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Emigration
It is not to be supposed
that emigration to such a far-off land as the Canadas was to
be undertaken without preparation. Such preparation had been
considerable.
On February 22, 1815, a
Proclamation was published at Edinburgh which set forth the government's
plan "to encourage settlers to proceed to the British Provinces
in North America". This was the first time emigration had
been given organized assistance by the government. Extracts from
the Proclamation make the plan quite clear:
"It is the intention
of His Majesty's Government to encourage settlers to proceed
... to the British Provinces in North America, and for this purpose
a certain number of vessels will be appropriated for the conveyance
of such persons as may be properly recommended.
"Lands will be granted
to them, either in Upper or Lower Canada (where there is) a choice
climate and a soil adapted for every branch of cultivation.
"A grant of one hundred
acres of land will be secured to each family,
and all their male children will be entitled on attaining the
age of twenty-one years, to a similar grant.
"For the first six
or eight months ... in order to enable the settlers to establish
themselves ... they will be allowed rations from the public stores.
"Axes and other necessary
implements will also be furnished ... at a fixed price not exceeding
the prime cost.
"Should any number
of families... be desirous of settling in the same neighbourhood
in Canada, care will be taken to allot them lands as nearly as
possible contiguous to each other; and a sufficient portion of
land will be appropriated in the midst of such settlers for a
church and for the maintenance of a clergyman and a schoolmaster;
and in case a sufficient number of settlers so united should
be accompanied ... by a person of either of the above functions,
who possesses their confidence and can be well recommended, a
salary will be provided of £100 per annum to such minister
and £50 per annum to the schoolmaster.
"In order to prevent
persons from making an ... improper use of the liberality of
the Government, it will be required that every person embarking
for Quebec, should at the time of embarkation deposit ... the
following sums: Every male above sixteen years of age, £16
sterling; every woman, being the wife of any person so embarking,
two guineas. Children under sixteen years of age will be conveyed
free of expense.
"Settlers ... will
do well to send by post their proposals and certificates without
delay. These testimonials must certify the general good character
of applicants, their professions, former pursuits, whether married
or widowers, the number of their children,... and the ages of
all. These must be obtained either from a justice of the peace,
clergyman or elders of the parish, or other respectable persons."
(1)
No reasons are set forth
in this Proclamation for the liberal assistance thus offered
to encourage people to emigrate to Canada. Doubtless the economic
and social reasons already described would be apparent to applicants,
but the real reason for the government's generosity would be
unknown. This might, indeed, have affected adversely the desire
of some (among others, John Holliday) to emigrate.
For as far back as October,
1813, Lord Bathurst, Secretary for War and the Colonies, had
suggested an emigration of "Scotch peasantry" who would
be invaluable both for the present defence and the future protection
of Upper Canada by offering them grants of land in that province
and a free passage for themselves and their families". (2)
As Senator Haydon said, "These words almost fully interpret
the meaning of the settlement at Perth in 1816." (3)
This purpose behind the
government's scheme was also implied, though not explicitly,
in an official explanation published in the Caledonian Mercury,
Edinburgh, March 27, 1815, in these words: "The wishes and
intentions of His Majesty's Government are directed, not to an
increase of emigration from this part of the United Kingdom (i.e.
Scotland), but to divert to the British Provinces in North America
the surplus population, which would otherwise proceed to the
United States."
Since this plan for defence
of the Colony was a prime reason behind the emigration scheme,
a reason known and approved by the Upper Canada authorities (4),
it is not surprising that civilian settlers found some administrative
attitudes in Canada far from their expectation, far from their
liking, and calculated to create dissatisfaction on the settlers'
part.
One British citizen's idea
of a good reason for the emigration, along with a method of locating
the settlers in Canada, was advanced on April 22, 1815, in a
letter from "Pro Patria" to the Secretary for the Colonies.
The letter read, "As a person well acquainted with the Canadas
... I take the liberty of offering a few remarks on the subject
of the colonization which government seems to have recently in
contemplation I would therefore recommend chiefly to settle British
Protestants in the Interior of Lower Canada .... By interspersing
British Protestants among the Canadian Papists intermarriage
would ensue, the population be gradually brought to Protestantism
and the French character by degree lost in British descendants."
(5) One can only speculate upon what the results would have been
had an emigrant of John Holliday's character and religious views
been so located in Canada. The advice of "Pro Patria"
was not accepted by the government as a reason or a method for
the scheme.
Whatever the basic reasons,
however, the plan was a very attractive one. It offered a relief
from present unsatisfactory conditions for many in Scotland and
a reasonably good prospect of future conditions in Canada. The
Government's assistance was considerable. Moreover, John Campbell,
the government agent in Scotland charged with the organization
of the scheme, proved to be competent and conscientious. Not
only had he posted the Proclamation officially in Edinburgh:
he had "communicated (it) in a variety of letters unto all
the Newspapers that are published in Scotland" where it
had been announced for several weeks; he had prepared a signed
"handbill" which he circulated widely, sending it to
every clergyman and having it posted in every post-office throughout
Scotland. "It is my wish", he wrote, "fully to
explain especially to the lower orders (sic) every circumstance
in order that there may not arise any misconception of the nature
of the compact."(6) So it is not to be wondered at that
the response was quick and numerous.
As an immediate result
the two administrative offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow were
inundated with enquiries and tentative applications. By March
4, "at Edinburgh the number that have applied including
children ... and dependents is already little short of 500. Here
(in Glasgow) we have today had what I reckon about 200."
(7) It had been decided to limit the emigrant party to 2,000
persons (8), and now, only eleven days after the first Proclamation,
more than a third of this number was in sight!
The response to the scheme,
however, soon ran up against a practical difficulty. This was
the cash deposit which required £16 plus £2.2 from
each family unit. The reason for the deposit appears reasonable
enough. "This is intended", the Government explained,
"both as a pledge that the settlers shall perform the conditions
on their part, and to prevent persons from availing themselves
of a passage to the United States. It also prevents persons of
bad character obtruding themselves among respectable settlers."
(9) In the event, it did not prevent a few emigrants from passing
from Canada immediately upon their arrival there to the United
States; (10) while some of the Colony's administrators later
believed that at least one settler was "insubordinate"
and presumably therefore "of bad character". What it
did prevent was many would be emigrants, those who, in John Campbell's
phrase, were "those poor but worthy respectable persons."
So it was soon apparent that there would be no 2,000 emigrants
ready to sail in April as the plan proposed.
On April 25th "the
number of persons to this date who have lodged their deposit
stands as follows: Men 62, Women 61, Children 181, - total 304".
By May 6th they were. Men 80, Women 73, Children 230, - total
383. By May 24th, the statistics were: Men 108, Women 90, Children
276, - total 474. "Still", says Mr. Campbell, 'very
few compared with what might have been expected". (11)
Another unexpected development
was the congregation in Glasgow of many of these accepted emigrants.
Glasgow was to be the port of embarkation. April had been set
as the date for sailing, so many prospective settlers had given
up their employment and repaired to Glasgow to be on time. But
no transports had arrived. As a result the waiting emigrants
found their scanty store of money and supplies fast disappearing.
A good deal of bitterness arose over the situation. On May 26th,
through Alexander McNab as spokesman, they expressed their feelings
of disappointment with the delay and called for living expenses
for the period since the end of April. Not until June 23rd did
they receive the allowances requested.
On the same day, May 26th,
the emigrants in Glasgow were joined by John Holliday, who had
left his schoolmaster's position in Hutton parish ready for embarkation.
Since that would appear to be too late for him to join in the
petition for expenses, it was at least one protest by the emigrants
for which no blame could be attached to John Holliday. It was,
however, probably the last such.
It was during his stay
in Glasgow that John Holliday was appointed schoolmaster for
the settlers. According to one of their number, a Mr. Gibson,
"They met regularly twice a week, many a plan respecting
their future proceedings was discussed with more zeal than unanimity."
(12) The subject of who should be designated their minister and
who their schoolmaster was among the many. On the former they
could not agree, on the latter they did. On June 12th, Mr. Campbell
notified the Under-Secretary of State that he had "been
applied to about a schoolmaster said to be picked upon by families
amounting to 140 souls." (13)
Apparently Mr. Campbell
thought an appointment rested with the Canadian Government, for
he so advised the applicants. He was set right in this, being
told from London that the Secretary would receive evidence of
the appointee's ability and character. This Mr. Campbell obtained
and remitted to Lord Bathurst on June 28th with the memorandum
already quoted above, "I beg to send the enclosed recommendation
from Settlers whose children amount to 128 in favour of John
Halliday (sic) to be their Schoolmaster, his certificates for
character and ability as an ordinary School teacher are satisfactory."
(14) Before July 11th the appointment was completed. On that
date Mr. Campbell reported, "I have acquainted Mr. John
Halliday (sic) of Earl Bathurst having approved of the recommendation
of him to be Schoolmaster to the Settlers, and that the necessary
instructions were to be forwarded to the Governor of Canada."
(15) The notification was made in writing and was still in John
Holliday's possession in 1819. (16) This recognition by his fellow
emigrants must have given him some considerable satisfaction.
Meantime, about the middle
of June the transports began to arrive at Greenock, at that time
the farthest point up-river for ocean going vessels. They consisted
of four ships, the Dorothy, the Baltic Merchant, and the Eliza.
The emigrants were to be towed on a schooner down the river from
Glasgow to Greenock. The first contingent was to leave Glasgow
at 3 o'clock a. m. on June 24th, the hour of a favourable tide.
Mr. Gibson gave a vivid account of this departure. "Many
of the families departing had met with much kindness and attention
from the good inhabitants of Glasgow, hundreds of whom now accompanied
them to the river, and saw them safely aboard the steamboat and
schooner employed to convey them to Greenock. As they were to
leave Glasgow at three o'clock in the morning, many of them came
down to the Broomielaw the evening before, and remained on the
wharf all night. The air was calm and serene but few were disposed
to sleep. Interesting conversation filled up the passing hours,
and the social glass went round oftener than once, for the "tee-total",
scheme had not then even been thought of. At two in the morning
the embarkation commenced amidst hurry, noise and confusion.
Soon after three, the steamboat taking the schooner in tow passed
down the river amidst the shouts of thousands who lined the shore
bidding Adieu to their departing friends. The scene to many of
the emigrants was the most affecting they had ever, witnessed.
They were bidding a final farewell to their native land."
(17)
The "final farewell"
was delayed a bit longer. This first contingent reached Greenock
before noon, but there were other contingents to be towed down
the river and the final farewell would not be made until after
their arrival. At Greenock the emigrants from the south of Scotland
asked to be embarked on the one vessel "in order that they
might be together" - The request was granted. John Holliday
was, therefore, one of the 250 lowlanders put aboard the Atlas,
Captain Joseph Turnbull.At last all was in readiness and on Tuesday,
July 11th the Atlas weighed anchor for Canada.
An ocean voyage in 1815
was somewhat less than a pleasure trip. Both the accommodation
provided and the length of the voyage made it something of an
endurance test. The Atlas had been used as a troop-ship daring
the late war and the civilians now aboard her were given the
same - but only the same - accommodation as the troops had received.
For families made up of adults and children, and of both sexes,
this left much to be desired. The provisions likewise were those
of the troops. Mr. Gibson described them as "ample in quantity
.... but the quality of the bread and beef did not please (us)....
The rum however was good as well as the pork, pease and oatmeal,
and made some amends for the deficiency of other articles."(18)
The weather was fine until
August 10th, when the ship ran into "a terrible gale which
lasted 24 hours". The conditions created by the sea-sick
passengers in a ship of that time with its limited sanitary conveniences
were "shocking", to quote Mr. Gibson. It was cleaned
only by bribing the crew with rum when, in an intoxicated state,
they undertook to clean ship. Off the Banks of Newfoundland the
weather was cold and foggy. Whooping-cough broke out among the
children, most of whom contracted the disease, and a number of
them died. At last, sixty-two days after leaving Scotland, the
Atlas arrived at Quebec on Monday, September 4th.
The emigrants were now
immigrants. The Scots had become Canadians.
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