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11 January 2007

My parents were immigrants

I can't tell you how many times someone has labelled me a xenophobe on these pages...

-- It's usually just a single raging, barely articulate blast... unadorned by any sort of argument. I can't imagine what sort of satisfaction it affords the obviously frustrated and ideologically bereft writer, to simply call me names and run away... but it must serve some purpose.

-- I have nothing against immigrants... I'm a first generation Canadian, born to parents from the UK. I'm also a history buff... I've traced my ancestors back to 18th century Ireland. They were solid hard-working folk... from my shoemaker great-great-great-great grandfather who left Ireland for Scotland in the 1820's to his sons and grandsons who worked the mines and foundries in Lanarkshire.

Thus my interest in the following...
Details of more than 30 million people who emigrated from Britain by ship are being published on a new website.

Previously family history researchers would have had to make the journey to The National Archives in London to read the lists. But now people will be able to access the information online from their home or local library.

Details of people who left Britain by sea between 1890 and 1960 will appear at www.ancestorsonboard.com. The list includes departures from ports in England, Scotland and Wales as well as Irish ports before 1921 and ports in Northern Ireland after 1921.
Anyway... I invite all of the people who usually drop by with their invariably one-line sneer, or accusation... to flesh out their insults with some sort of rationale or reasonable argument. It's a little difficult to reply to, "You crazy fucker." I usually just assume the writer needs his meds... or perhaps a nap.

It might work out better for both of us.

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