Scots in the USA and Canada, 1825-1875. Part Two

Description

It is difficult to estimate with complete accuracy the number of Scots who came to this continent after 1825 because some Irish and Continental emigrants sailed from Scottish ports while some Scots departed via England or Ireland. We do know, however, that between 1825 and 1838 over 60,000 emigrants left Scotland bound for North America; from 1840 to 1853, nearly 30,000 emigrated there; and in 1881 alone, 38,000 left for the United States and 3,000 left for Canada, mostly via Greenock. The majority of these emigrants were skilled, educated workers from urban industrial backgrounds whose expertise was in great demand in the rapidly industrializing cities of North America. David Dobson, who is perhaps best known for his many volumes pertaining to Scottish immigration to America during the colonial and early federal periods, here builds on Part One of Scots in the USA and Canada, 1825-1875 with brief sketches of 1,100 additional Scottish men and women and their families who were part of this great exodus.

For the most part, Dobson’s findings come from Scottish newspapers like the Aberdeen Journal, Fife Advertiser, Scottish Guardian, etc. as well as from a handful of documents in the National Archives of Scotland. The Scottish expatriates identified by the compiler are arranged alphabetically and invariably give, besides the individual’s full name, place of residence (country, state/province, or city), an identifying date and the source of the information. In addition, many of the entries indicate the individual’s date of birth, father’s name and occupation or place of residence, spouse, or the name of the vessel upon which he or she arrived. Part Two of Scots in the USA and Canada, 1825-1875, thanks to Mr. Dobson, brings to 3,000 the number of Scottish emigrants to North America during the middle of the nineteenth century whose identities would otherwise be lost to history.