6-Part Series on Peter Robinson Settlers Ireland to Ontario

Thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Gail Dever of Genealogy a la Carte for this tidbit about the Peter Robinson Settlers.
 

Passenger List of The Hebe, 1823

In 1822, the British Government established a trial emigration scheme for Irish paupers to Upper Canada. There were two waves of emigration, one in 1823 the second in 1825.On July 1, 1823, Peter Robinson arranged for 568 paupers from Ireland (mainly Cork) to sail on two ships, the Hebe and the Stakesby, to Quebec City.

In spring of 1825, Robinson recorded 2024 passengers on board nine ships - Fortitude, Resolution, Albion, Brunswick, Star, Amity, Regulus, Elizabeth, and John Barry. The ships left Cobh, Cork Harbour Ireland in May and June, 1825. By the fall of 1825, each family was relocated to a log shanty on property in – Asphodel, Douro, Dummer, Emily, Ennismore (Gore of Emily), Smith, and Otonabee Townships in Peterborough.

The Examiner has been presenting a six-part series by local writer and historian Patrick Leahy that looks back at the earliest days of the community.

This series of articles has been following the route of the Peter Robinson Settlers, a party of 2,000 impoverished Irish Emigrants, as they made their way to what would become Peterborough in 1825.

The exploits of these early settlers will be one of the focuses at this year's inaugural Peter Robinson Festival, which coincides with the 190th anniversary of this large group in the Peterborough area.

Peter Robinson ships passenger lists and surgeons’ logs are also available on my website Olive Tree Genealogy

Peter Robinson Settlers Survey Responses1823-1825 online

Survey & Responses of George Buck

Olive Tree Genealogy received the following email which is pretty interesting in the world of Canadian genealogy, specifically for early settlers in Ontario

 Some months ago I came across an incredibly valuable set of records in the Archives of Canada -- the responses of 180 heads of families among the settlers who emigrated to Upper Canada in 1823 and 1825. For some time I've thought about how best to bring these records forward -- and decided to invite volunteers to join in a collaborative transcription of these records .

Lorine's note - Olive Tree Genealogy published excerpts from transcripts of the medical journals kept by the surgeons on board the nine transports that brought Robinson's Irish Settlers to the Peterborough area in 1825 at Filling in the Gaps 
The survey responses of these settlers at Peannairi is a unique and exciting find.

NEW! Extracts of Names from Surgeons' Journals of 8 ships from Ireland to Upper Canada 1825 online

In 1822, the British Government established a trial emigration scheme for Irish paupers to Upper Canada. There were two waves of emigration, one in 1823 the second in 1825.

Peter Robinson arranged for these impoverished Irish emigrants to come to Upper Canada. In 1825, 2024 passengers on board nine ships - Fortitude, Resolution, Albion, Brunswick, Star, Amity, Regulus, Elizabeth, and John Barry - arrived in Quebec. From there the emigrants made their way to Upper Canada (present day Ontario).

Passenger Lists for these ships are available online  but Olive Tree Genealogy has been busy compiling a new project which contains much more information on many of the Irish passengers. The new project is the extraction of names from Surgeons Medical Journals which were kept during the voyages.

There are medical journals for 8 ships and they contain a great deal of information. Olive Tree Genealogy's project contains extracted details of the voyage, the names and ages of each passenger treated by the surgeon, the date they were put on the sick list, where the ship was at the time and the date they recovered or died. Births of children are also recorded as are deaths, sometimes with details as to exact time and location.

You will want to consult these extracts if you think your Irish ancestors were on board the following ships:

Surgeon's Journal of the Transport Ship John Barry between 22 April to 25 July 1825 during which time the said ship has been employed in conveying the Irish Emigrant Settlers from Cork to Quebec.

Surgeon's Journal of the Transport Ship Amity between 5 April to 9 July 1825 during which time the said ship has been employed in conveying the Irish Emigrant Settlers from Cork to Quebec.

Surgeon's Journal of the Transport Ship Elizabeth between 4 May 1825 & 21st July 1825 during which time the said ship has been employed in conveying the Irish Emigrant Settlers from Cork to Quebec.

Medical and surgical journal of the Star transport ship for 6 April to 13 July 1825 by Ninian McMorris, Surgeon and Superintendent, during which time the said ship was employed in conveying emigrants to Quebec.

Medical and surgical journal of the Regulus transport ship for 7 April to 13 July 1825 by Matthew Burnside, Surgeon and Superintendent conveying the Irish Emigrant Settlers from Cork to Quebec.

Medical and surgical journal of the Fortitude Emigrant Ship for 28 April to 1 July 1825 by Francis Connin, Surgeon and Superintendent conveying the Irish Emigrant Settlers from Cork to Quebec.

edical journal of the Brunswick, emigrant ship, for 5 April to 27 June 1825 by John Tarn surgeon and superintendent, during which time the said ship was employed in conveying emigrants from Cork to Quebec

Medical and surgical journal of the Albion Convict Ship, for 4 April to 4 July 1825 by John Thomson Surgeon and Superintendent, during which time the said vessel was employed in conveying emigrants from Cork to Quebec.

The surgeons' journals contain much detail both on the illnesses of each passenger and on the journey itself. Some surgeons recorded their thoughts about certain passengers so they are a very interesting read.

Two of the ships medical journals are available online as a .pdf file at the National Archives UK website. The other medical journals are available for a fee from the National Archives UK website. All source files are provided so you can enjoy reading the entire journals or ordering ones of interest.

Warning: Some of the journal entries are very distressing to read.

Surgeon's Journal for Ship Elizabeth Ireland to Quebec 1825

Anyone with ancestors who were part of the Peter Robinson settlement of Upper Canada in 1825 will want to see the Journal of the Transport Ship Elizabeth between 4 May 1825 & 21st July 1825

This journal (which adds the comment "during which time the said ship has been employed in conveying the Irish Emigrant Settlers from Cork to Quebec.") consists of 55 pages of detailed notes on each of the 21 Irish passengers Surgeon Power treated.

I have extracted the names, ages, dates of admission, whether the patient died or recovered and a few notes for some patients. Most patients have their illnesses noted in detail, along with medicines given, reaction of patient and other data. The wealth of information is incredible and there are interesting, albeit horrifying, descriptions of life on board the ship as well as some of the more ghastly medical problems passengers presented with - such as a 7 1/2 foot (Yes, I said FOOT, not inches...) long intestinal worm.

This Surgeon's Journal comes from the newly added Surgeons at Sea - Royal Navy Medical Officers' journals on National Archives UK. The series consists of journals and diaries compiled by Royal Navy surgeons and assistant surgeons who served on HM ships, hospitals, naval brigades, shore parties and on emigrant and convict ships in the period 1793 to 1880. Many of the journals were for ships sailing to Australia.