From Derry to the Pontiac

The Dales left County Derry, Ulster to pursue a new life in the Canadas in about 1820. Here, author Nancy Dale Conroy traces the story of their journey. Having undertaken this adventure at an opportune time-when land was still up for grabs-the Dales would go on to play a foundational role in the establishment of a vibrant community at the centre of Clarendon township that would one day become Shawville, Quebec. In this engrossing work of family history, the author takes us through more than a hundred years of her family's place at the centre of this growing community, outlining her research process and encounters with distant relatives along the way. Ultimately, the story of the Dales provides a refreshingly intimate lens through which to view the history of early settlement in the Canadas, and a welcome addition to the bookshelves of anyone curious about this formative era.