Albany Committee for the Relief of Ireland Records, 1847-1848
Collection context
Summary
- Abstract:
- Records and correspondence of this charitable organization aimed at providing relief to Ireland, and to a lesser extent the highlands of Scotland, during the Irish Potato Famine, 1845-1850.
- Extent:
- 1 box
- Language:
- English
Background
- Scope and content:
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The vast majority of the records of the Albany Committee for the Relief of Ireland are letters to and from various committee members organizing the procurement, shipping and distribution of money, foodstuffs and other goods. The records cover topics such as fund raising, grain markets, and shipping concerns.
- Biographical / historical:
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The Albany Committee for the Relief of Ireland was founded in February of 1847 in response to the suffering caused by the Irish Potato Famine, which lasted from 1845 to 1850. The Albany Committee was one of the many subsidiaries of the New York City-based Irish Relief Committee located throughout New York, Ohio, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The central committee was chaired by M. Van Schaick with Robert Minturn, on the Committee on Provision and Clothing, who was the primary organizer of incoming donations, as well as the chief liaison with the Albany Committee. The goal of the organization was to collect cash donations and gifts of food, clothing, and other necessities. The heads of the American organization worked in close concert with Joseph Bewley and Jonathan Rice, the heads of the Society of Friends of Dublin, Ireland.
Within Albany, the Committee was chaired by Charles Jenkins, a successful Albany lawyer. Also on the executive committee were Edward Delavan, a wealthy wine merchant and temperance advocate, bank presidents Thomas Olcott and John Norton, and attorney James Dexter. John Ford, a leading Albany attorney, served as the committee’s secretary and Theodore Olcott, head cashier and director of the Canal Bank, as treasurer. A four person sub-committee headed by Thomas James, a prosperous flour merchant, was set up to coordinate the collection, storage, and shipping of goods from Albany and its outlying areas. An official collector was assigned to each ward within the city, and every town in the state was mailed a circular asking for donations and giving specific delivery instructions. The committee worked closely with the local newspapers to publicize their efforts and to list the names of individuals who contributed over five dollars to the cause.
The Committee tried to raise money in a variety of ways. They set up benefit performances at local theaters, sponsored lectures by famous temperance leaders, and had local papers publish various articles intending to inspire guilt and pity. The three Roman Catholic Churches in Albany together donated $5,329 after the Committee initiated a “benevolent race” among them. By September of 1847, a total of $25,354.82 had been collected for Ireland from Albany and its outlying areas. An additional $411.12 had been raised for the less well publicized poor of Scotland. In addition to money, the Committee also accepted many donations of clothing, nearly $81.23 worth, as well as barrels of grain and flour from various farming communities. The majority of these foodstuffs, approximately $12,200.77 worth, arrived in Dublin, via the ship Malabar, in June 1847. The last shipment sent by the Albany Committee left for Ireland in the later part of December, 1847, on the ship Ashburton. It consisted of 715 barrels of corn meal purchased with Albany funds and $212.78 in cash. After that the organization was dissolved.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Indexed terms
Access and use
- Restrictions:
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This collection is open for research according to the regulations of the Albany Institute of History & Art without any additional restrictions.
- Terms of access:
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The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the Albany Institute of History & Art Library will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Archivist/Librarian.
- Location of this collection:
- Before you visit:
- https://www.albanyinstitute.org/library.html
- Contact:
- mccombsd@albanyInstitute.org