A bit of Fenian Raid history has arrived at Brock University just in time for a major anniversary. Five newspaper broadsides about the historic Niagara raid were recently acquired by the Special Collections and Archives department of the Brock University Library.

Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the June 1, 1866 Fenian Raids, when an American wing of the Irish Republican Brotherhood crossed the Niagara River with the intent of taking control of the Welland Canal.

The American wing of the Fenian Brotherhood was composed of immigrants and Irish Americans whose ultimate goal was to free Ireland from British rule. Thousands of Fenian soldiers assembled to capture major Canadian cities and transportation centres and hold these hostage in exchange for Ireland’s independence.

On June 1, 1866, a significant army of Fenians crossed the upper Niagara River. The next morning, a Canadian and British force met the army at Ridgeway, where fighting lasted a couple of hours. In the end, several from both sides were killed or injured.

On June 3, the Fenians retreated and were arrested by the American navy while crossing the Niagara River. Although brief, this invasion had far reaching consequences for Canada. The Fenian Raids helped propel Canadians towards Confederation in 1867 and greater national security.

The Special Collections and Archives department of the Brock University Library recently had the opportunity to obtain a unique part of the Fenian Raid history. From the private collection of the late Robert Band, department was offered five newspaper broadsides reporting on the invasion.

A broadside is a large sheet of paper printed only on one side announcing important news and events long before the age of television and Twitter. They were intended to be thrown out shortly after being distributed, and these Fenian broadsides are particularly unique as they are not catalogued in any other repository in Canada.

Because of this rarity, these Fenian broadsides came at a price that was too high for the Archives’ budget, but two generous Niagara history enthusiasts came to the rescue.

Niagara-on-the-Lake residents David Murray and Elizabeth Surtees pledged $8,000 towards the acquisition of the five broadsides.

“History gave me my break in life,” said Murray. “It is the study of human behavior and the discipline served me well. We enjoy collecting ourselves. If we can enable others to do the same, that is what we will do.”

Murray and Surtees’ promotion of history is already known to the Brock community through their scholarship. Every year, the David C. Murray and Elizabeth Surtees Niagara Historical Society Post-Graduate Scholarship in the History of Niagara is available to students who wish to do research on a local heritage theme.

“These broadsides and our scholarship links us to the Niagara area,” Murray said. “The fact that these broadsides survived for 150 years in such good condition is amazing. We want to help make such records accessible to the students at Brock and the entire community.”

The broadsides are now available for research and study in the Special Collections and Archives located on the 10th floor of the Brock University Library. They have also been digitized and can be found in the Library’s Digital Repository here.