Berrigan, Artie (James Arthur) [Interview 1]

David MacKenzie interviews Artie Berrigan (80 years old) of North Wiltshire, PEI, at the Sacred Heart Home in Charlottetown, where they discuss his family leaving Ireland, their occupations, Scottish-Irish relations, religion, entertainment, graves, and marriages.

Interview

MacKenzie, David

Berrigan, Artie

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1983-06-09

Held by UPEI Library — SMI-ARCH 1983-001. Series 1

00:10:07

Introduction
Talks of his grandparents from Ireland. His grandfather, who came to PEI, had five brothers: two went to Ontario, two to Boston, one to New Zealand.
Grandfather worked hard removing stumps and sewing grain by hand. He used a scythe, and bought a reaper. He provided land for his sons Michael (Artie's father), Pat and Andy.
Artie's grandfather (Nicholas Berrigan) married Catherine Tierney, daughter of Martin Tierney. Double relations: Martin Tierney married Nicholas Berrigan's sister.
Artie overhead someone say that the family left Ireland because of the "bloody block", but he does not know what it means.
Tape drops out
Discussion about Scottish-Irish relationships, neighbours visiting, playing cards, smoking clay pipes. Religion didn't seem to matter, they dug graves in each others graveyards and work together. Fights between Protestants and Catholics did occur: over election time, liquor. But no time to drink during regular farming season. Some had oxen to pull carts.
Discussion about social gatherings, tea parties and the fights that occurred.
Grandparents came from Ireland but didn't necessarily settle with other Irish people, English and Scottish were around too.
Protestants dug his father (Michael's) grave.
Story about a horse reaching over a fence, stealing grain.
Arranged marriages on the boat, someone to cook, to take care of someone. First lived in a shack, hard times, hard working

Held by UPEI Library — SMI-ARCH 1983-001. Series 1