Irish Catholic Immigrants in Nineteenty-Century Christchurch
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COMMUNITY, CONTINUITY AND CHANGE: IRISH CA THOUC IMMIGRANTS IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY CHRISTCHURCH A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Canterbury by Lyndon A. Fraser -;; University of Canterbury 1993 ABSTRACT (~ 1/ This thesis explores the historical processes of becoming in the everyday social lives of Irish Catholic immigrants in nineteenth-century Christchurch. My central argument is that these newcomers effected a transition to colonial life by creating and sustaining durable'social networks based on ethnic ties which transcended pre-existing affiliations and represented a powerful means to appropriate a new environment. In my introduction, I argue that our limited understanding of settler society has legitimated cultural silences which marginalise the pluralistic experiences of immigrants in nineteenth-century immigrants New Zealand. Chapter One examines the process of migration and the interpersonal networks on which the vast majority of Irish Catholics were reliant for assistance both in moving to and settling in the city and its environs. Chapter Two charts the development of ethnic consciousness among the newcomers, while Chapter Three explores the question of transience and attempts to refute the view that itinerancy and a lack of associative bonds conspired to stunt the emergence of ethnic social relations. Paralleling this line of argument, Chapter Four focuses on the social topography of settlement and uses a variety of sources to demonstrate how newcomers expressed their ethnicity spatially within the city through a process of residential bonding. By contrast, Chapter Five deals with the vexing question of social mobility and seeks to establish whether the popular stereotype of the downtrodden Irish is relevant or applicable to those immigrants who settled in Christchurch. Its findings indicate that Irish Catholics were neither culturally emaciated nor iii crippled by persistent poverty in the city but instead made steady but modest gains within a generation. Chapter Six enlarges the analyzable context of the social ties that bound the immigrants to one another through an examination of evidence adduced from wills. In conclusion, I argue that Irish Catholics mobilized and sustained their ethnicity in the city by creating complex associative networks within which they pursued collective and individual goals. Their social agency, I suggest, resided in a capacity for reflexive self-knowledge, along with an ability to alter the circumstances and conditions of their everyday world. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have been completed without the valued assistance and encouragement of a great many people. First and foremost, lowe a very special debt to my supervisor, Dr. Maureen Montgomery, whose critical perspicacity and high scholarly standards were deeply appreciated. I am also grateful to several individuals for their comments and criticism on draft chapters. In particular, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Dr. David T. Beito of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Roger Thompson of the University of East Anglia. Their willingness to read sections of the thesis kept it on track and provided much-needed help and support. Dr. Willard G. Rollings of the University of Nevada deserves' special thanks for his timely advice, encouragement and guidance at a crucial point in proceedings. Dr. Len Richardson and Mr. Brian Wearing read most of the earlier drafts and gave valuable assistance at various stages throughout the project. During the course of my inquiry, I was fortunate in gaining access to institutions and archival repositories that are not always open to researchers. especially wish to thank Father Kevin Clark, who kindly arranged admission to the Christchurch Roman Catholic Diocesan Archives. Phil Marryatt of the Christchurch Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages granted permission to use the office's extant listings and ensured that I was exempted from the hideous spectre of "user pays". I am also indebted to Brother Gerard Hogg, Father Michael O'Meeghan SM, Patricia O'Connor, Christine Barbour, Mavis Donnelly, Richard Greenaway, Denis Hampton, Dr. Maureen Molloy, Dr. Miles Fairburn, v Pat Grace, Rita McKinnon, Marie Pay, Dr. Charles Sedgwick, Judith Trim, Gillian White, the helpful staff at National Archives, Christchurch, the New Zealand Society of Genealogists, and the Canterbury Museum Library. I also want to acknowledge the generous financial assistance of Historical Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington. I would like to warmly thank the Departments of History and American Studies at the University of Canterbury for their on-going support. I am also deeply obliged to a social network of friends and colleagues. In this respect, I am happy to mention the following: Stephen Benbow, Trevor Burnard, Malcolm Campbell, Mandy Capern, Barbara Chinn, Patrick Coleman, Salley Davey, Graeme Dunstall, Laura Failing, Bert Frandsen, Else Frandsen, Audrey Frasero Rick Fraser, Nick Fitzgerald, Jean Garner, Jane Gregg, Rosemary Grigor, Ken Harris, Barbara Hughes-Rollings, Phillipa Mein-Smith, Brian Moloughney, Jim McAloon, Deborah Perrott, Lydia Perrott, Yvonne Reineke, Judy Robertson, Shane Speakman, Gwen Standring, Rory Sweetman, Luke Trainor, Pauline Wedlake, Leonard Wilcox, Dawn Young, Errol Young, Joanna Young, and Mark Welch. Finally, I offer a very special thanks to Rachel for her love and support. CONTENTS ABSTRACT .. , .......... , . , ... , , ................. page ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iv LIST OF TABLES ..................................... vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS .......................•........ x ABBREVIATIONS ......................••............. xii PREFACE 0 ••• III ••••••••••• II II II •• D • II •• III ., •••••••• 0 •••• D 1 INTRODUCTION ......................•....•..•..•.. 20 I. THE MIGRATION ................................ , 47 II. FROM IMMIGRANTS TO ETHNICS ..... , ........ '.. .. 88 III. THE DIMENSIONS OF COMMUNITY ...................• 148 IV. THE SOCIAL TOPOGRAPHY OF SETTLEMENT .....•...... 179 V. GETTING ON .............. , .............. , . , , . ,206 VI. THE TIES THAT BIND ..................•...•.••... 242 CONCLUSION •....... , . , . , ................• , , .....• 270 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..... , ... , .. , , . , , , ........... , . , , .. , .280 TABLES Table 1.1 Decadal Emigration From Ireland By Provinces As A Proportion Of The Population At The Census Year Beginning Each Decade, 1851-1921 ........... page 54 Table 1.2 Provincial Proportions Of Irish Catholic Immigrants By Date Of Arrival In The Colony, 1855-1918 . .. 70 Table 1.3 Demographic Characteristics Of Irish Catholic Immigrants, 1851-1918 .......................... 75 Table 1.4 Age Distribution Of Irish Catholic Immigrants At Date Of Arrival In The Colony •...........•............. 76 Table 1.5 Socio-economic Background Of Irish Catholic Decedents, 1876-1918 •....•.......•............. 78 Table 1.6 Nationality Of Assisted Emigrants To Canterbury, 1863-1 867 "".. 0 til 0 0 II " a 0 0 III ODD " a 0 " a 0 • 0 " 0 " • I 0 " I) I) 0 83 Table 1.7 Destination Of Nomination Forms From Canterbury, . 1872-1874 000.0.0 •••• 80000880 ••• 00811000- ••• 00085 Table 2.1 Irish Catholic Marriage Patterns, Christchurch, 1860- . 1889 0 III II 0 '" ••• II • " 0 I) III D • Q • 0 •• II •• 0 (I • D I) " 0 • 0 0 •• 0 II 0 101 Table 3.1 Percentage Of Original Samples Living At The Same Address In Selected Years, 1878-1898 ........•...•... 151 Table 3.2 Number Of Moves Made By Those Persisting To 1898 ...... 152 Table 3.3 The Dimensions Of Persistence, 1878-1898 ............. 153 Table 3.4 Percentage Of Original Samples Emigrating From Christchurch During Selected Yearly Intervals ............ 154 Table 3.5 Persistence Rate For Households By Land-Owning Categories 0 III II III 0 0 II '" /I 0) II II) 0 <') 0 " II II 0 " • (I iii I) I) " • 0 0 • _0 0 " • 0 11 156 Table 3.6 Persistence For Households By Mean Age Of Married Couple ." It 0 III II " • D 0 0 • III 0 0 II ... II D ••••• II 0 •• " 0 .. 11 " 0 0 I) I) • 151 Table 3.7 Persistence For Households By Occupational Classification Of Males ........................... 158 viii Table 3.8 Quarterly Membership Figures For The Hibernian Branches At Christchurch And Dunedin, 1877 ...... ,., .. 173 Table 4.1 Percentage Distribution Of Foreign-Born Population Across All Boroughs By Birthplace, 1886 ............... 181 Table 4.2 Percentage Distribution Of Foreign-Born Population Across All Boroughs By Birthplace, 1896 . , ...... , . , . , . , 182 Table 4.3 Indices Of Segregation And Dissimilarity For Foreign- Born Groups By Birthplace, 1886 & 1896 ........... ,., 183 Table 4.4 Percentage Distribution Of Population Across All Boroughs By Selected Religious Denomination, 1886 .. , .... 184 Table 4.5 Percentage Distribution Of Population Across All Boroughs By Selected Religious Denomination, 1886 ....•.. 185 Table 4.6 Indices Of Segregation And Dissimilarity For Religious Groups By Denomination, 1886 & 1896 ............•.. 186 Table 4.7 Indices Of Segregation For Roman Catholics Across Sampled Street-Block Structures, 1887 .............•.. 198 Table 4.8 Barbadoes Street South, Sydenham .. , ........ , ...... 201 Table 5.1 Occupational Mobility Of Irish Males In Christchurch, 1878-1888 . 0 ••• '.0 0 • II II ••••••• 0 • " " • eo •• " • 8 •• II 0 .215 Table 5.2 Occupational Mobility For All Linked Irish Males, 1878-1888 ............ 0 ••••••••• 0 ••• 009 ••• 0 •• 216 Table 5.3 Occupational Persistence Of Irish Males In Christchurch, 1878-1888 ............••..........