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  • Assisted emigration; research resources?

    Apologies if this has been asked/answered before. Working on a grandfather's generation I find three of his brothers emigrating to Canada in the 1880s. They were miners or labourers working in Cumberland and all ended up in Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, on the Pacific coast of Canada. I know that the nineteenth century economy of that area was founded on coal mining but I don't know what organised 'system' got them there. I can see many web links directed at such information generally but nothing which would help me pin down the actual organisation which got these people to their destination or the route they may have taken. I assume I'd probably find out more by upgrading my Ancestry membership to worldwide but for the few pieces of information I need right now I can't justify the cost. I'd be grateful to anyone who could point me in the right direction generally and especially grateful if anyone has access to emigration data for Canada and would be prepared to do a simple look up for me. Many thanks...

    Ian
    X IannF his mark

  • #2
    Someone with more specific knowledge may be able to help. In the meantime, The Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser of 1887 carried an article about Vancouver and British Columbia. I would research the government departments and organisations mentioned to see what they offered emigrants and whether miners from Cumberland were specifically targeted. The newspapers are a good source of information on this.

    "Intending emigrants might readily obtain particulars either at the office of the High Commissioners for Canada, at the British Columbia Government Agency, The Emigrants' Information Office, or the Church Emigration Society would give abundant information about the colonies."
    Last edited by keldon; 29-11-14, 12:22.
    Phil
    historyhouse.co.uk
    Essex - family and local history.

    Comment


    • #3
      Adding to Phil's post, I live in a small town which historically sent many thousands of tin miners all over the world. Some came back, many others didn't. The Mining company owned mines all over the world and routinely sent out teams of experienced miners to show the locals how to do it properly, lol.

      The local churches and chapels had schemes to pay the fares of poor families who wished to try their luck abroad. (Not necessarily mining areas). The only records of this enterprise that I have found have been in the church magazines of the time which often published letters received from the emigrants and news of their progress.

      OC

      Comment


      • #4
        Ian,
        Have a look on this site - http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Pages/h...ukm8lrj7b90ss0

        (Click on the online research tab for census images, immigration, WW1 etc) There MIGHT be something of use, even if it's for once they were established.

        Janet
        Janet in Yorkshire



        Genealogists never die - they just swap places in the family tree

        Comment


        • #5
          Many thanks to respondents, all of which have been useful. Special thanks to Janet because within minutes of accessing the site I was looking at two of the targets in the Canada census data which I hadnt realised was available free.

          Ian
          X IannF his mark

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by IannF View Post
            Many thanks to respondents, all of which have been useful. Special thanks to Janet because within minutes of accessing the site I was looking at two of the targets in the Canada census data which I hadnt realised was available free.

            Ian
            Ian,
            This site has been brilliant for me in researching relatives who emigrated to British Columbia.

            It covers
            births (1854-1903), marriages (1872-1938), deaths (1872-1993), colonial marriages (1859-1872) and baptisms (1836-1888)
            Many records have images attached which can give you a wealth of further information.
            Happy hunting!
            Christine
            Researching:
            HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

            Comment


            • #7
              That is an absolutely brilliant resource Christine. Many thanks!

              Ian
              X IannF his mark

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi Ian,

                I have worldwide ancestry which includes Canada. I' d be happy to look things up for you.

                bcbrit
                George, Uren, Toy - Cornwall. Barrows, Blair, Bowyer, Freeth, Green, Manie - London

                Comment


                • #9
                  That's a very kind offer which I appreciate. I'm looking at the children of William Neen, 1836-1896, three sons of whom - Joseph, Jacob and John - went to Nanaimo to work as miners, though I've seen some evidence that maybe Jacob became a policeman. What I"m stuck on is a daughter, Alice Neen, 1881-maybe 1956 who I lose track of in the UK after the 1901 Census. I've seen elsewhere on Ancestry that she died in Nanaimo in 1956 but there was no source cited for this. She may of course have married before leaving Britain so we'd be looking for a different name. There was an Alice Neen married in the right geographical area in 1910 but I can't be certain of the husband's name (might have been Payne or Wilson) nor whether this is the correct Alice. My Ancestry user-name is the same as for this forum, IannF, so if looking at my tree helps..?
                  X IannF his mark

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by IannF View Post
                    Joseph, Jacob and John - went to Nanaimo to work as miners, though I've seen some evidence that maybe Jacob became a policeman.
                    Jacob Neen was still a miner at the time of his marriage to Frances Ann Thompson on 26 Sep 1893 but by the time of the birth of his daughter Winnifred Eleanor E Neen on 28 Dec 1903 he is a policeman.
                    When his daughter Elizabeth Alice Neen married Thomas Henry Stevens on 31 March 1918, Jacob's occupation is recorded as Chief of Police!
                    Year 1921 in this timeline document (page 15) confirms that he served as Chief of Police from 1912 until his death in 1921.

                    You can track his police career which began with his appointment as a constable in 1894 by searching for Neen within this document:


                    Jacob and joseph were also signatories to this petition in 1892


                    Christine
                    Last edited by Karamazov; 01-12-14, 12:33.
                    Researching:
                    HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Hi Ian,

                      Very quickly as I am off to work , but will work on this later today.

                      According to censuses Joseph and Jacob emigrated in 1887/1888. I haven't found John.

                      bcbrit
                      George, Uren, Toy - Cornwall. Barrows, Blair, Bowyer, Freeth, Green, Manie - London

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Have a look at this newspaper site (free). Search for Jacob Neen and Chief of Police Neen and other variations. There are several reports and remarks in the society pages. The site is rather slow and the scanning is not very good in places, but persevere with the searching and you may get some useful information.



                        Edit.
                        Just found this which is a gold mine! Nanaimo Board of Police Commissioner’s fonds Series 2. Minutes, 1894-1935. There lots of information on Jacob: when he joined, pay and asking for more money, holidays, that he smoked (frowned upon), asked to resign at one stage, etc. etc.


                        Found it on this website. I would explore it further.
                        Last edited by keldon; 01-12-14, 17:10.
                        Phil
                        historyhouse.co.uk
                        Essex - family and local history.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Is this your chap? "Joseph K. Kneen age 84, died November 5th, 1967 – arrived in Nanaimo August, 1907" (he says his surname is pronounced Neen). Or is it a common name from that part of Cumberland?

                          His life story:
                          Last edited by keldon; 01-12-14, 17:18.
                          Phil
                          historyhouse.co.uk
                          Essex - family and local history.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by IannF View Post
                            What I"m stuck on is a daughter, Alice Neen, 1881-maybe 1956 who I lose track of in the UK after the 1901 Census. I've seen elsewhere on Ancestry that she died in Nanaimo in 1956 but there was no source cited for this. She may of course have married before leaving Britain so we'd be looking for a different name. There was an Alice Neen married in the right geographical area in 1910 but I can't be certain of the husband's name (might have been Payne or Wilson) nor whether this is the correct Alice. My Ancestry user-name is the same as for this forum, IannF, so if looking at my tree helps..?


                            Alice Neen married James Payne Lanchester 1910 q4 10a 502

                            1911 census - they are boarders in the household of William Finley 24 Ladysmith Terrace, Ushaw Moor. I'm not sure if we are allowed to post Findmypast links here but there should be sufficient info here for you to be able to find the record if you have an ancestry or FMP sub.

                            She does indeed die in Nanaimo in 1956, Aug 7. Image available here:
                            http://search-collections.royalbcmus...3-6fc1219cd936

                            According to this, she'd been in Canada for 31 years so emigrated circa 1925.

                            This is James Payne's death 27 Jan 1967 Nanaimo:
                            http://search-collections.royalbcmus...b-6fb7e24c111f

                            This cert specifically gives 1925 as year of immigration.

                            Found two children of James and Alice Payne via FreeBMD
                            Margaret A Payne Lanchester q 3 1911 10a 755
                            Frances I Payne Lanchester q 2 1913 10a 788

                            Frances Irene Payne married Thomas Hogg in Nanaimo 11 Jan 1936
                            http://search-collections.royalbcmus...0-bcfc49acafd4

                            NB note on cert, top left re marriage being dissolved 28 Jan 1944.
                            If only all records were as detailed as these Canadian ones!

                            She remarried to George Michael Brassard (derived from informants' names on parents' death certificates). I couldn't find their marriage as it was obviously some time after 1944 and site only has marriages to 1938 but found his death certificate from 1987

                            I couldn't find a death record for her under the name Brassard which indicates she may have died after 1993.

                            Only had a cursory look for marriage/death for the other daughter, Margaret, but nothing leapt out. Of course, if she married after 1938, the trail goes cold...
                            Regards,
                            Christine


                            Last edited by Karamazov; 01-12-14, 18:07.
                            Researching:
                            HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Karamazov View Post
                              Year 1921 in this timeline document (page 15) confirms that he served as Chief of Police from 1912 until his death in 1921.
                              Oops - just realised I didn't include the link for the timeline document:

                              http://www.nanaimomuseum.ca/web_docu...bctimeline.pdf

                              Christine

                              Researching:
                              HOEY (Fermanagh, other Ulster counties and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) BANNIGAN and FOX (Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland and Portland, Maine, USA) REYNOLDS, McSHEA, PATTERSON and GOAN (Corker and Creevy, Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland) DYER (Belfast and Ballymacarrett) SLEVIN and TIMONEY (Fermanagh) BARNETT (Ballagh, Tyrone and Strangford, Down)

                              Comment


                              • #16
                                Apolgies to Christine, i've just realised that I have repeated a lot of research you had already found. Doh!
                                Phil
                                historyhouse.co.uk
                                Essex - family and local history.

                                Comment


                                • #17
                                  Hi Ian,

                                  Well, I found John, but he emigrated much later.

                                  1911 Census
                                  9 Dudley Terrace, Durham

                                  John Thomas Neen b 1884 Cumberland, coal miner
                                  Henrietta b. 1884, wife
                                  Hazal 10 months

                                  RG 14 Piece 29865

                                  1921 Canada Census

                                  Northfield, Nanaimo

                                  John Neen b.1884 emigrated 1912, farmer
                                  Henrietta b. 1884 "
                                  Hazel b.1910, "
                                  Amy b. 1913, emigrated 1919 ( this is very clearly marked )
                                  William b. 1915 Canada

                                  John Thomas died 1961 Nanaimo, and Henrieta died 1975 Nanaimo.

                                  I haven't found a passenger list for them , but will keep looking.

                                  bcbrit
                                  George, Uren, Toy - Cornwall. Barrows, Blair, Bowyer, Freeth, Green, Manie - London

                                  Comment


                                  • #18
                                    Okay - UK Outward Passenger Lists 1890- 1960 (ancestry)

                                    Departed Liverpool 28 March 1913 for Halifax St John
                                    Ship the Victorian

                                    J.T. Neen - miner
                                    Mrs H.
                                    Hazel
                                    Amy

                                    bcbrit
                                    George, Uren, Toy - Cornwall. Barrows, Blair, Bowyer, Freeth, Green, Manie - London

                                    Comment


                                    • #19
                                      Relatively new to this forum so didn't know quite what to expect when I made the original post. Now I feel fairly overwhelmed by the volume of help offered ( and moderately stupid because I hadn't seen half of it until this morning when I realised there was a second page!). There are enough leads here to keep me off the streets for a week :-) I can only repeat that I'm really, really grateful to all.

                                      Thanks!

                                      Ian
                                      X IannF his mark

                                      Comment

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