Dear Listers,
For my contribution to the 1998 Carden Gathering I did a 4-page essay entitled "From
Mayo to Liverpool in the 19th Century" as we had just traced our Carden ancestors
back to Ballina in Co. Mayo. Arthur asked me if I would produce it again for the
2008 Gathering and I said I would. I had written it in a great hurry (that's
my excuse) and, upon reading it again, I felt I could do better. I began again,
putting more effort into the project, and I soon realised that it was not just about our
Cardens from Co. Mayo, but about all the Irish who had passed through or settled in
Liverpool during the 19th century, which is why I changed the title to "From Ireland
to Liverpool in the 19th Century". It eventually grew to 12 pages and is mainly
the story of the thousands of Irish who experienced the harsh realities of life in
Victorian Liverpool.
I gave a copy of the finished article to Arthur who said I should also offer it on the
Carden List - he convinced me that those with Irish ancestors would find it of interest.
So if anyone on the List would care to read it I would be happy to send it as an e-mail
attachment. It's not a great literary work but I enjoyed doing it. I also
learned a lot of interesting facts along the way.
With best wishes to all,
Lynn Bateman in Liverpool
lynn33(a)blueyonder.co.uk