THE MARGAREE IRISH PIONEER HISTORY by Natalie Coady
The Irish in the Margaree area all originated from Ireland. There were
various reasons for their settlement in this new land. A few came during the
Irish Rebellion of 1798 to escape imprisonment and other persecutions and many
also came to escape the great potato famine which ravished Ireland killing
thousands. The majority of settlers arrived, though, because of religious
persecution, This persecution was caused by the English trying to force the
Church of England on them. Many also arrived because most of the land in
Ireland was owned by wealthy, powerful, landlords and these overlords
controlled the lives of the common people. The people therefore, left their
homeland to seek freedom and a better way of life in the rich Margaree land.
The Margaree Irish originated from several areas in Ireland. The
majority were from the counties of Wexford and Tipperary and the remainder
arrived from areas such as Carrick, Cork and Dublin.
Many different families
settled here and they did not settle in one compact area but in several areas
including Margaree Forks, North East Margaree, Southwest Margaree, Big Brook,
East Margaree and Margaree Harbour.
The progenitor of the Doyles Moses or "Mogue" Doyle came from
Wexford, Ireland and settled in North East Margaree with his family. The first
Smiths did not come directly from Ireland but from the United States during the
American Revolution. The first Smith was Rebecca, daughter of a sea captain.
Myles MacDaniel was the first of that name and the first Irishman to settle at
Margaree Forks, arriving there in 1815.
In 1828, four Tompkins brothers, Nick, Pat, James and Michael with their
sister Mary, came and settled at Big Brook. From them descended all the
Tompkins of the Margaree area. In fact, all of Inverness County. The Tompkins
had arrived from County Wexford, Ireland.
Four Coady brothers came from Tipperary, Ireland in 1830: James, Martin,
Peter and John settled in Margaree Forks, on the farm presently owned by
Francis P. Coady one of their descendents. James was the only brother who
survived the first year because the other three brothers were drowned in
Margaree Harbour on their way to Cheticamp.
The Miller's on whom I did my interview, came from Carrick and settled
in Lake O’Law, an area near Margaree and the families of these settlers spread
out into North East Margaree and East Margaree.
The Fitzgeralds, Maurice being the first of such name to settle in the
Margaree's came from Dublin, Ireland and settled in Southwest Margaree.