Series 10 - John Hyssop memoir

11pp

The manuscript was obtained circa 1990-91 by Dr Gerry Moran of the University of Galway (collaborator of Professor Kerby A. Miller).

Materials pertaining to a short statement written by John Hyssop (1830-1911), a native of Smear, County Longford, describing his emigration voyage with his family to Kingston, Canada West (now Ontario) in 1847. Per Professor Kerby A. Miller: 'Although this memoir is short, it's the very best description of an emigrant's voyage in "Black '47" that l've ever seen. The author was probably a cabin passenger, so, in that sense it's not representative of those whom he describes as dead or dying in steerage and on the St. Lawrence. Judging from the mistaken Irish place-names in this typescript, Hyssop may have dictated this memoir to someone who was unfamiliar with Ireland or may have written his memoir in a handwriting that the typist could not fully decipher. From Hyssop's reference to Bishop George J. Mountain of Quebec, his family was probably Anglican.'
The series consists of: Miller's introductory notes on the memoir: Miller's transcript of the memoir; Hyssop's original typescript dated 30 August 1910; and brief genealogical information on Hyssop.