eterborough,
Ontario Canada, the birth place of all four Hurley children, the subjects of
this website, and it has been home to many other families also of Irish descent. The
reasons are to be found in past events on two separate continents.
In 1822, the British parliament voted in favor of financing a large, £30 000 experimental emigration plan to transport poor Irish families to Upper Canada
(Ontario).
In the 1820's Ireland was in the midst of a severe depression (the
potato famine was still decades away) but there was a need to solve the
large increase in population now.
Canada
was chosen as the site for this migration. Peter Robinson formed a workable emigration plan and recruitment program
and some 500,00 Irish applied to move to a new land and chance for a new
life.
In 1823 the first wave of Irish settlers (568 people) began the long and dangerous journey to Upper Canada with their final destination in eastern Ontario (the Lanark, Perth, Ramsay township area).
The second wave of emigration was launched in 1825. As in 1823, thousands applied for the voyage leaving from
County Cork. Prospective settlers had to secure letters of recommendation outlining their qualities and usefulness as settlers. Those selected received “embarkation certificates” allowing them to board a particular ship.
This time over 1800 people made a journey, and the final destination was Peterborough, in the Newcastle District (now south central Ontario). Nine ships carried the passengers on this trip.
At Peterborough, families were issued free provisions, tools, livestock and farmland. Families with proud names like:
Hurley, Collins, Shea,
Galvin, Ryan, Sullivan, Casey, Fitzpatrick, McCarthy, Hannan, Leahy, O'Brien, Foley, and Shanahan settled throughout Peterborough county, and thousands of their descendents remain in the area even to this day. MORE
[They Left Kerry]
Peterborough
Ontario located in Canada. Peterborough was incorporated as a Town by an Act of the Legislature of the Province of Canada in the year 1850 and was raised to the status of a City by an Act of the Legislature of the Province of Ontario in 1905.
Departures
in 1835:
All from Cork Harbor, Cork, Ireland
Read the Ships Lists from
Peter
Robinsons Settlers
From Cork to Canada, Hurley & related Family Names listed on
Site.