Canadian History, Canadian Records, Irish History, Newspapers

Carleton County contributors to an Irish Famine relief fund (1847)

Ottawa Daily Citizen, 26 June 1847

On 26 June 1847, The Ottawa Daily Citizen published a list of “Names of persons who contributed to the relief of the suffering poor of Ireland.” This list had been supplied to the newspaper by “the Rev. Mr. O’Connell, Catholic Pastor of Richmond.”

The Rev. Peter O’Connell (1801-1899), originally of Co. Cavan, Ireland, was parish priest at St. Philip, Richmond, Goulbourn township, Carleton Co., Ontario.1

The named contributors (mostly pre-Famine emigrants from Ireland, many of whom had been in Canada for some 20-25 years) had settled in three townships in the County of Carleton: the township of Goulbourn (within which the village of Richmond was situated); the township of Huntley, which adjoined Goulbourn township to the north; and the township of Nepean, which adjoined Goulbourn township to the east.

The amounts were given in British pounds (£), shillings (s.), and pence (d.).

PLACENAMEAMOUNT
RichmondWidow James Murray10s.
RichmondJames Dauris, sen. 5s.
RichmondMichael Brady5s.
RichmondBryan Kennedy5s.
RichmondWilliam Shea5s.
RichmondJohn Shea5s.
RichmondDaniel Dauris5s
RichmondThomas Ryan5s.
RichmondLouis Dempsy5s.
RichmondGerald Fitzgerald5s.
RichmondDennis Fehan5s.
RichmondJohn Corron2s. 6d.
RichmondWidow York7 1/2 d.
HuntleyJohn Mannion, Esq.£1
HuntleyJames McDonnell£1
HuntleyJohn Kennedy£1
HuntleyDenis Hogan10s.
HuntleyJohn Moran10s.
HuntleyJohn O'Keef10s.
HuntleyJohn Kelly10s.
HuntleyPeter Whelan5s.
HuntleyWidow Rock5s.
HuntleyRichard Langford5s.
HuntleyJames Oakley5s.
HuntleyMichael McGrath5s.
HuntleyJohn Brosnahan5s.
HuntleyJohn Fields2s. 6d.
NepeanJohn Tierney£1
NepeanJoseph Quinlan£1
NepeanCharles McKenna15s.
NepeanThomas Dooley10s.
NepeanJames Malone10s.
NepeanPatrick Muldoon10s.
NepeanCornelius Spain10s.
NepeanMichael Rooney10s.
NepeanWilliam [Sturley?]5s.
NepeanJames Waters5s.
NepeanThomas Troy5s.
NepeanDenis O'Brien5s.
NepeanJohn Waters5s.
NepeanMatthew Costello5s.
NepeanHenry McDonnell5s.
NepeanPat. Kelly5s.
NepeanThomas Walsh5s.
NepeanWilliam Hanrahan5s.
NepeanMichael O'Grady5s.
NepeanRodrick O'Grady5s.
NepeanThomas O'Grady5s.
NepeanDaniel O'Grady5s.
NepeanJames O'Grady5s.
NepeanJeremiah O'Sullivan5s.
NepeanMichael O'Keef5s.
NepeanMichael Murphy5s.
NepeanGeorge Hanlahan5s.
NepeanJames Dermody2s. 6d.
NepeanWilliam Delany1s. 3d.
NepeanRev. P. O'Connell£2 10s.
PLACENAMEAMOUNT
  1. According to his headstone, the Rev. Peter O’Connell was born 3 Feb 1801 at Stradone, Laragh, Co. Cavan, Ireland. He died at Montreal on 4 Jan 1899, and was buried at Saint Philip’s Catholic Cemetery, Richmond.