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Research Question

Hi, I am interested in understanding what organizations: private businesses/corporations, religious institutions and govenrment agencies either inside or outside Ireland supported/sponored Irish emigrants to the United States in the years 1845 through 1875. I doubt if my great grandparetns had the financial means to buy tickets to travel. I am wondering how did they manage to find the finances to come to the States.  I have two sets of great-parents who came. The first set: O'Donnell-Foster may have arrived earlier but no later than 1860 when my grandfather was born in New York. I estimate this set of ancestors may have left Ireland anytime after the Great Famine but by 1860. The second set of ancesteors: Gleeson-Brennan, I have a ship record listing them as married and James Gleeson, age 20, as a laborer and his wife Maggie (nee Brennan) age 21 leaving on a ship called: Nemisis from then named Queenstown April 1872. Any information related to how Irish emigrants may have found the means to come to the States would be helpful, sincerely, Jim O'Donnell

nwalijim@gmail.com

1 reply

Jim,

There were various sponsored schemes, especially for orphans and so on, paid for by the Poor Law Commissioners or various charitable organisations.

But for many people the fare was paid by someone who had gone before.  The family got enough money together to pay for one fare. If that person did well they sent money for others to follow. 

Another option involved what’s called stepped migration. So the family might have moved to England or Scotland. They were both easy and cheap to get to and there was much more work there, and better paid work,  than in Ireland. A few years working in factory or a mine in Britain would then raise the money to pay for the fares to the US.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

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