Hi Margot! Sorry for the length. This is what I've uncovered. I'm trying to get an idea of what my James experienced. He
Ship's record:
| Name |
James Cullen |
|---|
| Gender |
Male |
|---|
| Ethnicity/ Nationality |
Irish |
|---|
| Age |
25 |
|---|
| Birth Date |
1827 |
|---|
| Place of Origin |
Ireland |
|---|
| Departure Port |
Liverpool, England |
|---|
| Destination |
USA |
|---|
| Arrival Date |
31 Mar 1852 |
|---|
| Arrival Port |
New York, New York, USA |
|---|
| Ship Name |
City of Washington |
|---|
Departure from Liverpool date is: March 14, 1852 (According to articles below)
It seems this ship was in a type of race with another steamer so I don't think it would have made any stops.
James Cullen’s Passenger Manifest:
I found the shipping line to be Ocean Steam Navigation Co. (USA).
Also totally unconfirmed if my James or not, but I found a UK 1851 Census of a James Cullen:
Listed as Lodger on 5 Cemeas Street, Liverpool
Occupation: Emigrant to N. America
Born: Ireland
Age: 28
Based on the date of the census I calculated - b.Dec 1822 (this is his actual birth mo/year)
Do you think he would have been here staying as a lodger waiting for his ship to come to take him to the USA or saving money to make the voyage?
Catherine Wright from Co Wicklow Council explained he may have taken a ferry from the port at Dun Laoghaire Harbor to Liverpool, England (where he boarded the Ship Washington bound for New York arriving on March 31, 1852.) She said the cost of a ferry to Liverpool and the voyage on the Ship Washington was a package deal.
Do you think this would have been the case?
As a side note:: I researched and wrote up for my personal use and family's reading the following:
"About 3500 people left Co Wicklow in 1852 and most likely the moment James set foot on shore, fresh off the farm, confused and suffering from culture shock, he may have encountered untrustworthy characters and con artists (fellow Irishmen) promising good food and accommodations. Or perhaps he was sold a phony railroad or boat ticket, at double the price, by those taking advantage of the illiterate immigrants. The “good” accommodations were filthy, vermin-infested, overcrowded, hellholes.
In 1850, US Immigration Records indicate 99% of the Irish arrivals stayed in the city. For most, the emigration from Ireland took their entire fortune. In 1854, anti-Irish views were at their height. “Positively NO Irish need apply!” I pray James came with enough money to immediately escape the city and move where the opportunity for a job and land was greater. I already know he eventually left, as he married in 1855 in Utica which is up-state NY - so outside of New York City.
At present, I have not uncovered the exact circumstances for our James to leave Ireland, except for oral history brought down from his son Joseph (b. 1874):
"James Cullen was an illiterate, (discriminatory Penal Laws) but a proud and dynamic individual who developed a strong hatred for the oppressors. The English had knocked down the corner of his family's stone house. He also had a pistol duel with someone, his life being saved by his wearing a large religious medal, which deflected the bullet aimed at the chest. The outcome was that James found it necessary to leave. His last day was spent hiding out in cold, neck-deep water to avoid detection by the authorities.”
I can imagine it was extremely difficult for him and his family, and emigration was considered with mixed emotions. Very few Irish emigrants returned. James and his family knew, in all likelihood, he would never see his homeland or his family again. As in death, the loss was permanent. As a mother, I’m not sure I could endure the devastating despair and sorrow that would remain a part of me for the rest of my life.
Major family social changes occurred as a result of the Famine. Previously, the land was divided equally between the children as they married. Through the generations, the plots of land reduced in size. By 1850 to prevent their land from becoming little more than a garden, a single inheritance to the eldest son emerged. It was expected the heir not bring a wife into the family home until his parents were elderly or had died. Therefore, the marriage took place later. The second and third son/daughter might marry into another family, but the remaining siblings didn’t have a share in the family home and therefore no security. As a result, these siblings, (mostly single and young) saw emigration as their only option. The emigration rate doubled in the second half of the 19th century. Our James was born 5th in a family of at least 11 children. It would appear his birth order played a large role in his decision to emigrate."
