Bid to bring historical treasures from birth of US to Belfast for exhibition

By Jonathan McCambridge (Press Association)

Plans are progressing to bring historical treasures across the Atlantic for an exhibition in Northern Ireland marking the region’s unique contribution to the founding of the US.

Gillian Doherty, a senior archivist at the Public Record Office (PRONI) in Belfast, recently travelled to Washington and Philadelphia to unearth some of the historical links with the ancient province of Ulster.

This year will see celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has signed a memorandum of understanding with the US Semiquincentennial Commission which gives Northern Ireland special status in recognition of its contribution to the foundation of the US.

Ms Doherty said: “There were so many people here from the old province of Ulster, who migrated there in the 17th and 18th and 19th centuries.

“We traditionally look at that Irish migration of being from the mid-1800s onwards and a lot of people here, we don’t realise how influential the migrants from Ulster, those early settlers, were, particularly to the Declaration of Independence.”

During her trips to Washington, Ms Doherty researched the career of Charles Thomson, who left Maghera in Co Londonderry as a child in 1739 and became one of the key figures in the story of American independence.

She said: “He left here when he was only 10 years old with his family. His mother had passed away, his father passed away on the way over across the Atlantic.

“So, he arrived an orphan. He didn’t want to be an apprentice blacksmith and ran away.

“Years later, he becomes secretary to that first Continental Congress in Philadelphia. He’s synonymous with the drawing of the Great Seal of the United States.

“That first Congress, where all of those representatives come together from 13 colonies, which leads to the Declaration of Independence being signed, he was there every step of the way and he remains secretary for the whole 15 years of the Continental Congress.

“I spent a lot of time in the Library of Congress. They have a lot of Charles Thomson’s personal papers there.”

The archivist also researched the life of John Dunlap, who emigrated from Co Tyrone and became a printer. He printed the first copy of the US Declaration of Independence and is one of only three names to appear on it.

She also studied the life of Hercules Mulligan, who left Coleraine and worked as a tailor and spy during the American Revolutionary War.

Ms Doherty said: “He also was able to hear information, because he was supplying the British armies with uniforms, and that information he was able to feed back to George Washington and saved his life on two occasions, saved him from being captured.”

She added: “It was interesting to see that the people who emigrated had the same struggles.

“Not everyone went over and became prosperous, not everyone lived the American dream.”

Ms Doherty’s research will culminate in an exhibition in the atrium at PRONI which will run from June until November.

She said: “The purpose of going over was to source some of those documents and stories that could form part of that exhibition, to really reflect those important links and look at the real key people who played a role in that.

“So, what we’d really like to do with the exhibition is to highlight that connection that people aren’t really aware of here.

“I mean, who really knows about Charles Thomson?

“We hold loads of documents here in PRONI which we would like to showcase and we’re really hoping to bring over some documents on international loan from some of those institutions that I visited.

“We haven’t done that before, so this will be a new venture for us, to have transatlantic documents.”

The archivist said it is hoped to bring to Belfast the original address from Mr Thomson telling George Washington in 1789 that he has been elected president.

She said: “I think it shows how important Charles Thomson was.

“The Library of Congress have the written address that he travels to Mount Vernon with and he reads out to George Washington to tell him he’s been elected as president of the first president of the United States.

“So, watch this space.”

Plans are progressing to bring historical treasures across the Atlantic for an exhibition in Northern Ireland marking the region’s unique contribution to the founding of the US. (Photo by PA)