Almost
1.2 million Irish immigrants arrived in Canada from 1825 to 1970. By 1867, they
were the second-largest ethnic group in Canada and comprised 24% of Canada's
population. About one-half settled in Ontario. One-third was Catholic, and
two-thirds were Protestant.
While
many immigrants came as farmers with such settlement schemes as cheap (or free)
land, some of the immigrants came to work on the infrastructure of the country,
such as canals, roads, railroads, and in the lumber industry in Ontario.
I
have been reading the new book, Researching Your Irish Ancestors at Home and Aboard
by OGS member Dr. David R. Elliott, and have excerpted a part of it in the May issue of Families, of which I am the editor.
This
book is written from the point of view of getting your research in order at
home before going to conduct research in Ireland. By using, the approach outlined in the book,
it should give the researcher a degree of satisfaction in finding your Irish
roots.
