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| Famine Emigration |
In honour of St Patrick's Day, when tradition has it that we all want to
be Irish, I shout out THANK YOU to my Irish ancestors who came from
Ireland to Canada.
John Greenlees and his wife Elizabeth Johnston
came from Fermanagh Ireland to the wilds of Upper Canada (present day Ontario)
with three children - George about 5 years old, Thomas about 3 years old
and my 2nd great grandmother Jane who was under 2 years old. The year
was some time between Jane's birth in 1819 and the birth of their next
child in Upper Canada in 1821. What a perilous journey that must have
been!
Joseph McGinnis and his wife Frances (Fanny) Downey
from Co. Down made the journey from famine stricken Ireland with their year old
daughter Bridget (Delia) in 1846. They were both barely 20 years old.
It
must have been a nightmare voyage and I am sure that like most of the
Irish who left Ireland during the Famine Years, they and their loved
ones suffered greatly at home. Joseph and Fanny arrived in Ontario and
settled near family who had arrived much earlier. They were my 2nd great
grandparents. They were very poor Catholics and the land they
settled on was more swamp than anything else.
So - I have three
Irish great-great grandparents (Joseph, Fanny and Jane) and two Irish
Great great great grandparents (John & Elizabeth). Out of that mix I
get four Irish surnames: Greenlees, Johnstone, McGinnis & Downey.
I hope this Irish blessing worked for them! "May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you're dead."
DNA doesn't lie! Yes, I really have Irish blood!
In honour of St Patrick's Day, when tradition has it that we all want to
be Irish, I shout out THANK YOU to my Irish ancestors who came from
Ireland to Canada.
John Greenlees and his wife Elizabeth Johnston
came from Fermanagh Ireland to the wilds of Upper Canada (present day Ontario)
with three children - George about 5 years old, Thomas about 3 years old
and my 2nd great grandmother Jane who was under 2 years old. The year
was some time between Jane's birth in 1819 and the birth of their next
child in Upper Canada in 1821. What a perilous journey that must have
been!
Joseph McGinnis and his wife Frances (Fanny) Downey
from Co. Down made the journey from famine stricken Ireland with their year old
daughter Bridget (Delia) in 1846. They were both barely 20 years old.
It
must have been a nightmare voyage and I am sure that like most of the
Irish who left Ireland during the Famine Years, they and their loved
ones suffered greatly at home. Joseph and Fanny arrived in Ontario and
settled near family who had arrived much earlier. They were my 2nd great
grandparents. They were very poor Catholics and the land they
settled on was more swamp than anything else.
So - I have three
Irish great-great grandparents (Joseph, Fanny and Jane) and two Irish
Great great great grandparents (John & Elizabeth). Out of that mix I
get four Irish surnames: Greenlees, Johnstone, McGinnis & Downey.
I hope this Irish blessing worked for them! "May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you're dead."
In honour of St Patrick's Day, when tradition has it that we all want
to be Irish, I really AM of Irish heritage. 50.2% according to my DNA results. (Well okay that's a combination of British and Irish but I'm going with it anyway)
John Greenlees and his wife Elizabeth Johnston
came from Fermanagh Ireland to the wilds of Upper Canada (present day Ontario)
with three children - George about 5 years old, Thomas about 3 years old
and my 2nd great grandmother Jane who was under 2 years old. The year was 1819. What a perilous journey that must have
been!
Joseph McGinnis and his wife Frances (Fanny) Downey
made the journey from famine stricken Co. Down Ireland with their year old
daughter Bridget (Delia) in 1846. They were both barely 20 years old.
It
must have been a nightmare voyage and I am sure that like most of the
Irish who left Ireland during the Famine Years, they and their loved
ones suffered greatly at home. Joseph and Fanny arrived in Ontario and
settled near family who had arrived much earlier. They were my 2nd great
grandparents and sadly I know nothing of their parents or origins other
than learning last year that they came from the area of Katesbridge,
Co. Down Ireland. They were very poor Catholics and the land they
settled on was more swamp than anything else.
So - I
have three Irish great-great grandparents (Joseph, Fanny and Jane) and
two Irish Great great great grandparents (John & Elizabeth). Out of
that mix I get four Irish surnames: Greenlees, Johnstone, McGinnis &
Downey.
I hope this Irish blessing worked for them! "May you be in heaven a full half hour before the devil knows you're dead."
