Helping hands

The reluctance previously shown by the poorer classes to leave their native land started to evaporate. Anything was better than staring starvation in the face and watching your loved ones die of hunger. The problem, however, was that after years of shortage and famine, the poorer classes had nothing left. They had nothing to sell, no one to borrow from, and no way of raising the passage money. As one clergyman put it; 'the greatest boon which a liberal government could confer on the poor creatures would be to supply the sinews of emigration to the majority of them'.

Not only did emigrants have to purchase their tickets (the average fare from Ireland to Canada in the 1830s was one pound ten shillings), but they also had to show they owned a sufficient supply of clothing for the voyage before they were even allowed on board the ship.

Help came from a number of different sources. Good samaritans, with the welfare of the people at heart, gave generously of their money and time to help those in need. Boards of Guardians in areas most affected by the famine looked on emigration as a way of clearing out the overcrowded workhouses while landlords also helped by disencumbering their estates.

British, Canadian and American governments also tried to encourage emigration - by offering government assisted passages, low-cost land  and by advertising the benefits of the underdeveloped areas of North America. Although there were many in authority who took advantage of the situation for their own ends, the vast majority of the emigrants who received help were very glad to go.