NYFingerLakes-L Archives

Archiver > NYFingerLakes > 1998-06 > 0898741355


From: Martha S. Magill< >
Subject: [NYFingerLakes-L] Irish Immigration - why the Finger Lakes?
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 1998 22:22:35 -0400 (EDT)


Hi All:

I forgot to forward this to the list when I replied to Gary. First his
response to me, then my note re: Finger Lakes Irish immigration:

"I know that John Kinsella came from County Wexford. Cemetery records for
John Welch say he was born in Co. Wickford, which doesn't (and didn't)
exist. It was probably either Wexford or Wicklow (both on the east coast of
Ireland). I can't read the place of birth on James Mack's death certificate
but it doesn't appear to correspond to any Irish County. At least one of
them, John Welch, may have come to the U.S. through Canada. His wife, Mary
Doran, was born in Quebec to Irish parents. At least two of Mary's
siblings, Miles and Patrick Doran, also moved to Clyde. Several of the
Welch family (including my grandfather) worked at the glass factory.
Several in the Kinsella and Mack families worked in a malt house.

I only found this mailing list recently but I agree with you, it is
certainly the liveliest one that I subscribe to."

-----Original Message-----
From: Martha S. Magill [mailto:]
Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 1998 8:13 PM
To: Gary Welch
Subject: RE: [NYFingerLakes-L] Migration route quote

The Irish initially settled in other cities close by (within 10 miles of
Clyde), namely Geneva , Waterloo, and Seneca Falls, all industrial towns
whose booming factories depended on the Seneca and Erie Canals to
distribute their goods, as well as on our ancestors for a cheap and
desperate labor supply. Many Irish were attracted to the Clyde area
because of inexpensive farmland and jobs at the well-known glass factory
and other small manufactories. The replacement with Italian families also
occurred in Geneva and Seneca Falls. My grandparents told me outrageous
stories they heard as children from their parents about the late 19th
century Irish backlash to the new Italian immigrants. Stories detailing
pretty much similar to what we now call suburban flight.

My co-coordinator Mike's family also came into Geneva at the same time.
Taking our most interesting discussion of migration out of the US, of
importance to all of us with Irish roots would be to put our heads
together on this list and figure out which Irish Counties "fed" that area
of the Finger Lakes. Mine came from Louth in the late 1840s. My original
area Irish patriarch was a school teacher back home but became a moulder .
Perhaps we could compare notes on making the genealogical jump back to
Ireland. This list is turning out to be a think tank. I love it!

Martha Magill
Asst. State Coordinator
NYGenWeb

Co-coordinator
Wayne County NYGenWeb

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