Boston
Pilot newspaper
“Missing Friends”
“The Luck of the Irish”
was not holding true for me on this St. Patrick’s Day. First I couldn’t
find my green blouse to wear to school, then Mum didn’t know where she
put my drawing of a “Dancing Pig” surrounded by shamrocks. Her usual
“safe place” was the clock shelf but it wasn’t there. Dad went to the
attic to get the blackthorn shillelagh but it was missing.
Gramp’s suggestion that maybe I should put an advertisement in the
Boston Pilot was confusing, as usual, and certainly was not very
helpful.
The advertisements in the Boston Pilot newspaper started in October
1831, when an ad appeared seeking a Patrick McDermott, whose wife and
family, newly arrived from Ireland, would be returned by the Emigrant
Commissioner if he was not located. This was the first ad in what
became known as the “Missing Friends” column which ran for ninety years
(1831-1921) with notices from people looking for “lost” friends and
relatives who had emigrated from Ireland to the North America.
This collection of 31,711 records is available as a searchable online
database at http://infowanted.bc.edu/search/,
which contains a text record for each ad that appeared in the Pilot.
The advertisements may contain the ordinary but revealing details about
the missing person’s life, the county and parish of their birth, when
they left Ireland, the believed port of arrival in North America, their
occupation, and a range of other personal information.
The people who placed ads were often anxious family members in Ireland,
or the wives, siblings, or parents of men who followed construction
jobs on railroads or canals.
When I did a search of the online database for New Brunswick, using NBR, as the “Arrival Port”,
the search yielded 355 results
In 1846, Mary Acheston’s sister Ann Gillmartin stated Mary’s husband
was supposedly George Acheson, her maiden name was Gilmartin, Home
County - Leitrim, Parish - Cloonclare, Townland - near Manorhamilton,
Barony - Drumahaire, Poor-Law - Manorhamilton. Her departure date
was 1839 with port of arrival being Saint John.
Becky Connors of County Leitrim, arrived at the Port of Saint John in
1842 went on to Augusta, Maine. Seeking her whereabouts in 1844 was her
sister Mrs. Logan of New York
Patrick Keogh of Lexington, Fayette Co. in Kentucky in 1854, was
looking for his brother James Keogh who in 1847 left from Dublin,
Ireland aboard the vessel, ‘Grace Darling’ and arrived at the Port of
Richibucto.
In 1847, Martin Murphy of St Stephen, New Brunswick was seeking
information on his friend John Miers of County Tipperary, Parish
Relickmurry & Athassel, Townland Golden and Barony of Clanwilliam,
who sailed in 1834 on the Proselyte from Limerick to St. Andrews and
went on to New York City.
In 1838, John Ford was looking for his wife, Mary (Croddock) Ford, who
was from Kilkilvery Parish, County Galway. She arrived in Saint John in
1831 or 1832 and her second location was in Boston.
One year after Catherine McFaden of the Barony of Banagh, Inver Parish,
County Donegal sailed in 1852 from Liverpool on the ‘Patience’
for Saint John her Uncle Patrick Haughney, Old Cambridge, Massachusetts
was trying to locate her.
The Search for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements
-1831-1920 has been compiled on a CD and may be purchased through
Picton Press, PO Box 1347, Rockland, ME, 04841, USA.
May the luck of the Irish be with you as you search for information on
ancestors in the database at http://infowanted.bc.edu/search/
of advertisements that were published in the Boston Pilot newspaper.
* *
Query 1454
Parlett: My ancestor
Robert Parlett married in Canada to Annie (last name unknown) between
1851 and 1863. They had one son Robert Parlett born in 1863 in Saint
John, New Brunswick. They left Canada in 1871. Wanting to contact any
other Parlett families or anyone connected to them.
Gail, Auckand, New Zealand
E-mail twaring@xtra.co.nz
Query 1455
Campbell - McLong - Wilson:
William Wilson was born in Clover Hill, Kings County, 11 Nov 1856 to
John Wilson and Mary McLong and moved to Lincoln, Maine. Hiram McLong,
son of Alexander McLong and Ellen Wilson married Agnes Campbell 14 Jun
1902. They had a daughter Louise Elaine McLong. They moved to Portland,
Maine. Does anyone have information on these families?
CARL W. McLONG
35 Nelson St., Sussex, NB
Canada, E4E 1V4
E-mail carlm@nb.sympatico.ca
Query 1456
Berry - Courtney: I am
looking for information on the 29 Feb 1844 marriage of Andrew H.
Courtney and Susan Ann Berry whose marriage was registered in the Saint
John County Marriage Register. Who were their parents and
siblings? What is the date of death of Susan Ann Berry Courtney?
JENNIFER WADE
1860 Ashton Brook Lane
Buford, GA
30519, USA
E-mail jennw65@yahoo.com
