October 11, 2002:
Rideau Canal Workers

A great many of the people of Ottawa and the Valley are descended from the original men who 
came to this area to build the Rideau Canal. "Is there a list of the Rideau Canal workers?" 
is a frequently asked question. The short answer is "no" but there are some resources 
available to check on individual names.

The most important document is a book by Dr. Bruce Elliott called "The McCabe List" 
(see link at top of this page). It lists 673 mostly Irish men who were in Bytown in 1829. 
It was discovered in the Archives in London, England around 1985, 153 years after the 
work on the canal was finished. For each man, it gives his County and parish of origin 
in Ireland, the number in his family, and names of some relatives back home in Ireland. 
It contains the names of both Catholic and Protestant men.

What percentage of Irishmen in Bytown, working on the Canal, are represented on the 
McCabe List? Here's an example from my own family, which may or may not be representative:

The canal work covered the period from 1826 to 1832. The McCabe List petition was signed 
in February of 1829. Therefore, the men who came (new to Bytown) during the period March 
1829 to 1832 are not included.
My McGEE ancestors who came from County Armagh to South Gloucester are on the list, 
including several relatives who later came to Canada. The spelling on the McCabe List
is creative. McGee is spelled McKee and Magee, Burns can be Burn, Byrne or Byrnes.
My CHRISTOPHER ancestors who came in 1830 from County Waterford are not on the List. 
Patrick CHRISTOPHER worked on the canal, squatted on Canal land (1842 Nepean Census), 
and then bought land in Osgoode Township around 1845.
Lawrence BURNS, another GGGrandfather) also came around 1828 and is not on the McCabe 
List although he is on the 1828 Militia List (as Laurence O'Brien). He married Margaret 
DOYLE in 1831 at Notre Dame Church in Bytown and later settled in Osgoode Township.
So, 1 out of 3 of my Irish Catholic ancestors who worked on the canal did not sign. Also,
how many of the workers who were here in early 1829 did not sign?

Other main sources for individual canal workers are the church records, especially those 
close to the canal system, in early Bytown, South Gloucester, Fallowfield, Manotick, Kemptville 
and at least as far south as Smiths Falls. Also, there are early census records for most
of the townships where canal workers settled.

I'm presently (as time permits) trying to cross reference the names on the McCabe List 
to the early Irish pioneers listed on this web site. For example, Denis Shanahan 
from County Cork, is shown as #8 on the McCabe List. This man was also an 1823 
"Peter Robinson" settler. 

If you know his number on the McCabe List is number 8, then you can enter the phrase 
"ML# 8" (including the quotation marks). Similarly, if you enter the surname Shanahan,
you will find all Shanahan's listed on this web site, and the fact that Denis Shanahan
is on the McCabe List. One thing to remember - there are often multiple spellings for 
these Irish surnames, and Shanahan may also turn up as Shannon, Burns may be Byrnes, 
O'Byrne, etc.

To get a listing (not nearly complete yet) of "all" men on the McCabe List,
enter the following three characters into the search engine: ML#

This is a work in progress.
... Al

The original complete list of petitioners is available at Library and Archives, Canada.



Extracts from "The McCabe List", a list of early (1829) Irish in the Ottawa Valley.
The following BURNS / BYRNES names have been extracted from the McCabe List. 
These were names which were signed on a petition to Colonel John (Chief Engineer for the construction of the 
Rideau Canal, 1826-1832) By to recommend potential Irish immigrants to Canada.



County  ... Parish  ... Townland:
A townland is the smallest administrative subdivision and can be a few acres to 
thousands of acres.

A parish is made up of a certain number of townlands.
It has nothing to do with the word 'town'. That comes from the 'Baile' part
of the Irish of townland which is 'Baile fearainn'. The word 'baile' means
home or homestead or village or town. Hence the misleading Anglicisation of
the word to townland.

5. SALTRY, William (X)
Sligo     	       	Kilmacshargon		Drummore		4 1 5
A brother-in-law Thomas Burns with a family
resides in County Sligo, Town of Drummore, Parish of Kilmacshargon

111. BARRETT Thomas (X) ML# 111
Sligo                        Drommard               Near Ballisadare              1 - 1
His father-in-law, named John Byrne, lives near Ballisadare 
in County Sligo.

April 17, 2007:
142. BYRNES, John	ML# 142
Wicklow		Ballinulta		Ballinulta		4 2 6
His father Matthew, with a very large family residing in Nakerumkal 
near Tinahaley Co. Wicklow, known to Abraham Jones Esq.

275. O'Byrne, Oliver - ML# 275
Queens Co.             Ballyadam            Athy                                  
The brother of this applicant resides at Athy in Queen's County. His name is Edward.
He has a family and is known to Revd Mr. Wells. Probable brother to next named applicant.

316. Byrne, Edward ML #275
Queens                   Balladam               Stradbally                                - 2 2
2 cousins to Edward Byrne reside at Stradbally in the Queen's County; their names are Michael 
and Patrick Brennan; they have families and are known to Mr. Welden.
(this Edward Byrne died 1875, buried St. Mary's in South Gloucester - no marker.
He was married to a TIERNEY)

461. BURNS, Michael (X)
Wexford		Temple Shambee	Ballydaggan		2 3 5
This applicant has a brother, Patrick, having a family, 
also two brothers-in-law, Daniel Freeman and Thomas Freeman, they reside at Ballydaggan in the 
County Wexford. They are known to Thomas James Esq, of Bally Castle

573. BURN, Martin (X)
Wexford                   Limerick                       Connyhill                       - - -
His Brother-in-law with family reside at No. 7, Lough Lane, Dublin is in a distressed
situation and prays the government will send them to Canada.

Martin BURNS married Ellen GRAHAM (Notre Dame records)

612. BURNS, William (X)
Kilkenny		Castlecomer		Tirody Colliery		5 2 7
His brother Patrick, and 3 brothers-in-law, Daniel, Patrick and 
William DOYLE all with families, all reside in Tirody Colliery.
According to records at Notre Dame in Bytown, William Burns' wife was Judith DOYLE.
Also, Lawrence BURNS (my family) married Margaret DOYLE in 1831 at Notre Dame, Bytown.


615. BURNS William
Tipperary		Durrough		Clongown		- - -
His father, John Burns, has a family - he resides at Clongown in the County Tipperary and 
is known to Thomas Dovoy Esq of said place.
Question: Did the descendants of this William Burns settle in the Fallowfield area of Nepean? 
Or was it William BURNS from Kilkenny (#612 above), who settled at Fallowfield ?

April 17, 2007:
634. BYRNES, James  ML# 634
Wicklow		Rathdrum		Tinahaley		1 2 3
His brother, Lorenzo, a man having a family, is known to 
Captain Morton of that place.
"Captain Morton" was Captain James MORETON of the Rathdrum Infantry - see book by Professor Ruan 
O'Donnell on the 1798 rebellion in Wicklow.
I believe that this James BYRNES (BURNS) lived and died in Hull, Quebec.

October 28, 2007:
Here is a copy of an original part of the McCabe List petition. This is a very old
document, written in Bytown in 1829, and this excerpt contains the entry for the above
James Byrnes from County Wicklow:


Other names on this partial list are James Hamilton, James Ryan, and William Kiernan.
January 23, 2008:
Miscellaneous McCabe List Signors

(This list will be updated intermittently during bad weather)

ML# 522    Patrick Battle and his brother John, both from County Mayo, were in Bytown
           in 1829. Little is known of them although both John and Patrick are mentioned
           in the church records of Notre Dame Cathedral, Patrick as late as 1844.

ML# 528    Michael Cuddy / Cuddihy from Tipperary, and his wife, Margaret Kenny / Kenney, 
           had a daughter baptized in 1830 at Notre Dame:
     
           Baptism of Ally, aged 1 day, lawful son of Michael Cuddy (ML# 528) and Margaret Kenney    
           Sponsors were Edward Doherty (ML# 541, Tipperary) and Judith Coughlin  

ML# 567    Patrick Griffin. A large Griffin family came from County Cork in the 1820's,
           the matriarch being Judith, born c. 1790. Patrick married Mary Foley and
		   Michael from next-door County Kerry married Mary Lyons. Some of the Griffins 
		   stayed in Bytown but Patrick moved to Osgoode Township with some other Cork 
		   families. They were related to the Stackpole family from Glanworth, County Cork 
		   who were also early settlers in Osgoode Township on the StageCoach Road.
		   
ML# 584 -- Francis Campbell (Cambell) from Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, died aged 36 
           in 1831. He died in Pontiac County (Clarendon Township) and is buried in Bytown. 
		   I believe that his wife was Catherine Neill / O'Neil and she gave birth to a 
		   daughter, Catherine, shortly after the death of her husband.

February 29, 2008:

Immigrants from County Waterford, Ireland, to South Gloucester, Ontario, before 1829

Hi Al and Mike - hope everything is well with you.  Al ~ you previously made a 
comment regarding all the Waterford immigrants in the McCabe list making mention of 
them knowing George O'Flynn and perhaps they all knew each other back in Ireland.  
I was searching the web recently looking for additional information on my Powers 
ancestors.  I found the following making reference to a will in Ireland.
 
" Will of Mary POWER of Dunhill Lodge, dated 11.7.1821 mentions sister Kate POWER of 
Granny, brothers Matthew and William, niece Anne POWER of Granny, cousins Catherine 
WALSH and George O'FLYNN, relatives Nano POWER and Mary POWER of Croan.
16.11.1821 Proved 19.10.1821"
 
So this George O'Flynn had some ancestry into the Powers family.  Interesting eh?
 
Mary 
 May 3, 2008:

James Bradley, ML# 13, from County Kilkenny, settled in Goulbourn Township. His wife was
Ann Phillips.          

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