James Horn Family to Canada 1820

The following was extracted from an Ancestry.com passage written by a Wade Smith concerning the Waddell family. It describes the socio-economic circumstances which led to the formation of emigration societies in Lanarkshire, Scotland; the 1820 sea voyage of the ‘Brock’ on which the James Horn family were passengers; and what happened to these families when they arrived in Lanark, Upper Canada. [Notes within square brackets are mine]

George Waddell married Margaret Anderson on Feb. 4, 1803 in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland......Together, they had 10 children in Glasgow. To support his family George took up the weaver’s trade. Weavers had always been needed in Glasgow and drew a good wage but that was about to change. The Industrial Revolution had just started in Scotland and these journeymen were being replaced by machinery. To make matters worse the war with France and the war with America had ended. [Weavers had produced cloth for soldiers' uniforms.] With no more wars, many of the soldiers and sailors ended up in the larger cities looking for housing and work.

With so many new people moving into Glasgow, wages dropped drastically and housing prices rose so high, many families could only afford to rent one room in the poorer sections of town. These sections became overpopulated quickly and waste from the population and factories soon polluted both the water and air. Disease started taking its toll on the workers and their families. Many died from Typhus or other diseases from the unsanitary conditions.

With wages so low children often had to work. They were paid even less and worked 12 to 14 hours a day. Some of the factories kept children under an apprenticeship, housing them in miserable dormitories, clothing them in rags and working them with whips. Many of these children died from over work and malnourishment.

Life was miserable at best for these people. A man no longer dreamed of providing a comfortable life for his family. He could only hope for their survival. Most men watched as their families tried to make do with the little bit of food he could provide knowing tomorrow wouldn’t be any better. Even the youngest of his children were working to help with the family’s survival. No children’s games for them. No dreams of a future either when these children laid their exhausted little bodies down to sleep. These children were already doing the work they would be doing the rest of their lives.

Labor unions started up collecting dues and paying it back out to members that were injured or unemployed. It wasn’t long before they were taking on the bad working conditions and wages, though. Although their marches were meant to be peaceful, most weren’t. There were many clashes with authorities and many workers were injured. Some union representatives were even executed. It was now becoming dangerous to be a factory worker. One more worry for a man living in Glasgow.

The British government did not want to loose Canada the way it had lost America. It decided to offer relocation for loyal families to Canada, give every man over 21 years of age 100 acres, and enough supplies to make it to their first crop. Families had to form societies that would apply for passage. Once accepted they would be given land next to other members and help one another settle this new land.

Moving his family to Canada couldn’t have been an easy decision for George. He was a factory worker not a farmer, and he would be going to settle there with other weavers and spinners. More than likely no one had used a plow or built a house. He would be risking not only himself but also his family. If things didn’t work out there would be no way out.

He could not know what it would be like in Canada but he did know what he had in Glasgow: his family slowly starving, possibly loosing them to disease from the filth they would be living in. Factory accidents were all too common. The riots could get worse, also. He also would have known that his children wouldn’t fare any better when they became adults. In Glasgow they had no chance for a better life. In Canada there could be.

George decided to move his family. George's family, along with 26 other families, formed the Abercrombie Street -Trans-Atlantic Bridgeton Society.[I believe these were three separate emigration societies traveling on the same ship.] Through this society they requested to be considered for the relocation. A government lottery was held and their society was selected to be moved to a new settlement in Lanark, Lanark County......[Upper Canada]... On July 9, 1820 in Greenock, Scotland, the society boarded the Brock to sail for Canada.

Many say it was a joyous occasion as families and their friends gathered to say good-bye on the docks that night. I think differently. These families were saying good-bye to loved ones they knew they would never see again. Some would write from time to time but everyone had to know not all would survive. The families left behind would never know what happened to some of their loved ones. The letters would just stop coming.

As for the emigrants, they were about to take a ship voyage from hell and they all knew it. Some would die on the...trip...over. The Atlantic took her share of ships, storms a few more, and disease from filth or someone infected bringing a disease aboard could take its toll with living quarters so crowded.

Each family was allowed clothing, cooking utensils, and books, nothing more. No family keepsakes for memories, toys for children, tools, or anything to make life a little easier for these settlers.

As they boarded the Brock all of their items were stored in the center of the Steerage deck. This deck would be their home until they arrived in Quebec.

The steerage deck is located right below the main deck. It was about five feet tall with two hatches opening to the main deck. The two hatches were used to get to and from the steerage deck and for ventilation. Around the sides of the steerage deck boards were nailed for passengers to sleep on. There were a few pots on the floor for passengers to relieve themselves. No partitions, just the pots.

Once these sailing ships reached open sea many of the passengers became seasick. Seasickness could last for days and for many it would return again and again throughout the voyage. On sunny days captains would have their passengers spend as much time as possible on the main deck. They would bring many of the sick on deck also hoping the fresh air would help. In bad weather, though, everyone had to stay below with both hatches closed. With people relieving themselves and others seasick the stench was almost unbearable. Rough weather could last for days and these passengers wouldn’t get a breath of fresh air until it ended.

Sitting in the filth and smell, being able to see very little, and getting thrown about by the wind and sea must have been very unnerving. You would have to wonder if the ship would weather the storm or sink. If any of your family were sick it would be almost impossible to comfort them or nurse them in any way. You were at the mercy of the weather.

They say the Waddells were a religious family. I’m sure many prayers were said during these days. George had to be worried about his family’s future. Their journey had just started and worry and stress had to be wearing on him already.

They arrived in Quebec on August 20, 1820. From there they boarded a steamship that took them to Montreal. At Montreal they boarded smaller, flat-bottomed Durham boats. Durham boats were either poled or pulled by teams of horses and oxen. When the river was rough the passengers got off and helped in the pulling. Each night they made camp on the river’s edge so families could cook and sleep near the fires. Five days later they arrived in Perth [?]....[Prescott]. [Another source states that groups went on the St. Lawrence to Prescott and then overland to Lanark County. The journey by flat-bottomed boat took two weeks in this account. The water route taken to Perth, as mentioned in this Waddell family history, is unclear.] The last and probably the hardest part of the trip was five days by wagons and then walking to Lanark from... [Prescott].

There was no good drinking water between Perth?[Prescott] and Lanark. Water had to be brought for both people and livestock. The road, at times, was so rough that people would have to help the teams of horses or oxen push the wagons over the rough road. From time to time a wagon would tip over. The supplies on it would be unloaded and the journey continued. At night everyone built fires and slept next to them. By now some of these immigrants were worn down and a few were very sick. Their families did the best they could to keep up with the rest of their group. Knowing that they were almost there had to help keep everyone’s spirits up.

On the fifth day they finally arrived at their destination. The only difference between the town of Lanark and the rest of the forest was a piece of wood nailed to a tree with “this is Lanark” written on it and a hut made of brush where the British representative, Brevet-Major Marshall lived.

Many people had to be greatly disappointed. Housing was supposed to be there for wives and children to stay in while the men built cabins on their land. Instead of their hardships coming to an end, they were just beginning. They were in a wilderness, 5 days from any help, no shelter and winter coming quickly.

That afternoon the men drew lots for the land they would be given. Robert Fleming, George’s brother-in-law, drew land right next to George’s. Each family was given an adze, a handsaw, drawing-knife, a shell auger, 2 gimlets, a door lock and hinges, scythe, snath, reaping hook, 2 hoes, hayfork, skillet, camp kettle, and a blanket for each family member. Last of all every four families were given a grindstone, a crosscut saw, and a whipsaw to share. All of this and whatever else each family brought would have to be carried by hand to their land as the only paths were cut just wide enough to walk along.

Once again they built fires and slept next to them that night. George had to be disappointed that night. Worried about the future of his family also. He would have a heavy load on his shoulders to build a shelter and gather wood to burn this winter before it would be too cold to work. If he failed his family wouldn’t survive. The next morning each family had to hire the surveyors to take them to their new land.

For a shelter most settlers drove long wooden stakes in the ground in a circle and wove smaller branches and twigs between them. They used more branches and brush for their roof, leaving a large hole in the center for smoke to escape. Fires were started in the center of these shelters and family members would sleep around the fire.

Clearing the land was hard. There was no room for the larger trees to fall so the smaller ones were cleared first. These were cut small enough to move by hand to a clearing where they were burned. After the first of the year many days were so cold no work could be done. The whole family would be as close to the fire as possible, trying to survive the day.

From time to time a settler would go to visit his neighbor and find that they had left. Most went across the river to New York State and got jobs in the textile factories. A few back to Scotland.

That spring Maple trees were tapped and the syrup used and sold to help make ends meet.

Better cabins were built the next year. When one family was ready to raise there walls and roof, their neighbors would come to help. As soon as most of the cabins were built these same settlers started building a school, church and library in Lanark.

After the second or third season’s planting was over, many men went into northern New York State to find work in their textile factories for the summer. Many times daughters would travel with their father and find work as servants for wealthy families. This is how I feel George’s daughter, Ellen, met John Dalton from Ogdensburg, New York.

By the third or fourth year provisions such as cloth and shoes were hard to find. It wasn’t long and everyone was going barefoot. Clothing that had been brought with them had worn out and there was no cloth to make replacements.

Land was cleared enough to fell the largest of trees and a few farmers had oxen to move them to a central location. Families would work together burning these trees and making potash to sell. With this money coming in, the men no longer had to go look for work after the planting was done.

In Col. Marshall’s inspection report of 1834 it states that George Waddell’s land is 15 good acres and the rest rocks. “He hopes to join his 2 sons in Plympton soon.” On October 28, 1841 George is given 100 acres in Plympton Township.


BROCK [Passenger List]
Left Greenock, Scotland 13 Jul 1820 arrived Quebec
20 Aug 1820, with 176 passengers on board.

JOHNSTON, Robert; McLAREN, Peter; McCALLUM, Angus;
McNEIL, Robert; ORR, Thomas; TURNBULL, John;
WHITELAW, Thomas; BAIRD, James; GUNN, John;
HANNAH, James; McCLEAN, Charles; McLACHLAN, John;
URQUHART, Robert; WADDELL, George; BLAIN, James;
ROSS, Andrew ; CAMPBELL, Neil; MOULTON, John;
MORRIS, William; CODD, George; FLINN, John; FAIR, John;
LAWSON, John; LAMONT, Joseph; McLELAND, John;
HANNAH, James; HORN, James; BOAG, Andrew;
McLELLAN, John; McPHEE, Daniel; ROSS, Alexander;
McMANAGLE, John; GOURLAY, William;
JAMIESON, John; McFARLANE, Alexander; McNEIL, Donald;
STODDART, Joseph; STODDART, Robert

Sources:
"Dictionary of Scottish Emigrants to Canada Before Confederation Vol 1" by Donald Whyte
"The Lanark Society Settlers" by Carol Bennett

reprinted on ancestry.com from Wade Smith notes
Source: Ancestry.com