St Patrick's Day

The story goes… Merrimack Mills agent Kirk Boott donated a plot of company land for a Catholic church to be built to establish “stability” within Lowell’s new Irish community. In 1831 St Patrick’s was completed and marked the permanent settlement of the Irish in Lowell. This section of land encompassing the “Acre” grew rapidly in the 1840’s as Irish immigrants streamed into Lowell to escape the poverty of their homeland. The original Irish settlers lived on the out skirts of the town in an area called “Paddy Camp Lands”. A copy of a map depicting “Paddy Camp Lands” in 1832 was recently discovered here at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds. You can view this map by following the links on the registry’s home page. The deed that transferred the property donated by Boott for the construction of St Patrick’s is also viewable at this registry. Unfortunately, all ethnic groups have suffered discrimination and injustice when settling in a new land…the Irish were no exception. The following are excerpts from actual deeds recorded over one hundred years ago in the Lowell registry. They bring these harsh realities back to us. These deeds can be seen in their entirety at the registry.

May 27, 1889
I, Charles D. Wald in consideration of $37.00 paid by Henry W. Copp do hereby grant to Henry W. Copp the land in Wilmington …subject to the following restrictions,viz: That said premises are not occupied or conveyed to any Negroes or Irish…

May 5, 1881
We Susan B. Butters and Eleanor P. Butters of Lowell in consideration of $3,000 grant to Abel T Atherton of Lowell the land on the Easterly side of Fairmont street… the said premises being deeded under the express agreement and condition that the land shall never be deeded or conveyed to any person born in Ireland.

Happy St Patrick’s Day