“Mr. Somers proceeded to
Roscommon, a pretty little village where he spent the most of his time in
Ireland, his friends and relatives living there. He found a sort of farmers fair in progress
and found considerable amusement in observing the manner in which the rugged
old farmers effected their trades: Instead of transacting the business in the
presence of witnesses as elsewhere is customary, the two withdrawing to a
secluded place, effecting the bargain and relying upon either’s word of honor
to abide by its stipulations. He saw no
mirth, no intoxication at this fair, the people evidently being to poor in
purse and too fully impressed with the grave prospects of the country to give
way to their native exuberance of spirit.
With the exception of a few landowners farm work is accomplished with
the crudest implements. The land in the vicinity of Roscommon is principally owned by Lord Crofton, whose tenants
recently demanded of him a reduction of thirty percent in rent, and upon his
refusal declined to pay any rent......the trains... were loaded with people
bound for new homes in America, soldiers and policemen and at every station
occurred scenes of parting between husbands and wives, stalwart sons and aged
parents, which could not fail to bring tears to the eyes of perfect
strangers. Everyone who can possibly
leave the island is doing so. The vessel
upon which I sailed contained a thousand of these poor emigrants who despite
their wretched existence on the little island, yet parted from it with breaking
heart......” Thus Peter J. Somers described the home of his ancestors in a talk for the Milwaukee Hibernian Society on 22 Jan 1882.[1]
Some thirty five years earlier Luke and Margaret (Somers) Delmore, tiny daughters in their arms, stood surrounded by relatives as they took
one last look at the hometown that they were never to see again. Surely they did not see the misery of Ireland
that day, but only felt the misery of leaving parents and family behind. Did their fathers come out to see them on
their way, or were they each home mourning the departure of yet more of their
family?
Margaret, the daughter of Martin Somers
and Mary Curley, and Luke, the son of Luke and Sara Delmore, sought to leave
famine imposed poverty behind as they departed in Dec 1846 to join Margaret’s
brother and his family in Wisconsin.
Making their way on foot, cart and ship, they boarded an old condemned sailing vessel, the Rappahannock, in Liverpool, destination
New York Harbor.
But trouble had not
been left behind. Cholera broke out on
board and the ship was not allowed into port.
Surely despair must have engulfed the passengers as day followed day and
port after port denied them entry.
Finally, after 16 weeks at sea,
on the 19 of April 1847 Luke, Margaret, and Mary set foot on solid
land not in New York but in New Orleans.[2] Sadly, Sara the first born, christened on 25 May 1845 had not survived the journey. [4]
 |
| Möllhausen, Henry, Benjamin Moore Norman, and Shields & Hammond. Norman's plan of New Orleans & environs, 1845. [S.l, 1845] Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/98687133/ |
“Luke and Margaret, thankful that they were in America, spent the summer in the Irish section of New Orleans looking for an opportunity to travel north to Wisconsin. The trip across country was made by covered wagon drawn by oxen. Riding in a covered wagon meant a bone-rattling trip, jammed into a 10'x4' space with other family members, all the household utensils and personal belongings. They cooked by the roadside on open campfires, traveled through rain and swollen rivers, slept in the wagons or in the open and were in constant fear of Indians. Fortunately they were not traveling alone. They joined with friends and family on the northward journey, grateful for the companionship as they fought rain, insects, wind and sickness.” [3]
Certainly Mary was not likely to recall this trip, being
just a year old at the time, but just as certainly her parents would have
related the details. Mary would say that
no hardship was too hard for her parents, after all they were “In America” and
things would get better.
Mary had been
christened in Ireland on 1 Jul 1846[4] In the 1850 census, we find Luke, Margaret,
Mary and Sarah, a younger Sarah, in Wisconsin.[5] The death of their oldest child must have been painful, never spoken of, for all members of the family believed that Mary was the
first born. Only in later years when
Luke talked of having thirteen children and only ten could be found was there a
clue that at least one had not survived childhood.
The adventures of Luke and Margaret, the corncob pipe
smoking granny, and their large brood of children continue as they settle first
in Lemonweir, Juneau Co., Wisconsin and later in Rochester Minnesota, but
that’s another tale.
[1]
“A Miserable People - A Milwaukeean’s
Impression of affairs in Down trodden Ireland” The Milwaukee Sentinel 22 Jan
1882, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
[2] New Orleans, Louisiana, Passenger Lists of
Vessels Arriving in New Orleans, LA, 1820-1902. Micropublication M259., roll 26, National Archives, Washington D.C. Luke
Delmore 25, M Ireland, Mary Delmore 25 F Ireland, Sally Delmore 2 F Ireland,
Mary Delmore 6mo F Ireland. Note: next to Luke's name it says deceased. As he definitely survived the journey and Sarah did not arrive in Wisconsin, we assume that she passed away on board. It is possible that she survived the journey and died in New Orleans, but there is no evidence to suggest that.
[3] Young, Dolores, Family Memories, 1988
Self Published St. Paul Minnesota
[4] Skelly,
Mary, Delmore Family Research, 2001 County Roscommon Heritage &
Genealogical Centre, Church Street, Stokestown, Co. Roscommon, Ireland T43-96\37 Athleague Parish Sponsors Peter
and Catherine Summers
[5]
