigrants to the Peterborough region. To assist those who may be looking for more information on this unique migration story, this brief bibliographic essay highlights some of the key primary and secondary sources that provide both a context for and insights into the events leading up to the creation of the plan by Wilmot Horton, the execution of the plan under the supervision of Peter Robinson  and the experience of the Irish settlers who made the decision to leave their known world and venture to a new land.

The story of the migration of some 2,000 Irish to the Peterborough region in 1825 has been the subject of numerous academic studies and family genealogical projects. They all draw on an extensive body of original documents and primary materials that is unique in the annals of migration history to Canada, if not beyond. The core of this collection are the records generated by and for Peter Robinson.  These records remained with the Robinson family until they were donated to the local Historical Society and were placed first with the Peterborough Public Library and then with the Archives of Ontario before being placed in the Peterborough Museum and Archives as the Peter Robinson papers (PMA) MG71-017where they may be accessed through contact with the city Archivist. Two key records within the collection are of special interest: the Embarkation Certificates (Figure 1) which were issued to the families selected by Robinson and the Ship Rosters (Figure 2) which details the families that boarded the nine vessels that brought the immigrants from Cobh in May 1825. These records are of importance because they provide not only the names and ages of the members of families but who sponsored them, the parish and county where they lived, the male’s occupation, where they eventually settled and often brief comments on their circumstances as well as the ship they sailed on. From these records it is possible to trace individual families, their place of origin and their sponsor – often one of the large landowners where they were tenant farmers and the lot and concession number of the township where they eventually settled. The Robinson papers also contain a large collection of original letters of application and or recommendations in support of a family’s request to be included in the plan. (Figure 3) Other useful records include Robinson’s correspondence with government officials on the progress of the planning and execution of the immigration scheme, especially with Under Secretary of State for the Colonies Wilmot Horton, along with financial records that relate to the cost of the scheme.  There are also records that document the rations and supplies issued to settlers, names of families who settled in the various townships, their agricultural output, medical reports on the health of the settlers and other miscellaneous records related to settlement.

While the Robinson papers at the PMA represent the most significant primary source there are other valuable collections that shed light on the families.  Each of the nine ships that embarked from Cobh had a medical officer on board who recorded his treatment of the patients he dealt with, often adding his own personal observations on the character of their patients or conditions on board the ship during the crossing. Some of these journals have been transcribed and are available for purchase through Paul Allen’s  www.allens-ucs.com. (Figure 4) The British government held formal committee hearings on the broad topic of immigration, The testimony presented, while difficult to access, offers additional commentary on the pros and cons of the migration scheme. Wilmot Horton remained a fervent advocate of immigration to address social issues in Britain and commissioned a survey of the immigrants a few years after they were settled. The completed questionnaires have been digitally reprinted through the Peannairi project. (Figure 5) Collectively these diverse, original documentary sources on the 1825 British sponsored immigration scheme constitutes one of the most comprehensive sources for immigration to Canada and are critical for supporting the Bicentennial commemoration of the Robinson settlers.

 The secondary sources that concern the topic of immigration are twofold, general and specific. There are numerous general studies that discuss the situation in Ireland prior to and during the massive Famine migration mid century such as J. Donnelly The Land and the People of Nineteenth Century Cork: The Rural Economy and the Land Question (Routledge & Kegan Paul, London 1975). David Dickson, Old World Colony: Cork and South Munster 1630-1830 (University of Wisconsin, 2005) or H. Johnston British Emigration Policy 1815-1830: Shovelling out Paupers (Clarendon Press, Oxford 1972). These, more academically focused studies and their useful bibliographies, may be difficult to access through public libraries but should be available through inter-library loan. Along side these studies are publications that provide an overview of migration to Canada such as H. Cowan, Emigration to British North America  (Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1928) and H. Manion Irish Settlements in Eastern Canada (Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1974). There are numerous publications that describe in general terms pioneer life in Upper Canada such as Jean Minhinnick At Home in Upper Canada (Clarke Irwin, Toronto 1970) which provide a general context for the experiences faced by the pioneering Robinson settlers.

The other general grouping of secondary sources are those studies both books and articles that deal specifically with the British sponsored migration under Peter Robinson. Township histories of Peterborough County, many published as centennial projects in the 1960s such as Through the Years in Douro 1822-1867 (Peterborough, A.D. Newson Co., 1967) contain sections of varying length and analysis on the Robinson migration.  Dr. T.W. Poole The Early Settlement of Peterborough County (Peterborough, Peterborough Printing Company, reprint 1967) was an early attempt to record the city’s early history and devotes a full chapter to the 1825 migration.  These general studies provide valuable local context and some detailed family histories that compliment the more general histories.  More recently, there are websites and face book pages that provide on line genealogical information of varying quality and accuracy to guide both novice and experts tracing their Robinson ancestors. However, the focus of this bibliographic essay is on the specific books and articles that deal directly with the Robinson led migration project. It is hoped this will guide the general reader, family genealogist or the curious to discover this fascinating story and consider participating in the many events being planned by The Nine Ships 1825 Inc to commemorate the bicentennial in 2025.

The secondary sources that concern the topic of immigration are twofold, general and specific. There are numerous general studies that discuss the situation in Ireland prior to and during the massive Famine migration mid century such as J. Donnell The Land and the People of Nineteenth Century Cork: The Rural Economy and the Land Question (Routland & Kegan Paul, London 1875) or H. Johnston British Emigration Policy 1815-1830: Shovelling out Paupers (Clarendon Press, Oxford 1972). These, more academically focused studies and their useful bibliographies, may be difficult to access through public libraries but should be available through inter-library loan. Along side these studies are publications that provide an overview of migration to Canada such as H. Cowan, Emigration to British North America (University of Toronto Press, Toronto 1928) and H. Manion Irish Settlements in Eastern Canada (University of Toronto Press, Toronto 1974). There are numerous publications that describe in general terms pioneer life in Upper Canada such as Jean Manhinnick At Home in Upper Canada (Clarke Irwin, Toronto 1970) which provide a general context for the experiences faced by the pioneering Robinson settlers.

The other general grouping of secondary sources are those studies both books and articles that deal specifically with the British sponsored migration under Peter Robinson. Township histories of Peterborough County, many published as centennial projects in the 1960s such as Through the Years in Douro 1822-1867 (A.D. Newson Co., Peterborough 1967) or local histories such as Yesteryear at Young’s Point (Custom Printers, Renfrew nd) contain sections of varying length and analysis on the Robinson migration.  Dr. T.W. Poole The Early Settlement of Peterborough County (Peterborough Printing Company, Peterborough reprint 1967) was an early attempt to record the city’s early history and devotes a full chapter to the 1825 migration.  These general studies provide valuable local context and some detailed family histories that compliment the more general histories.  More recently, there are websites and Facebook pages that provide online genealogical information of varying quality and accuracy to guide both novice and experts tracing their Robinson ancestors. However, the focus of this bibliographic essay is on the specific books and articles that deal directly with the Robinson led migration project. It is hoped this essay will guide the general reader, family genealogist or the curious to discover this fascinating story and consider participating in the many events being planned by The Nine Ships 1825 Inc to commemorate the bicentennial in 2025.

 

Howard Pammett’s 1934 M.A. thesis at Queen’s University provided the first comprehensive assessment of the project initiated by Wilmot Horton, Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in the British Government.[1] Pammett based his study on the extensive set of original records of the emigration project that survived and are currently held by the Peterborough Museum and Archives. He subsequently published a synopsis of his research in Ontario Historical Society Papers and Records.[2] Pammett carefully documented procedures Robinson used to select the candidates for both the 1823 and 1825 departures. He criticized Robinson for his naïveté in allowing a few influential landowners to dictate who was selected and his incompetence in maintaining proper financial records of the money spent on the scheme. He was also critical of Robinson’s handling of the administrative details in getting the immigrants settled on their 100 acre grants. While it is possible to challenge Pammett’s conclusions, the details he provides on the whole settlement process are informative. Pammett’s arguments about Robinson’s handling of the whole immigration scheme were challenged by P. and M. Maltby in their article, “A New Look at the Peter Robinson Emigration”.[3] While focused on the 1823 settlement in the Ottawa Valley region, their observations shed light on the type of candidates and considerations that came to bear on the selection of suitable candidates. Other scholars have mined the collection for new insights into this emigration scheme. Wendy Cameron’s article, “Selecting Peter Robinson’s Irish Emigrants,” examined   the process by which Robinson selected the emigrants, the various local factors that influenced his choices and the larger context of large landowners and the control they exerted on the development and execution of the plan. She also provides further detail on some of the families that were successful applicants. [4] Historical geographers have also tackled the subject.  Guy Ferguson’s M.A. thesis, “The Peter Robinson Settlers in Emily Township, 1825-1861,” examined the factors that influenced the selection of land by settlers such as location of other family members.[5] Al Brunger explored similar themes for the settlers in Douro Township in his article “Geographical propinquity among pre-famine Catholic Irish settlers in Upper Canada.”  Brunger examined the actual settlement process by which the Irish selected their 100 acre lots in Douro Township and how factors such as family ties, quality of land, etc influenced their choice.” [6] A more detailed analysis of the settlers who selected land in Douro and part of Otonabee Township and the various family connections that developed over the generations is contained in Elaine Devlin’s thesis, “Ancestral, Religious and Kinship Links in Douro and Northern Otonabee Townships.[7] A detailed analysis of each of the families that emigrated under the Horton led program was published by Carol Bennett. This exhaustive study of individual family units is now a standard work for both the historian and genealogist researching the 1823 and 1825 Irish migration.[8] One of the objectives of Horton’s plan was to turn the “troublesome Irish” into productive and loyal subjects of the crown. The article by D. Carter-Edwards, “Loyal and Grateful Subjects of the King: The 1825 Irish Migration to Peterborough,” explores the challenges faced by the Irish emigrants as they adapted to their new life in Upper Canada and indeed became loyal subjects. Many of the young men who came over in 1825 joined the militia and served during the Rebellion crisis of 1837/1838 to repel the efforts by Canadian rebels and American sympathisers to overthrow the British connection.[9] Patrick Leahy, a direct descendant of the original Leahy immigrants, prepared a series of articles published in the Peterborough Examiner on the migration scheme that gives the most succinct synopsis of the whole process from the troubles in Ireland that led to the creation of Wilmot Horton’s plan to the execution and subsequent history of the settlers.[10]  Peter and Rosemary Anne McConkey have prepared a series of articles for the Heritage Gazette of the Trent Valley that provide detailed information on families, the lot and concession where they settled and the interaction among the settlers both with their neighbours as well as family members back home.[11] The extensive information they have gathered from research and contact with descendants has been compiled into a recent publication, also published by the Trent Valley Archives as Green Routes Experiencing the Peter Robinson Emigration.[12] For families relying on the substantial body of genealogical information contained in the original Robinson papers held by the Peterborough Museum and Archives, a word of caution is in order.  Like any primary source, information on family names, ages, etc. needs to be compared, where possible, with other corroborative sources.  D. Carter-Edwards’s “Researching Records of the 1825 British Sponsored Irish Migration to Peterborough: A Cautionary Tale,” highlights some of the challenges and pitfalls that might ensnare the enthusiastic genealogists. Even within the sets of records that comprise the extensive Peter Robinson collection, there are inconsistencies and contradictions with names, ages, etc. The facts can get even murkier when other sources, such as the medical records kept by the surgeons on board the vessels are considered.[13]