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From: "Brian" <>
Subject: Re: [TSL] Assisted emigration to USA? 1840 Sussex>US
Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2005 18:54:52 -0000
References: <000501c4f02b$d950d5f0$6400a8c0@HYGCL21>


Laura asked, "Was there a plan in place at the time above for any assistance
by parishes to those emigrating to US ports?"

Hi Laura,

Perhaps this is not much help, but in the 1830s there was assisted
emigration from Sussex to Upper Canada (as it was then known), but these
emigrants were closely guarded to see that they did not slip over the border
to America.

Under the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 the Poor Law Commissioners had the
authority to sanction loans to parishes to fund emigration, but I don't know
if any Sussex parishes took advantage of this during the 1840s when mass
emigration (especially from Ireland due to the potato famine) to America
took place. The horrors of which led to the new Passenger Acts and better
condition on all emigrant ships. In January 1840 the Colonial Land and
Emigration Board was set up but again I think they sent people to Canada
and Australia rather than to the US.

In the circumstances I wouldn't think there was any assisted emigration to
America from Sussex at all, as the authorities were very keen on populating
Canada and Australia and New Zealand. Emigration to the US was therefore
very probably a private affair.

For instance, in his book "Passage to America" (Hutchinson, 1972) Terry
Coleman gives the case of a husband who asked the parish guardians to help
him to emigrate to America, and "they declined, although they offered him 25
pounds if he would go to New Zealand. So he went on his own to America,
leaving behind his wife and children, who received seven shillings and
sixpence a week parish relief from October 1844 until July 1845, when the
husband paid their passage over. Altogether the parish spent about eleven
pounds, which could have paid the passage of the man and his family to
America in the first place."

I suggest you get hold of a copy of the above book through the inter-library
lending service if you are in UK if you are at all interested in emigration
from GB to America. It has now gone through several editions, including
being published in paperback by Penguin.

HTH

Regards
Brian

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Laura Thomas" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2005 6:00 PM
Subject: [TSL] Assisted emigration to USA? 1840 Sussex>US


> Was there a plan in place at the time above for any assistance by parishes
> to those emigrating to US ports? I know there was a broad effort by
> parishes to pay passage for families to NSW and to Canadian ports. I am
> assuming this was not so to America.could I be wrong?
>
> And if someone did not qualify for assistance, might they decide to go to
> America because it was a shorter, or less expensive, voyage?
>
> Thanks..
>
>
>
> Laura Thomas
>
> Enfield, CT, USA
>
>
>
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