IRISH HERITAGE QUEBEC

There will be a talk by Clive Kiley, the Mayor of Shannon, Quebec, who will speak on about the history of Shannon, its present and its future.

Clive Kiley has been Mayor of Shannon for 16 years and is a well known figure in local municipal affairs.

All are welcome, admission is free. Refreshments will be served and parking stubs for the parking lot at St. Patrick will be validated.

The talk will take place on Monday January 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the McMahon Hall, 1145 De Salaberry, Quebec City.

For more information, contact Irish Heritage Quebec at 418-527-2238 or 418-704-3404. Or visit the website at www.irishheritagequebec.net

Royal Navy Burying Ground - Halifax

CBC News had a story on their website http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2011/07/18/ns-royal-navy-burying-ground.html yesterday of a Royal Navy Burying Ground in Halifax in CFB Stadacona. It appears it has been there since 1759.

The news that caught my eye was that "Underneath another marker lie five sailors who served aboard the HMS Shannon — the British ship that captured the American frigate, Chesapeake, during the War of 1812".

It reminded me to spend some time doing the research of Henry BLADES, a United Empire Loyalist who was supposedly pressed into naval service by the British, and served on the HMS Shannon.

He had come from Long Island in 1784,and settled in Barrington, Shelburne County, Nova Scotia. He is the maternal ancestor of mine, but I have yet to do much work on this side of the family.

It is also interesting to note that the Americans gave as one of their reasons that they went to war with Britain was because they accused the British of pressing 10,000 Americans into naval service.