Series 11 - Mulligan-Martin letters

106pp

Kerby A. Miller created his transcripts of the Mulligan-Martin letters from the original manuscripts held in PRONI [reference number D1757/2/1-3].

Materials pertaining to three letters written from the US to relatives in the vicinity of Banbridge town, County Down: two by John Mulligan, a teacher and Presbyterian minister, writing from New York City in 1819 and from New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1829; and one by a kinsman, William Martin, an elderly teacher in US place unknown, in 1866. Kerby A. Miller identifies the following historically significant themes: 'Upper middle-class emigration, by well-educated Protestants (and Catholics), because of severe economic depression and limited opportunities in Ulster [...] (Mulligan); The conservative, elitist, and disdainful attitudes that such emigrants sometimes expressed towards democratic, non-deferential, and unruly or "crude" aspects of American society and politics. (Mulligan); The wide scattering of members of Irish immigrant families, throughout the US, especially among the US-born generations. (Martin); Acute homesickness among elderly Irish immigrants. (Martin).' The collection includes typed transcripts of the letters, Professor Miller's research notes and descriptions, correspondence with archivists, Miller's research on early Irish-American school teachers, and copies from contemporary New York and New Jersey sources along with cross-references to the Robert Love letters.