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Note: Irish records show a baptisim record for Richard Johnston on July 26, 1849, at St. James's Parish, Diocese of Dublin. This date is two days after the known birth date, which makes this a good chance that it is the same person.
Area - DUBLIN (RC) , Parish/Church/Congregation - ST. JAMES
Baptism of RICHARD JOHNSTON of N/R on 26 July 1849
Name RICHARD JOHNSTON
Date of Birth N/R N/R N/R
Address N/R
Father RICHARD JOHNSTON
Mother MARY KENNY
Sponsor 1 PATRICK KEOUGH
Sponsor 2 MARY DOWDAL
Book Number 3
Page 55
Entry Number 846
Record_Identifier DU-RC-BA-338012
Possible immigration record
Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s
Name: Richard Johnston
Year: 1871
Age: 21
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1850
Place: Ontario, Canada
Source Publication Code: 1823.34
Primary Immigrant: Johnston, Richard
Annotation:
Date and place of census. Census films are available from the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa. Place of birth, sex of the immigrant, religion, ethnicity, occupation, district, subdistrict, division, and page number of original record are also provid
Source Bibliography:
ELLIOTT, BRUCE S. Index to the 1871 Census of Ontario: York. Toronto: Ontario Genealogical Society, (1992). 154p.
Page: 71.
Family tradition has him coming to the US as a young boy and being the only one of his family to survive the trip. If he arrived in 1871, he would have been about 22.
The marriage record shows they were married in 1873, by a Justice of the Peace, FJ Barbier. The witnesses were Margaret Barbier and Josephine Barbier. Richard's occupation was stone cutter. Richard's name is incorrectly listed as Johnson and Caroline's is incorrectly listed Poland.
1880 census Jun 19-19/1880
Michigan, Monroe County, Milan Township
Enumeration District 182
Dwelling 915 Family 991
Richard Johnston
Head of household
Color W, Age: 26 (? less 4 years?)
Birthplace: Iowa (sic) (Ireland)
Both parents born in Ireland
Married
Stone Cutter
Other residents
Relation Name Color Age Birth Place
Wife Caroline W 21 (? -4?) Michigan
Son Frank W 6 Michigan
Son Ervin W 5 Michigan
Son Lawrence W 3 Michigan
Son Edward W 1 Michigan
Son Frederick W 1 Michigan
Moved from Milan, Michigan to Toledo, Ohio sometime between 1895 and 1900.
1900 census 1/6/1900
Ohio, Lucas County, Toledo
Enumeration District 35
#2525 Locust St. Dwelling 352 Family 345
Richard Johnston
Head of household
Color W, Age: 50
Immigrated to US 1871, natualized
Birthplace: Ireland July 1849
Married for 27 years
Stone Cutter - out of work for 6 months
Renting house
Other residents Out of work
Relation Name Color DOB Age Birth Place months
Wife Caroline W 3/1856 44 Michigan
Son Irvine W 9/1875 24 Michigan Laborer 6
Son (Dau) Florence W 4/1877 23 Michigan Laborer 6
Son Fred W 4/1879 21 Michigan Lather 3
Son Edward W 4/1879 21 Michigan Lather 3
Son George W 12/1885 14 Michigan
Daughter Mina W 9/1894 5 Michigan
1910 census 1/6/1900
Ohio, Lucas County, Toledo
Enumeration District 35
#718 George St. Dwelling 5 Family 8
Richard Johnson (Johnston)
Head of household
Color W, Age: 60
Immigrated to US 1871, natualized
Birthplace: Ireland July 1849
Married for 37 years
Brickman - working in 1910, out of work for 12 months in 1909
Renting house
Other residents Out of work
Relation Name Color Age Birth Place in 1909 months
Wife Caroline W 55 Michigan
Son George W 23 Michigan Lather 16
Daughter Caroline W 15 Michigan
1920 census 1/7/1920
Ohio, Lucas County, Toledo
Enumeration District 36
#1213 Dwelling 174 Family 183
Richard Johnston
Head of household
Color W, Age: 70
Immigrated to US 1884, natualized 1887 (this is an error)
Birthplace: Ireland
Plasterer - working
The 1920 census lists his native language as Irish.
Other residents
Relation Name Color Age Birth Place
Wife Caroline W 65 Michigan
Daughter Caroline W 25 Michigan
Son-in-law Matthew Lennon W 35 Ohio Bricklayer - working
At his time of death his address was 1213 E. Bancroft St., Toledo.
Buried in Calvery Cemetery, Section 3, Lot 3, Grave 393. Died of Heart Disease. Death record: Lucas County, Volume 3923, Certificate 39328
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Irish immigration to America: 1846 to the early 20th century
Irish immigration to America after 1846 was predominantly Catholic. The vast majority of those that had arrived previously had been Protestants or Presbyterians and had quickly assimilated, not least because English was their first language, and most (but certainly not all) had skills and perhaps some small savings on which to start to build a new life. Very soon they had become independent and prosperous.
Irish immigration to America: The Famine years
The Dunbrody is a replica of an emigrant ship that sailed in the 1850s between New York and New Ross, Co Wexford, (where the replica is moored).
The arrival of destitute and desperate Catholics, many of whom spoke only Irish or a smattering of English, played out very differently.
Suspicious of the majority Anglo-American-Protestants (a historically-based trait that was reciprocated), and limited by a language barrier, illiteracy and lack of skills, this wave of Irish immigrants sought refuge among their own kind.
At this time, when famine was raging in Ireland, Irish immigration to America came from two directions: by transatlantic voyage to the East Coast Ports (primarily Boston and New York) or by land or sea from Canada, then called British North America.
Ireland was also part of Britain, and fares to Canada were cheaper than fares to the USA, especially after 1847.
Those that survived the journey often had just one thought on their minds: to be free of British oppression. While many chose to settle in Canada, substantially more managed to find the physical and financial resources to reach America.
Irish immigration to America - Discrimination
Notwithstanding the lack of trust between the predominantly Protestant America-born middle class and the impoverished Catholic immigrants who arrived in the mid-19th century, the main problem for the Irish immigrant was a lack of skill.
Of course, there were some who were blacksmiths, stonemasons, bootmakers and the like, but the majority had had no formal training in anything.
On passenger manifests the men claimed to be labourers; women said they were domestic servants. In most cases, they had little or no previous experience in these roles; these positions were the limit of their aspirations.
The Boston Pilot
From 1831 to 1920, this national newspaper published 'Missing Friends' advertisements which usually referred to the exact townland of origin of either the person being sought or the person who placed the ad. They route of the individual's journey to America, and even the name of the ship, were often stated.
Many of the ads refer to women, for whom determining the exact place of origin can often be more difficult because they didn't apply for naturalisation (this status was passed to them by their husband).
Some databases charge for this resource but you'll find an incomplete version is available free through the Boston College Irish Studies Program.
A job - a wage - was what they were seeking, and they didn't really care too much about the detail. Being unskilled, uneducated and typically illiterate, they accepted the most menial jobs that other immigrant groups did not want. So-called 'Elegant Society' looked down on them, and so did nearly everyone else!
They were forced to work long hours for minimal pay. Their cheap labour was needed by America's expanding cities for the construction of canals, roads, bridges, railroads and other infrastructure projects, and also found employment in the mining and quarrying industries.
When the economy was strong, Irish immigrants to America were welcomed. But when boom times turned down, as they did in the mid-1850s, social unrest followed and it could be especially difficult for immigrants who were considered to be taking jobs from Americans. Being already low in the pecking order, the Irish suffered great discrimination. 'No Irish Need Apply' was a familiar comment in job advertisements.
Irish immigration to America: Steamship competition
After 1855, the tide of Irish immigration to America levelled off. However, the continuing steady numbers encouraged ship builders to construct bigger vessels. Most of them still made the voyage east with commodities to feed England's industrial revolution, but shipowners began to realise the economic advantages of specialising in steerage passengers.
Conditions onboard began to improve -not to a standard that could even remotely be called comfortable today, but improved, all the same.
By 1855 iron steamships of over 1500 tons were becoming increasingly common, and competition was growing. So much so that steerage fares on steamships were often lower than on sailing ships, and voyage time was considerably quicker at less than two weeks.
The reduction of voyage time was a two-fold blessing. Not only did this mean the emigrant had to suffer the discomfort of steerage for a shorter period, it also made the concept of Irish immigration to America - the leaving of family and homeland - seem less permanent.
In 1771-1773, more than 100 ships left the Ulster ports of Newry, Derry, Belfast, Portrush and Larne, carrying some 32,000 Irish immigrants to America. Meanwhile, a similar number set sail from Dublin, Cork and Waterford alone.
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