Irish Indentured Servants (American, find, free, grandmother)

[queensgrl]

I am trying to identify the circumstances surrounding my great-great-great grandmother and her two sons coming to America around the 1850s. They came from Ireland and my great-great-grandfather was indentured in Charlotte County, Virginia, was eventually "freed" and became an independent farmer.

I do not know what happened to his mother and brother. Surely this was a legal/financial transaction and there must be records somewhere. I really would like to know what part of Ireland they are from and what forced them into "slavery."

Rosie O'Donnell had a similar family story on her episode of Who Do You Think You Are?

Any help is appreciated.

[Cyanna]

Originally Posted by queensgrl

I am trying to identify the circumstances surrounding my great-great-great grandmother and her two sons coming to America around the 1850s. They came from Ireland and my great-great-grandfather was indentured in Charlotte County, Virginia, was eventually "freed" and became an independent farmer.

I do not know what happened to his mother and brother. Surely this was a legal/financial transaction and there must be records somewhere. I really would like to know what part of Ireland they are from and what forced them into "slavery."

Rosie O'Donnell had a similar family story on her episode of Who Do You Think You Are?

Any help is appreciated.

Have you located them on shipping records yet? If they came over as indentured in the 1850's, they were most likely trying to save themselves from starvation during the Great Potato Famine.

If you want, send me their names through a PM and I'll have a look for you. Ask around the genealogy forum, you'll find I have recommendations here

[CAVA1990]

I doubt they came over as indentured servants. That type of arrangement pretty much died out after the revolution and I don't recall hearing of any in Virginia in the 19th century.

[queensgrl]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

I doubt they came over as indentured servants. That type of arrangement pretty much died out after the revolution and I don't recall hearing of any in Virginia in the 19th century.

Well, that's the story he told my grandmother. Also, according to Wikipedia, they were called redemptioners.


A redemptioner is an immigrant, generally from the 18th or 19th century, that gained passage to America by selling themselves as an indentured servant.

[Cyanna]

If we can find the name of the father we might be able to see if he was "indentured" to work in the mines, on the railroad, or some other profession where a lot of Irish were used as cheap labor. My own great-grandmother and her sisters had their ship fare from Northern Ireland to Philadelphia paid by Strawbridge & Clothiers, and this was in 1880. In return they worked for the company for 4 years to pay it off. Their parents paid their own way.

[CAVA1990]

Perhaps the type of indenture I'm thinking of that was discontinued was one involving "headrights" and the granting of acreage upon completion of the period of servitude (7 years I believe). That's how many of my Virginia ancestors came here from England in the 17th and 18th centuries.

[bjh]

Here's some links

Indentured Servants - Genealogy

33 references to Irish in this book:
Virginia genealogy: sources & resources - Google Books

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by bjh

Here's some links

Indentured Servants - Genealogy

That article seems to agree with my thought that this was more and 17th and 18th century colonial phenomenon than a 19th century American one.

[bjh]

^
That's my impression, too. Just trying to help the OP.

[queensgrl]

thanks for the resources.