Archives for the Trent Valley and Peterborough County area and history book seller
Welcome to Trent Valley Archives
Have you seen the updated Heritage Gazette?
We are pleased to continue and expand on the pioneering work of archivist Elwood Jones and Steve Gavard as we explore the near and distant past in this full colour publication. View the current and past issues
Trent Valley Archives Theatre – Tide of Hope
Trent Valley Archives is commemorating the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the “Peter Robinson settlers” in the Newcastle District of Upper Canada with a production of Tide of Hope for school groups on May 15 and the general public on May 16, 2024. The emigration play is based on the life of David Nagle and follows his flight from turmoil and oppression in Ireland to Upper Canada. It is set in 1825 in the Blackwater district of Ireland at the height of the agrarian rebellion against excessive land rents and church tithes. Please visit our TVAT page more information about school group bookings, public performance tickets, and the content of the play.
Green Routes: Experiencing the Peter Robinson Emigration 1825
Rosemary McConkey has been spinning stories about the Irish in the Peterborough area for many years. As the bicentennial of the major Irish emigration of 1825 approaches, she shares her favourite stories in a book, Green Routes. The stories span some 200 years and showcase the impressive legacy of the Peter Robinson Settlers and their descendants from before, during and after their transatlantic voyage. These families developed a love for Canada over generations.
Green Routes looks at different experiences by the Robinson Settlers of 1825 and their descendants. Stories of the earliest Robinson settlers include that of schoolmaster Patrick Barragy and his brave efforts to persuade the government to support schools for new emigrants. McConkey also writes about the Robinson settlers of Douro Township who were truly thankful for the opportunities that came from emigration. Her fascination extends to descendants whose far-flung paths took them to destinations as far away as Indiana and points in the American mid-west, including Coach Frank W. Leahy of the University of Notre Dame football team.
These stories resonate with Peterborough experiences at other times. The area has a long history of migrations, short and long, coming in or going away. The First Nations, the Colony Settlers, later emigrations of Irish, British, and Italians, those from other parts of Canada, and more recently from diverse parts of Asia and Central America have come to Peterborough.
Green Routes looks at different experiences by the Robinson Settlers of 1825 and their descendants. In part, McConkey pays tribute to the resilience of the pioneers and their enduring values. She also invites others to join her in celebrating their continuing contributions to the life of Peterborough city and county.
It's that time of year again! Join us at the Highland Park Cemetery Visitor Centre on Thursday, April 25 at 7pm for our annual general meeting and an engaging presentation by guest speaker Matthew Flagler.Matthew Flagler is the author of the new book Held to the Fire, which examines the tragic explosion and resulting fire that took place at the Quaker Oats factory in Peterborough in 1916. He has a personal connection to the story, as his great-grandfather, Dennis O'Brien, was one of several people who perished in the fire. The book dissects the shocking event piece-by-piece, throwing back the curtain of time to reveal an incredible story of resilience and courage in the face of adversity.During his presentation, Matthew will discuss what inspired him to write the book and the challenges of writing about an event that took place over 100 years ago. He will also read an excerpt from the book, which will be available for sale that evening.The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with Matthew, and then our annual general meeting. The presentation is free to attend and open to the public, but the AGM is only for our members. Light refreshments will be provided.Can't make it that evening? We will be recording the presentation and uploading it to our YouTube channel for our members to view at a later date. ... See MoreSee Less
Last Thursday, we visited the Gardens of Peterborough, our Platinum Sponsor of Tide of Hope! While we were there, we met with Sarah Joore, Sales and Marketing/Project Coordinator at the Gardens, who presented us with a sponsorship cheque. When asked about The Gardens' sponsorship of Tide of Hope, she said residents have enjoyed numerous guest speakers and presentations from Trent Valley Archives over the years. “We are pleased to sponsor the upcoming Tide of Hope performance and bring attention to the great work of Trent Valley Archives for their preservation and care of the history in our region,” she said.A huge thank you to The Gardens of Peterborough for sponsoring our play and other fundraising initiatives in the Peterborough Community! We're still looking for Gold, Silver and Bronze level sponsorships if you or your business want to support Tide of Hope, too. For more information, email us at TVAT@trentvalleyarchives.com or call us at 705-298-2350. Image Caption: Sarah Joore (second from right) of The Gardens of Peterbrough presents a sponsorship cheque for $3000 to Steve Guthrie (right), President of the Board of Directors of Trent Valley Archives on Thursday, March 28. Also on hand to express their thanks are (from left to right) Trent Valley Archives Theatre producers Mary and Greg Conchelos and TVA Board of Directors Vice-President Madison More (centre). (Photo by Edward Schroeter.) ... See MoreSee Less
Have you got your tickets to Tide of Hope yet? If not, we have some exciting news to share! Our Thursday, May 16 performance of the play is almost sold out, so we've added a second public performance on Wednesday, May 15. Both performances will take place at 7:30pm at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre, and you can purchase tickets on their website, here: tickets.markethall.org/eventperformances.asp?evt=357 Tickets cost $30 for regular seating and $40 for table seating.Still unfamiliar with Tide of Hope? Produced by the Trent Valley Archives Theatre, Tide of Hope is a play designed to bring history to life on stage while also serving as a fundraiser for the Trent Valley Archives. A prequel to the Peter Robinson immigration story, Tide of Hope follows Irish land agent and rent collector David Nagle, who must flee to Upper Canada with the Peter Robinson settlers of 1825 to escape the wrath of Irish rebels fighting against English tyranny.Image Caption: (From Left to Right) Director Gerry McBride and actors Lauren Murphy, Elaine Day, Lucas Pronk, Carling Dulder, Drew Mills, Brogan McKellar, and Stage Manager Marilyn Robinson familiarize themselves with their new script, Tide of Hope, looming large in the foreground.Tide of Hope is generously sponsored by The Gardens of Peterborough (Platinum Sponsor) and KawarthaNOW (Platinum Media Sponsor) ... See MoreSee Less
By sponsoring our upcoming play, Tide of Hope, we can help you and your business reach potential customers!The play, which commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Peter Robinson immigration, will be performed for the public on May 15 and May 16, 2024 at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in Peterborough. By becoming a sponsor of this exciting local history theatre event, your business will tap into our large audience of ticket-holders, email subscribers and social media followers. Check out the next slides to learn more about our audience.We have: 300+ Ticket-holders who will be attending our public performances at Market Hall900+ Readers of our e-newsletter and Heritage Gazette2,000+ Followers on our Facebook and Instagram pagesOur audience consists primarily of people who reside in Peterborough and the surrounding area, and who have an interest in supporting local businesses. Most of our membership are seniors, but there are younger people who are subscribed to our email list and who follow us on social media. And we already have two satisfied platinum-level sponsors: The Gardens of Peterborough and KawarthaNOW When asked how they felt about their sponsorship, Sarah Joore, Sales & Marketing/Project Coordinator at The Gardens of Peterborough Retirement Residences said, “We are pleased to sponsor the upcoming Tide of Hope performance and bring attention to the great work of Trent Valley Archives for their preservation and care of the history in our region."Will your business become one of our satisfied sponsors? We have three levels of sponsorship, Bronze [$300], Silver [$500] and Gold [$1,000].For more information on becoming a sponsor, email us at TVAT@trentvalleyarchives.com or call us at 705-298-2390.Tide of Hope is generously sponsored by The Gardens of Peterborough (Platinum Sponsor) and KawarthaNOW (Platinum Media Sponsor) ... See MoreSee Less
By sponsoring our upcoming play, Tide of Hope, we can help you and your business reach potential customers!The play, which commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Peter Robinson immigration, will be performed for the public on May 15 and May 16, 2024 at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in Peterborough. By becoming a sponsor of this exciting local history theatre event, your business will tap into our large audience of ticket-holders, email subscribers and social media followers. Check out the next slides to learn more about our audience.We have: 300+ Ticket-holders who will be attending our public performances at Market Hall900+ Readers of our e-newsletter and Heritage Gazette2,000+ Followers on our Facebook and Instagram pagesOur audience consists primarily of people who reside in Peterborough and the surrounding area, and who have an interest in supporting local businesses. Most of our membership are seniors, but there are younger people who are subscribed to our email list and who follow us on social media. And we already have two satisfied platinum-level sponsors: The Gardens of Peterborough and KawarthaNOW.com! When asked how they felt about their sponsorship, Sarah Joore, Sales & Marketing/Project Coordinator at The Gardens of Peterborough Retirement Residences said, “We are pleased to sponsor the upcoming Tide of Hope performance and bring attention to the great work of Trent Valley Archives for their preservation and care of the history in our region."Will your business become one of our satisfied sponsors? We have three levels of sponsorship, Bronze [$300], Silver [$500] and Gold [$1,000].For more information on becoming a sponsor, email us at TVAT@trentvalleyarchives.com or call us at 705-298-2390.Tide of Hope is generously sponsored by The Gardens of Peterborough (Platinum Sponsor) and KawarthaNOW (Platinum Media Sponsor) ... See MoreSee Less
Green Routes looks at different experiences by the Robinson Settlers of 1825 and their descendants. Stories of the earliest Robinson settlers include that of schoolmaster Patrick Barragy and his brave efforts to persuade the government to support schools for new emigrants. McConkey also writes about the Robinson settlers of Douro Township who were truly thankful for the opportunities that came from emigration. Her fascination extends to descendants whose far-flung paths took them to destinations as far away as Indiana and points in the American mid-west, including Coach Frank W. Leahy of the University of Notre Dame football team.