Mr Tuke's Fund, as it was known, was set up in the 1880s to provide finance for those wishing to emigrate to Canada and the USA but were unable to afford the costs involved. All those included in this first upload, which is now live and searchable at www.clifdenheritage.org, left in 1882, the busiest year for the Fund. The database can be searched by ship or by name.
Clifden and Connemara Heritage Society will be adding more names and details in the future and hopes those whose emigrant ancestors left Connemara under this scheme will make contact via the website.
The Society will also be hosting a conference from Friday, 31 October to Saturday 1 November in Clifden. It will look at life in 19th century Connemara, the assisted passage scheme, and some of the emigrant stories. For the full programme, details of costs and a booking form, click the image above.