Series 14 - Scanlan family letters

100pp

The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley provided Kerby A. Miller with photocopies of the Scanlan Letters from which Miller created his transcripts. The original manuscripts are held in the Scanlan family papers, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley [call number MSS 70/32].

The Scanlan letters are a set of seven letters written between 1853 and 1872 to Michael J. Scanlan, born in Ireland but living in New Orleans and then California. Five of the letters are from his mother Ann living in Toronto; two are from his brother Dominick ('Brother Abraham') in New York state. Per Kerby A. Miller: 'In the above, I discovered that the Scanlans were from County Sligo, and emigrated probably in 1845-6, during the potato famine. Thus, they may have been among the destitute arriving in Canada during those years. According to a letter written from Ann Scanlan, in Toronto, to her son, Michael J. Scanlan, then in New Orleans, sometime in the 1850s, her side of the family was from 'Colany' - which may have been the town of Coolaney, a few miles inland from Sligo town. Thus, it seems that the Scanlans were from Sligo, while Michael Scanlan's wife was born in Co. Mayo.' Michael Scanlan became a rancher in Contra Costa County; Ann was a dressmaker in Toronto; Dominick was a member of the Christian Brothers.
The series consists of: Miller’s original notes on the letters printed on index cards; Miller’s biographical notes on the Scanlans; reproductions of the letters; and Miller’s letter transcripts.