Thomas Meagher ( – 26 January 1837) was an Irish merchant and tailor who arrived in
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
around 1780 as an apprentice to a clothier surnamed Crotty. After Mr Crotty's death, Meagher married his widow, Mary Crotty, and took over the Crotty business.
By 1808 Meagher had bought the ''Mary'', which he replaced the following year with the ''Triton''; in the fall of 1809 he shipped more than 1,350 quintals of cod and other products to Waterford. On the return voyage the ''Triton ''carried provisions and 62 migrants. His trading routes expanded to include other ports in North America. Demand for fish such as cod in southern Europe was growing and profits from the passenger and supply trades were considerable.
Meagher had sent his eldest son
Thomas
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the A ...
to Ireland to establish a branch of his business in Waterford. The younger Thomas married Alicia Quan, daughter of Alicia Forristall and Thomas Quan, of Wyse, Cashen and Quan, one of the largest trading companies in Waterford, at her parents' residence. Their most famous child,
Thomas Francis Meagher
Thomas Francis Meagher ( ; 3 August 18231 July 1867) was an Irish nationalism, Irish nationalist and leader of the Young Irelanders in the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848, Rebellion of 1848. After being convicted of sedition, he was first sent ...
, one of five siblings, was born on 23 August 1823.
[ O'Neill, Paul, ''The Oldest City: The Story of St. John's, Newfoundland'' (2003); .]
Meagher's business in
St. John's had suffered a major setback when the premises were wiped out in the
Great Fire of 1817. The firm was rebuilt but never recovered from the loss which in 1820 declared insolvency and was dissolved on 31 August 1820.
References
Sources
*
1760s births
1837 deaths
Businesspeople from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
People from Clonmel
People from Waterford (city)
Irish emigrants to pre-Confederation Newfoundland
Place of death missing
Businesspeople from County Waterford
Businesspeople from County Tipperary
{{Ireland-bio-stub