The "Missing Friends" column ran in The Boston Pilot, the Roman Catholic newspaper in the city, from 1831 to 1921. Irish immigrants used the ads to locate loved ones after they became separated in their journeys to America. Some were looking for a spouse who skipped town, while others sought to unite families. All of the 31,000 ads shed light on the immigrant experience.
Boston College is posting an online database of the ads that anyone can search. According to BC's announcement, the database is an electronic version of BC professor Ruth-Ann M. Harris' eight-volume set called "The Search for Missing Friends: Irish Immigrant Advertisements Placed in the Boston Pilot." Harris researched and edited the set for the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
The first ad appeared in October 1831. It sought Patrick McDermott, whose newly emigrated wife and family were going to be sent back to Ireland if he didn't show up. Most of the ads stopped after 1915, when the Archdiocese of Boston bought the Pilot. Also by then, postal service had greatly improved, allowing better communication among families and friends.
The Web site is called Information Wanted, named after the column under which the ads ran. It can be accessed at http://www.bc.edu/centers/irish/studies/
Looking for relatives to Benjamin Jacob Poole that came from Co. Wexford Ireland. Benjamin was born in 1798. He married Tarzy Ann Warner who was born in 1802 in Ontario, Canada. Her real name is believed to be Clarrisa. It is not for certain that Benjamin was born in Ireland or his father but we have it as Benjamin being the one to come from Ireland and marry in Canada. Their children were Seth Milton Poole b. 1836, Fredrick William Poole b. 1837, Franny Eleanor Poole b. 1839, Jacob Ranzler Poole b. 1840, Charlotte Arella Poole b. 1842, Charles Urilla Poole b. 1843, Benjamin Jacob Poole Jr. 1844-1907, Benjamin Jacob Poole Jr. was married to Henrietta Fredee b. 1844-1926 and it was on July 4th, 1864 in New York at Alexandria Bay they married. There are relatives in Canada as my father used to go over there to attend funerals.
Any information contact Marian (Poole) Maday, 319 Washington St., Sterling Mi., 48659, PO Box 386 or mmaday@ejourney.com for e mail.
Posted by: Marian (Poole) Maday | March 20, 2005 at 06:17 PM
Not all of the entries in the Missing Friends series have been posted to Boston College's on-line database yet. I found my ancestors, Thomas and Bridget (White) Hanley in the printed version, Volume 8, but they have not yet been added to this on-line database. So, if you don't find your ancestor right away, check back periodically.
Posted by: Carole Magnuson | March 22, 2005 at 12:49 PM
Looking for Patrick L. McCawley who immigrated from unknown location in Ireland to USA pre-1855 (probably around 1853) and later settled in Escambia County, Florida before moving to Escambia County, AL then to Baldwin County, AL. He was married to ____ Beal and had children that included Fredrick Lafitte McCawley, among others. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by: Deborah Waddell | March 28, 2005 at 12:41 PM