At this point in time we aren't positive about the section of Ireland from whence the Meehan Family first immigrated to Canada. Knowing this single fact might make a difference as to their reason for making the change.
First, religion has played a dominate part in all of Ireland's troubles over the past few centuries. Northern Ireland is predominately of the Protestant faith even though the largest single denomination is still Roman Catholic, 24%, followed by Presbyterians at 23%. Southern Ireland is about 94% Roman Catholic with less than 4% Protestant. An ancient feud has existed between the two Irish churches and they have been intensely hostile towards one another. Nearly the entire Celtic population were Roman Catholic and owed its faithfulness to France and Rome. The Anglican church served as a political pawn towards intrigue for the English rulers.
When we first began this family genealogy we had information from the books, Marriages de Notre Dame de Quebec and Marriages du Comte de Port neuf as well as baptismal records for Mary4 Jane and Elizabeth4 Meehan from the St. John the Evangelist Church, Port neuf. These certificates would lead one to initially believe that the family were Roman Catholic. Recently we received additional baptismal records for Thomas4 Meehan, son of George3 and Eliza (Matthews) Meehan which states that Thomas4 was baptizied in the English Church at Halesboro, Port neuf. Again as before a city clerk verified the records as a true copy of the original entry for the Mission of St John the Evangelist, Port neuf. Would this mean the family was perhaps of Presbyterian faith. Another question to be answered.
Secondly, Ireland was held in disrespect by the English Kings and their Parliaments. Laws were passed to devastate village crops, cattle and placing people to death, anything to make Ireland a victim to English rule. Barons were owners of the lands and the Irish people were only tenants, paying rent upon the land and the products they produced. Many of the English Barons had never visited their properties in Ireland during their lifetime. Tithing laws were passed which compelled all Irish people to pay for the maintenance of the Anglican Church. These were later changed to, what were called, rent laws.
Reviewing Irish history one finds that in 1695 the Dublin Parliament of British Protestant Ascendancy pass the Penal Laws which reduced Catholics in Ireland to almost a chattel status, without human rights. Penal Laws were provoked in the first instance by the Irish support of the 'Stuarts' when James II's Irish Catholic Army was defeated in Ireland at the Battle of Boyne, July 1, 1690. These Penal Laws which were not repealed in their entirety until the Catholic Emancipation in 1829 were so constructed as to included that no Catholic:
Against the Protestants of perhaps a wealthier status, Irish commerce and industries were deliberately crushed by English laws. By enactments in the late 1600's the Irish export trade to England in cattle, milk, butter and cheese had been forbidden. The trade in woolens which had grown up amongst the Irish Protestants was likewise crushed by an enactment of 1699 which prohibited shipments, from Ireland, to any country whatsoever. The result was the gradual decline of Irish State. A large percentage of the population immigrated, the Roman Catholics to Spain and France and the Protestants to America.
To make matters even worse, there was a migration from Scotland to Ireland in order for the Scottish people to flee from English religious persecution. These facts also entered into the reason for a Irish and Scots exodus from Ireland to the North American Continent. All this happened within the time frame of the Meehan Family coming to Canada, so in all probability must have had something to do with their immigration.
British timber trade with North America was a flourishing business. This meant many ships were 'dead heading' or 'ballasting' on the way over to North America and coming back loaded with timber. The only cargo on the way west was usually coal, salt or rocks. The solution was to carry passengers or in this case emigrants at a price of 2 or 3 pound for a family of four going to Quebec. Travel to Quebec was about one third less in money than going to United States, the preferred destination, but even so the numbers emigrating before the 1840's weren't very high. During the late 18th Century it is doubtful if emigration from Ireland exceeded 5,000 people in any one season. They came mainly from Northern Ireland, were Presbyterians, and of Scotch descent. Being fairly well off , they took their money and experience with them, to the benefit of the new continent.
In the early 19th Century the vast majority of emigrants to British North America landed at Quebec and then went 180 miles further up the St. Lawrence river to Montreal with the hopes of eventually crossing over into the United States.
The Irish wanted as little as possible to do with the British Crown. Out of the 120,000 emigrating from the United Kingdom to Canada, between 1816 and 1828 some three quarters were estimated to have crossed , each year, into the United States. In 1843, out of 20,892 emigrating, only 85 settled in the Eastern Townships of Canada and only 208 in Montreal. During the years, of the potato blight famine, 1845-1850, it is estimated that more than one million emigrated from Ireland to North America. Many ships sank . In 1834 for instance, 17 emigration ships went down in the St. Lawrence river with a loss of lives of 731 people by drowning. Such were the state of the ships and the life of the settler in the new world.
We are only in the beginning stages of preparing a genealogy on the John1 Meehan Family and descendants. So far, not much is known about the early family except from personal information and what has been gleamed from various sources at the State of Maine Library, Augusta, the latter, all in French.
No work has been done at the Westbrook, Me., Library even though it is understood they have accumulated a modest Genealogy Department. Census records haven't been completely checked so we aren't sure just when this family came into the United States. From what Elizabeth4 (Meehan) Anderson said it would have been about 1891 or thereafter. Did see a census report for Westbrook dated 1890 but this family wasn't listed. It could have been in error as the 1890 U.S. Census was destroyed by fire. If my memory serves me correctly Elizabeth4 (Meehan) Anderson stated the family came through the Rouges Point, N.Y. immigration checkpoint via the railroad. Whether this correct or not remains to be proven. Harry Anderson, husband to Elizabeth, always 'joked' that he was at the railroad station when the family arrived at Portland/Westbrook and they all had on red woolen "long johns". (underwear).
Our immediate family, George3 Meehan and wife (Eliza) plus son Henry4, son Thomas4 Meehan and his wife (Sadie), son George4 Meehan and his wife Alice, son Robert4 Meehan and his wife (Ida) plus their daughter Helen5 are all buried at a single family gravesite, Woodlawn Cemetery, Westbrook, Me. Mary4 Jane (Meehan) Laffin and Elizabeth4 (Meehan) Anderson are also buried at different gravesites in the same Cemetery. Where John1 Meehan and his wife, Bridgett, as well as James2 Meehan and his wife, Rachel were born and are buried, we have no knowledge at this time. Did go to a large grave yard at Portneuf, Quebec, Canada, several years ago but found no Meehan families buried there. Didn't investigate the Catholic Church as my knowledge of French is very limited. Hope some day to be able to return with a French speaking person. Believe that all children received baptismal records from the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Portneuf, Province of Quebec. Know that Thomas4, Elizabeth4, and Mary Jane4 all had their records, copies included after the family name.. Whether the family was Catholic or Protestant we aren't sure at this present time. Have always wondered just where from and when the Meehan family immigration, Ireland to Canada, took place. In conversations with Elizabeth4 (Meehan) Anderson she wasn't sure. As I recall she seemed to think that her great grand parents, John1 & Brigett came over with children, James2, etc., all born in Ireland. This is probably correct as James2 Meehan and Rachel White, according to Church Records, were married in Quebec, Canada, 15 Jan 1839. This date of 1839 also proves that the family came to Canada before the Irish Potato famine of 1845-1850's. Elizabeth4 (Meehan) Anderson also claimed that her ancestors once kept cattle on the "Plains of Abraham" outside of Quebec City, where General Wolfe fought the famous battle which captured the City. Because James2 and Rachel were married in the church, Notre Dame de Quebec while later people in the family were married and baptized at Portneuf, according to the book "Marriages Du Conte De Portneuf and received baptisms at the Mission of St. John the Evangelist, Portneuf, maybe there is some truth to her statement. In the case of Ireland, information is lacking relative to census reports. Births weren't actually registered until 1863 and even then the practice of taking 10 year census only began in 1821 but the first figures of any reliability didn't come about until approximately 1841. Church records are the only reliable sources in the earlier years. Until we know where, in Ireland, the family came from, it will be difficult to make a connection with the "old country. We have been told that the name Meehan is common throughout Ireland.
Of interest here, a person by the name of Pierre Belanger from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, did some research in Canada, via internet, for G. Robert6 Anderson, a grandson of Elizabeth4 (Meehan) Anderson. Mr. Belanger basically found the same information in Canada as mentioned above from the Augusta, Maine, State Library. We list them all herewith:
Marriages de Notre Dame de Quebec 1621-1900 (Poutbriand)
Meehan, James (Parents: John & Bridget Meehan
White, Rachel
Married 15 January 1839
White, Sarah (Parents: George White & Elizabeth Gilpin)
Charles Moizin
Married 5 June 1828
White, Rachel (Parents: George White & Elizabeth Gilpin)
James Meehan
Married 15 January 1839
After that, nothing.....
Same Meehan name in Notre-Dame of Quebec, but not same parents.
Meehan, John (Parents: William & Rosa Meehan)
Buckley, Sarah
Married 3 September 1850
Meehan, Francis (Parents: Patrick Meehan & Ellen Ivers)
Maglinn, Mary
Married 13 June 1843
Meehan, John (Parents: William Meehan & Ann McCafferty
McKenna, Sarah
Married 8 September 1835
Mr. Belanger wrote, "oldest marriage about the Meehan family in Province of Quebec is not same parents as yours:"
Meehan, James Heckey, Joanna
30 October 1832 St. Augustin
Mr. Belanger wrote, "So, for you the first marriage of your Meehan family in America is James Meehan and Rachel White. I've also searched a passenger's list for you but found nothing". Signed, Pierreb@odyssee.net
Other possible family connected marriages at a different location are as follows:
Marriages du Comte de Port neuf 1861-1900 (Portbriand)
Meehan, Ths. Alfred (Parents: James Meehan & Rachel White)
Delia Lefebvre (Parents: Jos. Lefebvre & Ad Marcotte)
Married 12 April 1880
Matthews, George (Parents: Ths Matthews & M-Ann Thompson)
Kenney, Mary Ann (Ve Patrick Welsh)
Married 12 Jan 1869
Matthews, Jane (Parents: Ths Matthews & M-Ann Thompson)
Welsh, John (Parents: John Welsh & Elizabeth Dunn)
Married 30 May 1864
©Copyright Robert E. Anderson 1996, 1997
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