Description:

Castle Garden
[Castle Garden, New York, NY], October 25, 1875
Two Irish Convicts Caught Attempting to Slip Through Castle Garden 7 Months After Congressional Ban, LS With Terrific Pre-Ellis Island Immigration Content!
LS
A 1p letter signed by George J. Forrest, President of the Board of Emigration at Castle Garden, New York, as "Geo J Forrest" at lower right. October 25, 1875. [Castle Garden, New York, New York.] Secretarially inscribed on blue-lined paper printed with "Emigrant Landing Depot, / And / Offices of the Commissioners of Emigration, / Of the State of New York" letterhead. Docketed verso, and bearing a blue hand-stamp reading "Received Executive Department / Oct 26 1875" below the docket. The paper was probably bifold at one point as evidenced by the sheared left edge. Expected wear including flattened folds. Isolated closed tears discretely repaired with four tabs only visible verso. A former collector's pencil inscription can be found at upper right. Else near fine. 9" x 11.625."

In this letter addressed to Governor of New York Samuel Tilden (1814-1886), Emigration Board President George J. Forrest reported on the status of two Irish convicts, Robert Bresland and William Johnson, who had recently attempted to slip through Castle Garden but were identified and apprehended.

The letter in part:

"I have the honor to transmit to you herewith the affidavits [not included in this lot] of two convicts named Robert Bresland and William Johnson, who arrived at this port recently, as steerage passengers, their fare having been paid by the Government prison authorities at Dublin, Ireland.

I have also to inform you that copies of the enclosed affidavits [not included in this lot] have been sent to the Consul General of Great Britain at this port, and the convicts were on Saturday last returned to the ports from whence they sailed…"

European governments and institutions had, in the past, disposed of their unwanted indigent, sick, and criminal citizenry through facilitating their immigration to the United States. It appears that this was the motivation behind the "Government prison authorities at Dublin, Ireland," who had hoped to foist off Bresland and Johnson. The prison even booked their passages on a transatlantic vessel.

Castle Garden, located on the site of an early nineteenth-century fort on the southern tip of Manhattan, served as New York City's principal entry point between its opening as an immigration processing center in 1855 and its closure in 1890. During this period, over 8 million immigrants - primarily Irish, English, Scots, Danish, Swedish, Russian, German, and Italian - passed through Castle Garden. U.S. immigration standards tightened in early 1875, just seven months before Bresland and Johnson attempted to slip through undetected. On March 3, 1875, the U.S. Congress passed "An Act Supplementary to the Acts in Relation to Immigration" to curb the influx of "undesirables" through immigration. Prostitutes, convicts, and persons of Chinese and Japanese ancestry were effectively banned by the 1875 Act. In 1882, an expanded criteria would prohibit the mentally ill, mentally handicapped, or any others likely to become a public charge from emigrating. Ellis Island had replaced Castle Garden by 1892.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 9" x 11.625"
  • Medium: LS

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