Description

An Emigrant Brig is passing Kinswear Castle on the River Dart in Devon at the start of a passage to the New World. A few of the better-off passengers have paid a little extra to remain on deck and bid their homeland a last farewell .   This would no doubt have been a great annoyance for the crew and they are now being hustled below.

Huge numbers of emigrants left the West Country after the end of the Napoleonic Wars.  Between 1815 and 1914 over 10 million left the UK with a further 7 million from Ireland.

Dartmouth was heavily involved in the Newfoundland fishing industry, and because of this, many local emigrants made Newfoundland their destination.

Original oil on canvas