The Blackwater Region and Ontario, Canada by Christy Roche When you look at a map and see Fermoy, Glanworth, Kilworth, Ballygiblin and Blackwater on it, you might be certain you were looking at a map of North Cork; however, these all these place names are also to be found on the map of Southern Ontario. The reason for, dates back to the early 1800s and a man called Peter Robinson. He was born in Canada in 1785 and became Commissioner of Crown lands and immigration superintendent. His younger brother, Sir John Beverley Robinson, was the attorney general in the [Fermoy] region. Peter Robinson supervised two settlements of North Cork immigrants in Ontario. The first of these in 1823 was at Shipman’s Mills, Almonte and the second was at Scott’s Mills, Petersborough. The Canadian Government at that time were looking for farmers to settle and develop agriculture in their country and in order to obtain the right sort of settler they paid the passage for the farmer and his whole family and granted him seventy acres. As most of the land holdings in pre-Famine North Cork were ten acres or less, this Canadian holding must have seemed attractive to the impoverished Irish small farmer. To be eligible for this package one had to be under 45 years of age and have a recommendation from a landlord, magistrate or clergyman. 70 Acres Every male between the ages of 18 and 45 was entitled to 70 acres and an iron pot and each group of families also got four cross-cut saws, 12 land saws, 12 hammers and a cask of nails. 200 Families In the 1823 settlement there were almost 200 families and they came from throughout North Cork, South Limerick and West Waterford. 22 families came from Norrey’s Estate in Mallow, 15 from the O’Callaghan (10) and Devonshire (5) Estates in Lismore, 10 from Castlelyons (Barrymore), 10 from Kanturk (Purcell Estate) 9 from Doneraile, 8 from the Sanders Estate of Charleville, 8 from the Aldworth Estates at Newmarket and Ballyhooley, 11 from Fermoy - Abercrombie Estate (6) Hyde Estate (3) and Gregg Estate (2), 7 from Churchtown (Earl of Edgemount), 7 from the Earl of Kingston's Estates in Mitchelstown and Tipperary, 3 from Rathcormac (Lord Riversdale), 2 from Conna (Gumbleton), 3 from the south Limerick Estate of the Oliver's, 2 from the Mountcashel Estate in Kilworth, 9 from Castletownroche, Stennard Estate (3), Mitchelsmith Estate (4), Widenham Estate (1) and Annisby Estate (1). As can be seen from the above list, they came from throughout the entire area, with Mallow and Lismore supplying the most. On June 30 1823 two ships, “Stakesby” (438 tons), and “Hebe” (446 tons) set sail from Cobh and just over two months later, arrived in Canada. Two passengers on board the Stakesby, Bridget Ahern (August 6) and Jane Ahern (July 29) died. These were probably mother and daughter and were from Castletownroche. The settlers spent the winter in Almonte and in the spring of 1824 went to their allotted locations. Most of the families settled down well and expanded. Roger Cunningham of Grange, Fermoy who together with his wife Margaret and daughters Mary, Catherine and Anne had sailed aboard the “Hebe”, had another child in Canada and obtained a second plot of 70 acres in Canada, when his neighbor left. Some like Michael Lynch, a millwright from Castletownroche, Dennis Sweeney (nailer) from Buttevant and James Magner (laborer) from Mallow went south to the United States of America. Others like Cornelius Roche of Fermoy (Blacksmith), Richard Wynne, Kanturk (carpenter), Edmund Barry, Castletownroche (baker), James Seywary, Castletownroche (shoemaker) and Cornelius Donovan, Fermoy (sawyer) returned to their trades. Twelve went absent and left their holdings. Tragedy also struck when John Trench, Mallow; John Delahary, Mallow and Florence Carey of Ballyhooley were drowned in 1825. One man returned to Ireland. He was Robert Smithwick, a single man from Mitchelstown. The second settlement took place in 1825 and again the people came from the same general area and settled about 100 miles west of the first group. There were some objections by Protestant Canadians to the influx of such a large number of Roman Catholics. Indeed apart from 10 Palatine families from Limerick, the remainders of these families were Roman Catholic. The religious difference caused few problems, however, and apart from “the Ballygiblin riots”, a somewhat minor confrontation; the settlers lived in peace with their neighbors.

Fascinating reading, David. Thank you so much for posting this. Best wishes, Moira Clevedon, Somerset Researching FORDE, DOODY, CUMMINS, CONNELLY, McDONNELL, HAZEL, REID and BRADFIELD in Co. Cork; DOODY (possibly) in Co. Waterford; CHURCH in Co. Leitrim; BEWLEY, SAUNDERS and GALBRAITH in Dublin > -----Original Message----- > From: David N Murray [mailto:dmurray@totalnetnh.net] > Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2002 06:57 > To: CountyCork-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [Cork] The Blackwater Region and Ontario, Canada > > > The Blackwater Region and Ontario, Canada > by Christy Roche > > When you look at a map and see Fermoy, Glanworth, Kilworth, > Ballygiblin and > Blackwater on it, you might be certain you were looking at a map of North > Cork; however, these all these place names are also to be found on the map > of Southern Ontario. > > The reason for, dates back to the early 1800s and a man called Peter > Robinson. He was born in Canada in 1785 and became Commissioner of Crown > lands and immigration superintendent. His younger brother, Sir John > Beverley Robinson, was the attorney general in the [Fermoy] region. Peter > Robinson supervised two settlements of North Cork immigrants in Ontario. > The first of these in 1823 was at Shipman’s Mills, Almonte and the second > was at Scott’s Mills, Petersborough. > > The Canadian Government at that time were looking for farmers to > settle and > develop agriculture in their country and in order to obtain the right sort > of settler they paid the passage for the farmer and his whole family and > granted him seventy acres. As most of the land holdings in > pre-Famine North > Cork were ten acres or less, this Canadian holding must have seemed > attractive to the impoverished Irish small farmer. To be > eligible for this > package one had to be under 45 years of age and have a > recommendation from a > landlord, magistrate or clergyman. > > 70 Acres > > Every male between the ages of 18 and 45 was entitled to 70 acres and an > iron pot and each group of families also got four cross-cut saws, 12 land > saws, 12 hammers and a cask of nails. > > 200 Families > > In the 1823 settlement there were almost 200 families and they came from > throughout North Cork, South Limerick and West Waterford. > > 22 families came from Norrey’s Estate in Mallow, 15 from the O’Callaghan > (10) and Devonshire (5) Estates in Lismore, 10 from Castlelyons > (Barrymore), > 10 from Kanturk (Purcell Estate) 9 from Doneraile, 8 from the > Sanders Estate > of Charleville, 8 from the Aldworth Estates at Newmarket and > Ballyhooley, 11 > from Fermoy - Abercrombie Estate (6) Hyde Estate (3) and Gregg > Estate (2), 7 > from Churchtown (Earl of Edgemount), 7 from the Earl of Kingston's Estates > in Mitchelstown and Tipperary, 3 from Rathcormac (Lord Riversdale), 2 from > Conna (Gumbleton), 3 from the south Limerick Estate of the > Oliver's, 2 from > the Mountcashel Estate in Kilworth, 9 from Castletownroche, > Stennard Estate > (3), Mitchelsmith Estate (4), Widenham Estate (1) and Annisby Estate (1). > > As can be seen from the above list, they came from throughout the entire > area, with Mallow and Lismore supplying the most. > > On June 30 1823 two ships, “Stakesby” (438 tons), and “Hebe” (446 > tons) set > sail from Cobh and just over two months later, arrived in Canada. Two > passengers on board the Stakesby, Bridget Ahern (August 6) and Jane Ahern > (July 29) died. These were probably mother and daughter and were from > Castletownroche. The settlers spent the winter in Almonte and in > the spring > of 1824 went to their allotted locations. > > Most of the families settled down well and expanded. Roger Cunningham of > Grange, Fermoy who together with his wife Margaret and daughters Mary, > Catherine and Anne had sailed aboard the “Hebe”, had another > child in Canada > and obtained a second plot of 70 acres in Canada, when his neighbor left. > > Some like Michael Lynch, a millwright from Castletownroche, Dennis Sweeney > (nailer) from Buttevant and James Magner (laborer) from Mallow > went south to > the United States of America. Others like Cornelius Roche of Fermoy > (Blacksmith), Richard Wynne, Kanturk (carpenter), Edmund Barry, > Castletownroche (baker), James Seywary, Castletownroche (shoemaker) and > Cornelius Donovan, Fermoy (sawyer) returned to their trades. > > Twelve went absent and left their holdings. Tragedy also struck when John > Trench, Mallow; John Delahary, Mallow and Florence Carey of > Ballyhooley were > drowned in 1825. One man returned to Ireland. He was Robert Smithwick, a > single man from Mitchelstown. > > The second settlement took place in 1825 and again the people > came from the > same general area and settled about 100 miles west of the first group. > There were some objections by Protestant Canadians to the influx of such a > large number of Roman Catholics. Indeed apart from 10 Palatine families > from Limerick, the remainders of these families were Roman Catholic. The > religious difference caused few problems, however, and apart from “the > Ballygiblin riots”, a somewhat minor confrontation; the settlers lived in > peace with their neighbors. > > ______________________________