The British Government had good reasons to promote settlement in the Canadas for several reasons. The very real threat of invasion from the newly formed United States made it essential to increase British presence in the Canadas. These fears were justified in the American invasion of 1812.
Another cause was the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain left many families jobless, moneyless and starving. Despite moved into urban areas seeking employment they found neither employment nor housing. Soon overcrowding in the urban area areas created extremely unsanitary conditions. Cholera and typhoid were rampant.
Britain was also in a serious financial predicament, the government purse was empty after years of warfare in their American colonies.
In desperation the government chose to promote emigration to the colonies. This would not only to increase theBritish presence in their new colony but also add simnifically to their purse. It was estimated that settlers in the Canadas contributed three times more to the government purse than citizens living in Britain.
The colonies also promised employment for all who applied, particularly in Quebec City area which was in the process of being rebuilt after Wolfe’s bombardment destroyed most of the city.
New fortifications were being built in face of a possible invasion from the south.
Not all immigrants left Great Britain under duress for many the possibility of actually owning property was a strong incentive for those able to finance the passage as well as the cost of the first year.
Transportation for emigrants was readily available, even to those unable to pay passage. Government, large landlords, as well as the shipping industry profited from emigration. The government profited by ridding the streets of the poor, likewise landlords were rid of unwanted tenants, and ships had a paying ballast for the return to Quebec. Britain imported more from the Canadas than they exported. Due to much less export from Great Britain ships arriving in Great Britain from Quebec laden with furs and timber were forced to purchase ballast for the return to the Canadas.
Chateau Frontenac
(The Chateau Frontenac was built with bricks used for ballast which had been acquired free of charge the only cost being the removal of the bricks to the construction site.)
Thus empty the ships were eager to take on government funded passengers at reduced rates for the return trip. Although some refurbishing of the cargo hold was needed for the accommodation of these added passengers this was a small investment to pay for the return trip.
The British government promoted a campaign to promote emigration. Men such as George Heriot, who served as Deputy Postmaster of British North America, were encouraged to publish books citing the advantages available in the “New World”.
Imaginative hucksters seeing the possibility of profit toured the countryside with printed pamphlets and talks on the benefits of emigration to Canada. Never having travelled to North America, the information was often less than true, even downright fraudulent.
One promoter told prospective emigrants that in the Canadas there was no need to buy sugar, (a luxury which was not affordable for most) you only drilled a hole in a tree and the sugar poured out!
Moody and Trail, husbands of the Parr sisters, Catherine and Susan, were influenced by one of these travelling promoters when they attended a talk in their area.
Among these were Irish Protestants from the Province of Ulster in Ireland (later Northern Ireland) were the early settlers in the Rawdon.
The majority were Church of Ireland and England from the Province of Ulster. Many were experienced agriculture workers, some involved in husbandry, many others in the growth and production of flax.
Catholic priests in Ireland determined not to lose their parishioners preached against emigration citing among other things that the presence of heathens and the great difficulties of life in the New World.
However a decade later Irish Catholics, catching glimpses of life in the New World from neighbours with families well established, began to question the accuracy of the warnings of the Catholic hierarchy and slowly chose to leave. Many from these Catholic came to the Rawdon Settlement.