The decision to flit to British North America

Life was harsh in the Border country.The living quarters of the hinds were often deplorable. Many of the cottages were in disrepair since hinds were constantly moving on and neither the hinds nor the farmers made a committment to their upkeep.

Most stone cottages consisted of two rooms often with a thatched roof and dirt floor.The main room had a grate, an oven, and a furnace pot as fixtures. Each cottage would have a coal shed attached.

As difficult as life might have been for the Border people, it was not as brutal as that of the Scots to the north. Thousands of Scots were forced to move off of the estates during what was termed as the "clearings".

Attempts were made to assist people to emigrate to British North America. Agents of the Canada Company, founded in London, encouraged emigration, and provided assistance in the form of money and implements.

The decision by John and Jane to flit to British North America was probably made after the birth of their daughter Mary in 1838. Both James and Robert would have been of age to work on the farm. With John Campbell approaching the age of work, the family might have been concerned about finding enough employment for them all.

At the hirings in March, and the the weekly corn sales, there would have been much talk about emigration to America, New Zealand, Australia, and British North America. Advertisements were often placed in the Wooler, Kelso, and Berwick newspapers for passengers on ships to New Zealand and Australia.

Letters from the colonies to relatives on the Border estates would have encouraged others to emigrate upon hearing about the availability of cheap land and plenty of work. In Ilderton between 1831 and 1841 there were 125 people. As machinery began to replace workers, less hinds were required. The population in the Wooler Parish in 1831 was 1 926 people. By 1841 the population was only 1 874.

By March of 1840, John and Jane were preparing to flit to British North America. John would not have contracted to another estate, and he would have been terminated in May. John and Jane and both sons, James and Robert, would have been earning money while working and living at Ilderton. They would have accumulated enough money for their passage. There is no indication whether or not they might have received assistance from agents of the Canada Company who were in the area recruiting people to emigrate to Upper Canada.

The family probably followed the main road to Berwick and found passage on one of the many ships or steamers travelling up the coast to Leith, Scotland. From there they could then travel on to Liverpool. It was from this port that ships sailed on the first and 15th of every month to British North America. One such ship was "The Scotia" which sailed to Quebec and Montreal. It is unknown on which ship John and his family sailed.

It was not a coincidence that the Coweys arrived in the Colborne area. Townshp names such as Alnwick, and village names such as Norham and Wooler would have sounded familiar to them and represented a link with their homeland.