It’s St. Patrick’s Day! As we celebrate today, lets take a moment to look at our communities own Irish roots! Between 1820 and 1850, Charlotte County saw a massive influx of Irish immigrants; largely driven by the timber trade, with St. Andrews serving as a primary port. Between 1823 and 1831, 4,044 immigrants arrived at St. Andrews, with 90% being Irish. Irish immigrants came to fill the demand for labour in the timber and shipping industries. It may come as a surprise to some that, historically, Charlotte County is one of the most Irish counties in New Brunswick! It’s estimated that nearly half of the current population of Charlotte County is of at least partial Irish descent. Testament to this is the amount of local places that carry the name of Irish pioneers, such as Birney Lake, Kerrs Ridge, Milligan Brook and Reardon Road.
In fact, nearly all of the early Irish settlers of New Brunswick would spread out across the province from their initial arrival point in Charlotte County. Although ill-equipped for carrying passengers, many Irish came across the Atlantic on the same ships that carried lumber from NB to Europe. Not all came for the lumber industry, however. Many Irish immigrants would become the labour force of railways and dockworkers. They also moved into the countryside becoming farmers, woodsmen and millworkers. By 1851, 52 percent of the men in St. Andrews had been born in Ireland. By 1886 a number of Irishmen were practicing trades in Charlotte County. Two of the most accomplished blacksmiths of early Charlotte County both came from Ireland: Joseph Connick who settled in Moores Mills, and James McBride who set up shop in Oak Bay. And of course, in Black’s Harbour, the Connors brothers; Lewis and Patrick, started canning fish.
So embrace your Irish roots today! Because it was many of our own families who played a vital role in shaping the foundations of our early county! Happy St. Patrick’s Day from everyone at Charlotte FM!
