DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L Archives

Archiver > DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY > 2001-05 > 0989343353


From: Crawford MacKeand <>
Subject: Re: LEAVING FOR CANADA
Date: Tue, 8 May 2001 13:36:05 -0400 (EDT)
In-Reply-To: <4.3.2.7.2.20010508112711.02b79db0@pop3.norton.antivirus>


Seems to me that the answer to this might have appeared in a street photo
that I once saw from the later 1800s which showed a billboard, apparently
advertising the services of an emigration agent.

I've always guessed that there were entrepreneurs around who would, for a
percentage, like an antecedent of today's travel agent, arrange your
passage for you. There were only a few transatlantic ports of any
consequence. Later on it would be Glasgow, Liverpool, and maybe Bristol.
When I came to the States it was Southampton. So if you lived relatively
far away, and Dumfries was far, then an agent of some sort would be
essential, and if you had to choose based on price, the port that he
suggested, (maybe with the best rake-off for him!), might not be the most
convenient one for you. A bit like the last time I flew from here to
Tucson, Arizona. We went via Minneapolis. Not convenient, twice round
Riley's barn to get there, but the price was right!

But having said all that, Plymouth was an awful long and awkward journey
from Dumfries. I too would wonder why in that case.

Crawford.



On Tue, 8 May 2001, David Walker wrote:

> Hi Judi,
>
> People living in Dumfriesshire did not necessarily leave from there. In my
> case, my ancestors lived in Annan, but travelled to the south of England,
> where they emigrated from Plymouth, 16 June 1825. Why? I have no idea.

"If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts;
but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall
end in certainties." Francis Bacon

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