Commemorative Book

Irish Palatine Pioneers in Upper CanadaIn 2009, the IP-SIG published a hardcover book entitled Irish Palatine Pioneers in Upper Canada to commemorate the 300th anniversary of its members’ ancestors leaving the Palatine area of southwestern Germany in 1709, moving first to Ireland and then to British North America.

The first section of the book briefly describes conditions in the Palatinate in the late 1600s, and why and how these people came to make the trek to Ireland. The section provides information on the locations in Ireland where these immigrants settled, and lists the surnames of the original immigrant families. The section includes information on the visits in the 1750s by John Wesley to the Irish Palatine settlements in Ireland, and his influence on several families as early Methodism developed.

The second section focuses on the history of North America during the period 1750-1850. The section describes the conditions that the initial pioneers of Upper Canada faced in the 1780s, and describes the evolving conditions through 1850. The section also connects various individuals of Irish Palatine descent to many historical events of this period, including:

  • Introduction of Methodism to colonial North America in 1766 in New York City
  • American Revolution – the British defeat at Bennington and Saratoga (1777)
  • Loyalists arriving in Upper Canada in the 1780s
  • War of 1812
  • Arrival of the Peter Robinson settlers in Upper Canada (1823 and 1825)
  • Separation of Canadian Methodism from American Methodism (1828)
  • 1837 Rebellion in Upper Canada
  • 1838 Battle of the Windmill near Prescott

The final section tells the individual stories of some fifty Irish Palatine families who settled in sixteen different counties of Upper Canada between 1784 and 1850. All the family histories include information on the family in Ireland, those who emigrated to Upper Canada and the first generation born here. These stories represent just a fraction of the many Irish Palatines who left Ireland and settled in British North America.

The first edition has SOLD OUT. The second edition can be obtained in soft cover for $30 plus taxes and shipping from the OGS either through the OGS e-Store or by calling (416) 489-0734.