Shiners' War

The Shiners' Wars were violent outbreaks in Bytown (now Ottawa) from 1835 to 1845 between Irish-Catholic immigrants, led by Peter Aylen, and French Canadians, led by Joseph Montferrand. The war began when Aylen, a major Irish timber operator, organized a group of Irishmen to attack other timber operations—this group was known as the "Shiners." The Shiners attacked French-Canadian timber rafts and the town's political institutions, as well as brawling with French Canadians on the streets. In an attempt to control the violence, the citizens of Bytown created the Association of the Preservation of the Public Peace in Bytown, which included armed patrols; however, the violence continued. In the spring of 1837, the violence was brought under control after the government deployed troops to arrest the Shiners. Occasional violence still occurred until 1845 by groups claiming to be the Shiners.

The Shiners' Wars were violent outbreaks in Bytown (now Ottawa) from 1835 to 1845 between Irish-Catholic immigrants, led by Peter Aylen, and French Canadians, led by Joseph Montferrand. The war began when Aylen, a major Irish timber operator, organized a group of Irishmen to attack other timber operations—this group was known as the "Shiners." The Shiners attacked French-Canadian timber rafts and the town's political institutions, as well as brawling with French Canadians on the streets. In an attempt to control the violence, the citizens of Bytown created the Association of the Preservation of the Public Peace in Bytown, which included armed patrols; however, the violence continued. In the spring of 1837, the violence was brought under control after the government deployed troops to arrest the Shiners. Occasional violence still occurred until 1845 by groups claiming to be the Shiners.

Overview

In 1832, the Rideau Canal had just been constructed. Its completion left many Irishmen out of work. To add to the unemployment, the lumber industry was dominated by French Canadians. At the time, they considered the Irish to be at the lowest rung of the social ladder due to historical antipathy and their refusal to assimilate. Many Irish lumbermen were laid off and moved to the Bytown area (now Ottawa Valley), where they displaced some of the area's French timber workers. Peter Aylen, a major Irish timber operator, was sympathetic to the Irishmen, gaining him their allegiance. He organized a gang of Irish supporters—calling them the "Shiners"—to attack other timber operations. Aylen personally gained an advantage from this violence (which was primarily in the form of brawling) as it disrupted his competitors. The Shiners were accused of such crimes as assault, arson, rape, and murder. On one occasion, the pregnant wife of a farmer, who had upset the Shiners somehow, was attacked while driving home in a sleigh with other female family members. Beaten with sticks, the farmer's wife attempted to jump to safety, but her clothing got caught in the sleigh and she was dragged over the frozen ground before coming free. The Shiners cut her horses loose from the sleigh, running them off. The horses managed to find their way home the next day; their ears and tails had been mutilated. Other actions also attributed to the Shiners' campaign of terror included stripping children naked in the snow, polluting wells, accosting women in the street, and shattering windows. On one occasion, they reportedly broke up a funeral procession and threw the coffin off of the hearse into the street.

Shiners

It is unknown how the name "Shiners" was given to Irish involved in the fighting. Some possibilities exist: A derivation of the French word , meaning cutter of oak trees. A self-designation to "shine" above others. The new, "shiny" coins that they were paid in. Shiner also means a black eye and by extension this name could refer to those who give them to someone else.

References

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1377264866 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.