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Cassell, John. 1852 . "Cassell's emigrant handbook being a guied to the various fields of emigration in all parts of the globe with an introductory essay on the importance of emigration and the danger to which emigrants are exposed to which is added a guide to the gold fields fo Australia ". John Cassell, La Belle Sauvage Yard, London. 88 p., 4.5 MB download. Digitized 1 Oct 2007.

Link to pdf of scan of entire book. 4.5 MB download. Google Books. Original from Oxford University.

On p. 3 and 4 of the introduction to his book Cassell extensively paraphrases from the discussion of the Harvey Settlement in James Johnston's influential "Notes on North America" published the year before in 1851. Cassell writes:


"Near Frederickton the Professor visted the Harvey Settlement, founded in 1837 by emigrants from the neighbourhood of Wooler, in Northumberland. Twenty-three families, consisting of about two hundred individuals, had come out for the purpose, of settling on the lands of the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Land Company; but no preparation having been made for their reception, they were thrown entirely on their own resources, and being poor, and few of them able at that time to obtain employment, they became involved in great difficulties. The Colonial Legislature, however, assigned them land and supplied them with the provisions for the first year. Though they endured great hardships during their first winter, which settlers in their vicinity would not now be exposed to,
only two deaths occurred in six years against thirthy-three births. There are now fifty-three families, comprising between 300 and 400 individuals, each family possessing from three to five cows, and 100 acres of land at least.

"Neither our own colonies nor the United States, however, are the place for idlers. A man, said one of these settlers, 'must work as hard as at home and longer hours. He must build his own house, and make the shoes of his family, and do many other things; and yet', he added, 'if a piece of good land was to be found handy, many of their friends and relations from home would join them.'

"Professor Johnson, on his return, made a tour on that well-farmed district on both sides of the Scottish Border, at the foot of the Cheviots, whence these people came, and learned from the report of the parish minister that, in the small village of Yetholm, there were thirty able-bodied men, accustomed to work for the neighbouring farmers, who were unable to obtain a day's work. 'Alarmed.' he says, 'by the fall of prices, very foolishily, I think, in the case of a half pastoral district like that, the holders of the land had ceased to employ a single labourer they cou;ld dispense with.... Had I known of a bit of good land handy to that settlement, I could have felt it in my heart to urge these labourers to make up a party among themselves, with a view of going there, and to offer my aide to them in their views. How it would have turned the talbe if these thirty families had emigrated? The history of two of the Harvey settlers speaks volumes. Mr. Grieves was a shepherd at Whittingham on the Border. He landed at Fredericton in 1837, with a family of ten, and only 7s. 6d. in his pocket. Having obtained his parcel of land, he hired himself as a farm-servant with Colonel Shore, at Fredericton, at £30 a-year, (that is, with board); and such of his children as were able to work he hired out too. Whenever he could spare a pouind, he got an acre of his land cleared. After seven years of service, he settled on his land himself, building a house for his family right away - that is, without the previous erection of a log-house, ' and a very good house he appeared to have.'. He has now 700 acres of land in different lots, and has clearings of twenty acres on each of three or four of these lots, intended for his sons. His success has been above the average, which he attributes to his having had a very good master; and when Professor Johnston afterwards met that master, he found him equally grateful for the warm attachment and zealous services of so good a hind. 'Had I my life to begin again,' said Mr. Grieves, 'I would come out here; for though I might have been more comfortable myself, there is the satisfaction of providing well for my family.'

"Another of these settlers, Mr. Pass, affords an instance of the success of a small capitalists. He had been the manager of a chemical work in one of the midland counties, and had saved £150. He brought up his only son as a carpenter, and settlered in Harvey. 'I have done well,' he said, 'through hard work; and all who have done well say the same.' He considered himself better off than he would have been at home, and was of opinion that no climate could be better than that of his new country. He considered it also to be especially the place for the labouring man; he cannot worsen himself, and if he is industrious, he is always getting better."