One wonders what Father John O’Brien, of patent medicine
fame, expected when he accepted the call to Lowell. Previous to arriving in the city he and his
brother Timothy were stationed in Virginia.
There the two men became widely known for their work among the small,
Southern, Catholic community. The two
brothers’ reputations grew as being spiritual and leaders of the Irish
community who had settled in the Richmond, VA area to dig canals. It was in Richmond that they were responsible
for building St. Peter’s Cathedral, still there today.
Fr. John arrived in Lowell in 1848 but obviously held his
former parishioners quite dear. The
priest also worked in the town of Martinsburg, VA, and that is where he met the
McSherry family. Richard McSherry’s
father had emigrated from Ireland in the late 18th century. Richard McSherry became a doctor and was one
of the 50 Irish Catholic families in Martinsburg. The McSherrys were also wealthy landowners
and slave owners. Dr. McSherry’s
daughter, Cecelia, remained a friend of Fr. O’Brien as evidenced by a 4 page handwritten
letter which was just discovered a few weeks ago.
The letter, written by Fr. O’Brien, was written in January
of 1850. He writes that the teachers in
the school had erected a Christmas tree.
This is one of the earliest accounts of this new traditions. They would not be popular for several
decades. He goes on to tell of hearing
180 confessions before Christmas and receiving $149 as an offering. He does say that some members of the
congregation had organized a sleigh ride and questions the money spent on such
an event.
He further says that he had never “had charge of a more
pious people,” but continues by saying “there are more than a sufficient number
to give us a bad name.” It was at that
time that riots broke out within the Irish community of Lowell. He continues by adding that “a few scoundrels
and vagabonds will bring disgrace on a community by their lawless deeds.” The riots of 1849 continued for several days
with bricks and rocks being thrown and having the city constables called out. He credits Fr. Theobold Mathew, the Irish
Temperance priest, who was visiting Lowell with helping to quell the
riots. He finishes his letter by
applauding the fact a young woman who had left the church returned and “had
given up her Protestantism.”
The letter actual opens by asking Miss McSherry about her
health and telling her not to overdo things.
Cecelia McSherry would live 5 more years and die at the age of 39.
The letter gives us a glimpse into the everyday lives of the
Irish community, their trials and hardships.
It is a rare artifacts where the Irish themselves speak of what was
going on around them rather than their Yankee counterparts.
From the riot that started
it all, to the rocky road to Boston.
From thousands taking the temperance pledge, to keening at an Irish
wake. The Days That Went Before Us, by David McKean, recounts the trials and tribulations, tears and
joys of the Irish pioneers of Lowell’s first immigrant group. Using the latest research and primary
sources, learn how the Irish became a political, religious, and cultural force. 
