Partridge Island (Saint John County) facts for kids
Partridge Island is a small island in Canada. It's found in the Bay of Fundy, right off the coast of Saint John, New Brunswick. The island sits inside Saint John's Inner Harbour, near the mouth of the Saint John River.
This island is a special place with a lot of history. It's recognized as a provincial historic site and became a National Historic Site of Canada in 1974.
During the American Revolution in 1780, something interesting happened here. Six British soldiers, led by Lieut. Wheaton, found eight American privateers (like private ships that attacked enemy ships) hiding in a house on the island. The British soldiers fought them, and three Americans were killed. The other five were captured.
Partridge Island was first set up in 1785 as a quarantine station. This meant it was a place where people arriving by ship could be checked for diseases before entering the city. It also had a "pest house," which was a hospital for sick people. The island was also used as a place to help ships navigate and as a military base. The first time it was actually used as a quarantine station was in 1816. A hospital building was built on the island in 1830.
Contents
Why is Partridge Island Important for Immigrants?
The Great Famine and Irish Arrivals
Partridge Island saw its biggest number of immigrants in the 1840s. This was during a terrible time called the "Great Famine" or "Irish Potato Famine." A plant disease called potato blight destroyed Ireland's main food crop, potatoes. This caused millions of people to starve or leave their homes, mostly heading to North America.
During this famine, about 30,000 immigrants came through Partridge Island. Doctors on the island checked and treated them. Sadly, 1,196 people died on Partridge Island and in nearby Saint John during a typhus epidemic in 1847. Later, in the 1890s, over 78,000 immigrants were examined or treated on the island each year.
Honoring Those Who Came Before
Many memorials have been built on the island to remember the immigrants. A memorial for the Irish immigrants from the mid-1840s was first put up in the 1890s. But it fell apart over time.
In 1926, a group called the Saint John City Cornet Band worked with a local builder, George McArthur. They started a project to build a better monument. A beautiful Celtic Cross memorial was built in 1927 to honor the Irish people who died in 1847. This memorial was fixed up and rededicated in 1985.
In the 1980s, other groups also built memorials. These included the Saint John Jewish Community, the Loyal Orange Lodge, and other heritage groups. These memorials honored Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish immigrants buried in the island's six graveyards. Another monument was also dedicated to all Irish people who died there between 1830 and the 1920s.
What is the History of Partridge Island?
Ancient Stories and Early Uses
The island has old stories from the Mi'kmaq Nation, who are the Indigenous people of the area. They called the island "Quak'm'kagan'ik," which means "a piece cut out." This name comes from a legend. It says the island was formed when the powerful spirit Glooscap broke a dam built by "Big Beaver." A piece of the dam was swept by the rushing water to the mouth of the harbor, where it settled and became the island. This version of the story became popular in the early 1900s.
After the American Loyalists (people who stayed loyal to Britain during the American Revolution) arrived in 1783 and the city of Saint John was formed, a lighthouse was needed to help ships. A light station was built on Partridge Island and started working in 1791. It was only the third lighthouse ever built in British North America. Soon after, a signal station was also placed on the island. It was used for many years to warn the harbor when ships were coming from the Bay of Fundy. Both the light and signal stations were set up in 1791.
Military Importance and Island Life
Partridge Island was Saint John's main military fort from 1800 until 1947. It was the only fort in Saint John that was used during all periods of military activity. You can still see parts of the Royal Artillery gun battery from 1812, and remains from both the First and Second World Wars.
Many families also lived on the island over the years. These included lightkeepers like Captain Samuel Duffy and Thomas Furness. Hospital staff, such as Doctors George and William Harding, also lived there. Teachers like Jean MacCullum taught at the island's school.
Boat tours to the island used to run from 1982 until 1995, when the island's small museum closed. Now, people are not allowed to visit the island easily. Many books and video documentaries have been made about the island's history.
Can We Visit Partridge Island Today?
People have wanted to turn Partridge Island into a tourist spot for a long time. In 2014, the government set aside $200,000 to study how much it would cost to fix the breakwater (a wall that protects the harbor) and build a walkway to the island. The study found that building a path to the island would cost a lot, between $27 million and $40 million.
Wayne Long, who is the Member of Parliament for Saint John, has suggested building a wharf (a dock for boats) instead. He thinks boat tours could then go to and from the island. In 2017, Long said it was time to act and make the historic island accessible. He estimates a wharf would cost about $5 million, which is much less than a walkway.
Before the island could open to the public, a big clean-up would be needed. The soil on the island has some pollution. Also, the buildings that are left have been damaged or burned. Of the six graveyards, the 19th-century one was almost completely destroyed by the military during World War II. Less than three dozen graves remain.
Even though it's a national historic site, Partridge Island has become a place where some young people go to hang out, even though it's against the law to cross the breakwater.
Images for kids
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A postcard from around 1905 showing Partridge Island and a buoy. The large hospital building on the right was new at the time.
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