Emigrants from Ireland to America, 1735-1743

Description

Published in the obscure Journal of the Irish House of Commons in 1743 as a report of a special committee appointed to look into abuses of the system of enforced emigration, these lists of about 2,000 felons and vagabonds forcibly transported from Ireland between 1735 and 1743 constitute one of the few known sources of Irish emigration to the New World in the 18th century.

Copied verbatim from the pages of the Journal by Frances McDonnell, these priceless lists have been brought to light for the benefit of the long-suffering researcher. As published here in this handy, indexed volume, information in the lists generally includes the name of transportee, county or city from which returns of transportation orders were obtained, date of assizes (court), reason for transportation, and occasionally the name of the ship and place of destination in the colonies. Clearly this is an historically important work and a unique source of information, and it belongs in every serious researcher’s library.