Immigrants to Canada

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Immigration Report of 1834

The following information was extracted from the British Parliamentary Papers, 1835 XXXIV.

• 31,000 arrived at the port of Quebec in 1834, 10,000 more than the previous year and bringing with them capital to the amount of one million sterling
• 731 emigrants lost their lives due to shipwreck during the season, "added to the deaths during the voyage, and to those who fell victims to cholera and other diseases at the quarantine station at Grosse Isle, will account for a considerable diminution in what would otherwise have been the total of emigration for the year 1834.
• "Amongst the body of settlers, it is worthy of mention, that several agriculturalists brought with them superior breeds of horses and cattle; I may particularize mr. Farmer, settled near Bytown, who had with him 50 head of cattle."
• The Petworth settlers, and those of Lord Suffield, as well as others who were aided in their emigration by landed proprietors and by parishes, have been satisfactorily disposed of; those from Petworth in the vicinity of Brantford, and Lord Suffield's in various places, where they found employment."
• "Upon the whole, I consider myself justified in reporting to your Lordship, that the situation of the emigrant population this season would have been unexceptionable, but for the visitation of Providence in the second appearance of cholera in these provinces. As it was, however, I consider that the emigrants in general escaped wonderfully well; and during my tour of inspection, made at the time when the sickness was at its height, I found along the route of the St. Lawrence much less distress and sickness among the emigrant population than I had any reason to anticipate.

  The number of emigrants aided by parishes and landlords, this year has been 1,892, as stated in the Paper No. 1, p. 8, of the Appendix. They come principally from Hampshire, Sussex and Norfolk, in England, and from Munster and Leinster, in Ireland; generally well provided.

• "Through the exertions of the New Canada Company, and from the arrangements now in progress, a great stimulus to settlement will be, no doubt, afforded in various parts of the Lower Province, but particularly in the eastern townships. I cannot but feel that my congratulations are due to your Excellency, on your zeal, and on the personal interest you have taken in directing the completion of the new Inverness road, which I had originally the honour of marking out, as joint commissioner in 1829, and which, aided by the water communication suggested by your Lordship, cannot fail in ultimately producing great benefit to that interesting portion of the province.
• "The facilities of transport and conveyance for the emigrant have been much improved and augmented by the increase in the number of steam-boats, particularly on the route from Montreal to Upper Canada, by the way of the Rideau Canal. I have suggested the employment of covered barges, to receive at Quebec such emigrants as are destined for Upper Canada. By the adoption of this plan, the necessity of landing at Montreal would be obviated, the baggage need not be shifted, and the city of Montreal would be spared the inconvenience so much complained of, arising from the fact, that a number of persons, who have been landed on the wharf at unseasonable hours, are frequently placed in a situation to become burthensome to public charity.

  With respect to the emigration of paupers, nothing need be added to my previous reports, except to press upon your Lordship's consideration the necessary amendment to the Passenger Act, which I have the honour of submitting in page 15 of the Appendix.

  I am happy in being able to state that fewer causes of dissatisfaction, from the conduct of shipbrokers, have occurred this year; and no serious inconvenience has been reported to me to have arisen from a scanty supply of provisions. This improved state of things may be attributed, in a great measure, to the appointment of emigrant agents at the principal ports of the United Kingdom. Whenever, in addition to these appointments, the Passenger Act shall have been amended, it may be hoped that all causes of complaint will be removed.

• The benefits resulting to the working classes from emigration being now very generally felt and acknowledged in the United Kingdom, and legal provision having been made by the Imperial Parliament in a clause in the Poor Law Amendment Bill, with regard to the voluntary emigration of parochial labourers, added to the increasing interest shown by the Irish landlords, in their disposition to assist their poor tenantry, justify the opinion that a very considerable number of persons of the above classes will emigrate next year to these provinces. It may also be confidently anticipated, that from the same causes, the amount of emigration to the Canadas will annually and progressively be augmented.
• 800 died of cholera in Upper and Lower Canada while 350 were retuned to the United Kingdom and 3,485 went to the United States.
• A List of the Vessels Wrecked coming to Quebec last Spring, with the Number of Lives lost.

  1834	Vessel & Where Wrecked	Lives Lost
  Early in spring	James, of Workington, Captain Crooks, wrecked on St. Paul's Island	none
  	Noon, of Sunderland, Captain Phillips, wrecked on St. Paul's Island	none
  	Isabella, of Workington, with 130 emigrants; seven drowned, remainder suffered great distress; wrecked on St. Paul's Island	7
  	Bark, name unknown, same place
  	Brig James, from Limerick, Captain lardle; lost on the Great Bank, Newfoundland	250
  	Bark Astrea, near Cape Breton; all lost	271
  	Fidelity, Clark, from Dublin; same place; crew and passengers saved; 29 died of fatigue	29
  	Bark Edward, Chapman; near Scutari
  	Brig Columbus; same place
  	Ship, name unknown; Little Island.
  	Brig Trafalgar, from St. John's New Brunswick; near Cape Breton
  	Brig from west of England; near Arichat, with 180 passengers; only seven saved	173
  	Brig from west of England, with 280 passengers; near Eusebo Cut, off Causo; no lives lost
  	Brig Resolution, Turnbull, with 233; wrecked near Spit Island, south east coast Newfoundland; one boy and all the passengers baggage lost	1
  	Bark Juno, arrived at Richituito with 233 emigrants taken from a wreck at sea
  	Patriot, from Sunderland; on Cape Rosier, Gulph[sic] of St. Lawrence
  	Scarborough Castle, at sea, Longitude 41
  	Number of ships lost	17

• Week ending 10 May 1834 - Finding that masters of ships continue to levy the tax on emigrants, I forwarded printed notices to Grosse Isle, to inform them that there is no law for such impost.
• Week ending 17 May - Up to this day I have secceeded in getting back about 500£ Many melancholy shipwrecks have taken place this spring among emigrants' vessels coming to this port
• Week ending 31 May - Nearly all the surviving emigrants that have been shipwrecked in the Gulph[sic] have come up; for such as stood in need I got gratuitous passages to Montreal.
• Week ending 7 June - The captains of the ship Home, from Dublin, and Active, from Londonderry, which arrived this day, have refused to refund the tax, which I ascertained clearly to have been advanced by the emigrants. The situation of the city is remarkably satisfactory, as regards the emigrant population.
• Week ending 14 June - The emigrants arrived this week have in general proceeded to Upper Canada.... A number of farmer labourers late the tenantry of Lord Suffield, arrived this week; they were recommended by the Secretary of State to this department; as also some other small parties of emigrants from various estates. All were well provided, and I forwarded them, as requested, to their several destinations. I got the capitation tax very generally refunded to all the emigrants that arrived this and the proceding week, with the exception of the ship Home, from Dublin.
• Week ending 21 June - A considerable number of persons of the working classes arrived this week, principally from Ireland; they apparently, were all able to pay their way; the great demand in Upper Canada for persons of the working class, and particularly at public works for labourers and artificers, with the high rate of wages, induced nearly the whole to proceed thither. I have reports this week from the emigrant agents at Toronto, Lachine, Prescott and Bytown, all testifying as to good circumstances of the emigrant population, and the total absence of sickness or distress among them, so far, this season.

  This City and Montreal has never been more free from inconvenience from an emigrant population, and the interference of the benevolent has been less required this season than for the last five years. From the competition between the steam boats here and the forwarding boats above Montreal, emigrants may now get from Quebec to Prescott for about one dollar each adult.

• Week ending 5 July - The emigrants arrived this week consist principally of tradesmen, farmers and labourers, of whom very few are now in Quebec.
• Week ending 12 July - The emigrants arrived this week are very respectable, all in good health and spirits; the great demand for persons of the working classes throughout the Upper Province hastens them forward; the facilities of transport is a further inducement. I got the head money refunded to nearly all the emigrants arrived this week. The total sum refunded since the 12th May to this date is about 2,500l.
• Week ending 19 July - In consequence of the low rate of transport and great competition this season on the route from Quebec to Kingston, the head money refunded to the emigrants is ample to pay a common passage to Prescott.
• Week ending 9 August - By the Kingston from Liverpool, a Mr. Farmer, strongly recommended to this department, and family, came passengers; he proceeds for the present to Sorel; he has with him 50 head of live stock, of the most approved English breeds.
• Week ending 16 August - The greater proportion of the emigrants arrived this week were from Scotland and the north of Ireland, and all had ample means to proceed to Upper Canada, whither they were destined.
• Week ending 6 September - By the explosion of one of the boilers of the Lady of the Lake steam-boat on Sunday morning, six lives have been lost; they were passengers by the Conference from Leith; one of them, Mr. W. Ronaldson, has left considerable property, an inventory of which I had taken, with cash amounting to near 400£. I lodged in the Montreal bank, and his other effects have been stored.
• Week ending 20 September - The emigrants arrived this week are all in comfortable circumstances; the greater part have proceeded to Upper Canada. In the Concord from London, there were 20 boys sent out by the London Children's Friend Society.
• Week ending 27 September - Seventy-three Saxon emigrants arrived this week and proceeded to upper Canada; they appear to be a healthy able-bodied industrious people. I gave them orders for employment at the Long Sault Canal.
• Week ending 4 October - Labourers are much wanted about town to get in the potato crop; and at Cornwall, and the Long Sault Canal, shoemakers and tailors are in great request, at high wages. Quebec is unusualy free from an emigrant population.
• Navigation closed the 1st of December.
• The following are the lowest rates the Ottaway Steam-Boat Company could undertake to convey emigrants and baggage during the present season via the Rideau Canal to

  Kingston	For each adult	10s.
  	Children between 7 and 14 years	5s.
  	Children between 3 and 7 years	3s. 4d.
  	Children under 3 years	gratis
  	Luggage	2s. 9d. per cwt., and none allowed.
  The company have decked barges leaving this every day, and arrive at Bytown in tow days, and in Kingston in five days, without any transhipping of luggage.

• letter from Rev. Mr. Bethune to A.C. Buchanan dated Montreal, 8 June, 1834:

  I am directed by the Montreal Emigrant Committee to send you the enclosed list of persons who have paid to the captains of vessels therein mentioned, ship Home and Malvina, the tax imposed on emigrants by the late Act, and who are now here unable to proceed to their destinations, but which the sums they have paid would enable them to do. The Emigrant Society respectfully requests your kind attention to the case of those poor people, and beg the favour of you to recover back the amount due them if possible. (List of names does not appear in report).

  Mr. Buchanan replied that the money could not be extracted from the captains of the vessels and until the Passenger Act was amended they could do nothing in law to get the money. He went on to say: "I cannot avoid expressing my fears but that those shed in Montreal, with every caution and scrutiny your benevolent society can use, in many instances tend to check those lazy characters in their own efforts to obtain employment, or proceed further up the country...Mr. Carlisle Buchanan [Mr. Buchanan's nephew and successor] who will deliver this letter to you, I have requested to render you every aid in his power to get the present occupants of the sheds disposed of, and directed to where they can find employment."

• letter from A.C. Buchanan to Peter McGill, Chairman of the Sanitary Committee, dated Montreal 25 August 1834

  "...Prescott is the regular station of the Lake steam-boats, where in general one or more are laying ready to receive the emigrants on arrival, besides there is a very commodious emigrant barrack and hospital for their special accommodation; added to which is the valuable superintendence of Mr. Patton the Government agent. When at Brockville, on Wednesday last, I witnessed the necessity of adopting the preceding suggesting in consequence of the great inconvenience felt by a number of emigrants that had just arrived in a Durham boat from Montreal; whereas had these people disembarked at Prescott, they could have gone on board the Great Britain steamer then lying there, and proceed the following day. I visited the works at the Long Sault Canal, where preparations on a large scale are in progress, for affording employment to a great many labourers and artificers very shortly, and which will be a great relief to those that are unable to proceed up the country, where the want of all persons of the working classes is much felt. I avail myself on the present occasion to assure you of my great anxiety and readiness to render any aid in my power in promoting the benevolent intentions of the inhabitants of Montreal and I shall have great pleasure in communicating to his Lordship the Governor in chief the favourable state of the emigrant population throughout the route of the St. Lawrence, and the exertions made in their behalf by the benevolent inhabitants of your city."

• letter from A.C. Buchanan to Lieut.-colonel Craig, Civil Secretary, dated Quebec, 2 September 1834.

  "I proceeded by the south side of Lake Ontario, as I wished to visit Oswego, which is becoming the principal point of entry towards the Upper Province by emigrants from New York, and I am glad in being enabled to state, for his Lordship's information, that the number of British emigrants that have entered Upper Canada by that route, as also Rochester and Buffalo, this year, is unprecedented, and evidently proves that the mania for running to the "far west" is completely checked. The facility and ease with which emigrants get from New York to Lake Ontario is very great, and their adopting the Oswego route, instead of proceeding as hitherto to Buffalo, is exceedingly important, as it brings the strange emigrant at once to the seat of Government, and prevents his falling into the hands of designing land jobbers and crimps at Buffalo.

  I visited part of the London district, and the works at the Grand River improvements and Welland Canal, and found every thing satisfactory; settlements going on in every direction, and plenty of employment for labourers and tradesmen of all descriptions; many hundred of common labourers are employed at the Grand River, at 12 dollars per month, and found in board and lodging.

  I visited Toronto during the prevalence of the cholera, and I was gratified at finding his Excellency Sir John Colborne well pleased at the fortunate situation of the emigrant population there. There was scarcely an emigrant to be seen, all had proceeded to their several destinations.

  Lord Egremont's settlers from Petworth had all been well provided for in the vicinity of Brantford.

  From Toronto I proceeded to Kingston by land, calling at Port Hope, Coburgh[sic], Colborne, Bay of Quinte, Belleville, &c., I remained part of a day at Coburg[sic], and obtained information as to the prospects and condition of the various new settlements about the Rice Lake, in the rear of that thriving village.

  I remained two days at Kingston, and found every thing there very satisfactory, considering the awful visitation with which that city, as well as the whole route of the St. Lawrence from Quebec to Toronto, have been visited. I went about 50 miles down the Rideau; and being anxious to visit Brockville and Prescott, and meeting a steam-boat on the canal, I returned to Kingston, and proceeded by the St. Lawrence to Montreal. A reference to my letter to the Honourable P. McGill, chairman of the Sanitary Committee, will inform his Lordship on various matters connected with the transport of emigrants from Montreal upwards. I urged on the consideration of the forwarding agents the great benefits that would be experienced by emigrants and the public if a line of covered barges were established to take the emigrants on board at Quebec, and not disembark them until they arrived at Kingston.

  With reference to the forwarding system adopted by the Sanitary and Emigrant Committee at Montreal, the honourable chairman informed me, that they send up free all that solicit it; and that on the arrival of the steam-boats from Quebec, every publicity is given that any emigrants wishing to proceed to the Upper Province, and who have not sufficient means to do so, if they call at the office of the committee will receive an order for a free passage and provisions. A great number of emigrants proceeded this season to Kingston by the Rideau Canal; the rate of passage is about 2s. 6d. or 3s. higher than by the St. Lawrence; say via Rideau, 10s., St. Lawrence 7s. 6d.; but to those who are able to pay the difference, the additional comfort in favour of the Rideau route is more than equivalent. On the whole the competition between the forwarders has been very favourable to the emigrants; great efforts are making by the St. Lawrence carriers to compete, and if possible to keep ahead of the Ottawa route. With the Passenger Act amended, and the continued protection of the Governor in Chief to the authorities responsible for conducting emigration, the most salutary benefits might be expected, and much of the expense of quarantine avoided, and the interference of mistaken public sympathy and irresponsible institutions dispensed with.

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