This is fascinating, Diane! You found so much information about William’s life in music. Very impressive research. Thank you for adding so much to my knowledge about him!
Oh lisa, I wondered that too. Was he “removed” because he was involved? I don’t see any evidence of that. I did wonder if that was why he was “removed,” but I couldn’t back up the supposition with anything.
Are you an expert in that area? Know of any databases I can crawl through?
I did check where the British army was stationed — and it was Halifax and Montreal. Montreal is only a two hour drive to Potsdam (no idea how long by horseback). After William died, i found references that her youngest stayed with sisters in law. She had one brother. So that suggests he had at least one sister — natural or adopted. Would she have been a fenian too?
I looked a bit in Canadian sources and I didn't find anything useful. The British army stationed in Mtl would not have been part of the force to stop the Fenians at the border. But Potsdam is kind of a random place for him to end up. He must have had Fenian sympathies and part of that network of people who were living there.
I wonder how i might find out more. Was the US sympathetic to the fenians? Woule a Canadian with fenian sympathies be welcomed in the US? (Border laws didn’t become a thing until mid 1890s.)
A carefully crafted dance in the shadows between fact and supposition. Well done!
Thank you so much for your generous and descriptive words! And it was a dance of do I know or do I believe. So happy you enjoyed it.
This is fascinating, Diane! You found so much information about William’s life in music. Very impressive research. Thank you for adding so much to my knowledge about him!
Julie, I am so glad you liked it. I couldn't have done this without your help! Without that obituary I was spinning in circles, thank you so much!
Wonderful piece. His military experience and his home on the border immediately made me think of Fenians… I wonder if there is even more to his past?
Oh lisa, I wondered that too. Was he “removed” because he was involved? I don’t see any evidence of that. I did wonder if that was why he was “removed,” but I couldn’t back up the supposition with anything.
Are you an expert in that area? Know of any databases I can crawl through?
I wouldn’t consider myself an expert, but I can see what I can find.
I did check where the British army was stationed — and it was Halifax and Montreal. Montreal is only a two hour drive to Potsdam (no idea how long by horseback). After William died, i found references that her youngest stayed with sisters in law. She had one brother. So that suggests he had at least one sister — natural or adopted. Would she have been a fenian too?
I looked a bit in Canadian sources and I didn't find anything useful. The British army stationed in Mtl would not have been part of the force to stop the Fenians at the border. But Potsdam is kind of a random place for him to end up. He must have had Fenian sympathies and part of that network of people who were living there.
I wonder how i might find out more. Was the US sympathetic to the fenians? Woule a Canadian with fenian sympathies be welcomed in the US? (Border laws didn’t become a thing until mid 1890s.)
Not sure anyone would necessarily know his sympathies since the Fenians were a secret society. Which is of course what makes this research so hard!!!
Wow! You found out quite a bit about Mr. Barrry. Fascinating history.