10-11-2008, 08:49 PM
Posting on behalf of Al Lewis of Bytown or Bust web site in Ottawa
Hi everyone:
Great maps.
A great number of families, including I think, the Blanchfields, came to the Ottawa area from Kilkenny during the 1820's. The Blanchfields and a few other families were at St. Columban's before coming to Ottawa.
Most of the Ottawa area Kilkenny residents came from Castlecomer which had been a strong area for mining. After the mines closed down in the late 1810's, many folks came to Canada and worked here in Ottawa, at building the Rideau Canal. I'm not sure if the mines closed because of the lack of demand after the Napoleonic War in 1815 or if the mines were just depleted by that time.
There were connections between St. Columbans and the Irish in Ottawa beginning in the 1820's. Even in the 1850's, there is an example of a farm family moving from Ottawa back to St. Columbans. There is a search engine at the web site below.
Al Lewis
Ottawa, Canada
www.bytown.net
Hi everyone:
Great maps.
A great number of families, including I think, the Blanchfields, came to the Ottawa area from Kilkenny during the 1820's. The Blanchfields and a few other families were at St. Columban's before coming to Ottawa.
Most of the Ottawa area Kilkenny residents came from Castlecomer which had been a strong area for mining. After the mines closed down in the late 1810's, many folks came to Canada and worked here in Ottawa, at building the Rideau Canal. I'm not sure if the mines closed because of the lack of demand after the Napoleonic War in 1815 or if the mines were just depleted by that time.
There were connections between St. Columbans and the Irish in Ottawa beginning in the 1820's. Even in the 1850's, there is an example of a farm family moving from Ottawa back to St. Columbans. There is a search engine at the web site below.
Al Lewis
Ottawa, Canada
www.bytown.net