I only have one immigration story from my family. It has been passed down through five generations to me. To prove it, or disprove it, has been a driving force in me taking so many classes on immigration. Family legend states that Bridget Gerharty and her sister boarded a boat in Ireland bound for America with their husbands. Halfway to America both men die and are buried at sea. There is a panic among the women because they have been told they must be married to get off the boat on the other side. Bridget and her sister find the Brennan brothers and marry them on the ship before they reach America. The story continues that they were turned away from the ports in New England, Philadelphia, and Baltimore before being allowed to dock in New Orleans.
What a story, and I wish I could even prove a scrap of it!
*Image: Jeffrey K. Edwards via photopin cc
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