Isaac Weld

Isaac Weld is a British traveller born the March 15th 1774 with Dublin (Ireland) and deceased the August 4th 1856 with Bray (Ireland). It was also a scholar, who was secretary then vice-president of the Royal Dublin Society.

Biography

Isaac Weld wrote an important account of voyage to the the United States and the Canada carried out 1795 with 1797. Persuaded that the Irish population would be brought to emigrate massively, it remained for fifteen months in North America in order to on the spot examine the conditions which these emigrants would find Irish. Intrepid, curious and observant young person and, Isaac Weld left a testimony of a great interest by the diversity of the topics approached and his open-minded, even if subjectivity is not absent.

Traversing a territory ranging between the river the St. Lawrence in north, the Virginia in the south and the town of Strait in the west, he travelled while using the most varied means of transport: with foot, with horse, in boat, canoe and barouche. It met the inhabitants of all conditions, in the cities and the campaigns, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

Isaac Weld is severe with regard to the United States and their inhabitants, obsessed by the money and often violent one. He prefers Canada, British colony wisely managed and populated mainly at the time of French Canadians. He also multiplies the observations on the Amerindian that he met and on which he piled up many information.

On its return in Europe, Isaac Weld published off Travels through the States North America and the Provinces off Upper and Lower Canada during the Years 1795,1796, and 1797 (London, 1799), which knew a great success and several republications. A French translation appeared with Paris in 1800 pennies the title Voyage to Canada during years 1795,1796 and 1797 , three volumes with a chart inset plate and eleven drawings. Translations German, Dutch and Italian appeared at the same time. The French translation was republished in 2006, under the title of Voyage to Canada and the United States, into 1795,1796 and 1797 (La Rochelle, ED. Découvrance).

Isaac Weld published thereafter other works, of which Illustrations off the Scenery off Killarney and the Surrounding Country in 1807.

Isaac Weld had a half-brother much younger than him, Charles Richard Weld (1818-1869), which was a long time assistant secretary of the Royal Society of London and author of many accounts of voyage. Among those, has Vacation Tower in the United States and Canada (London, 1865) which it dedicated to Isaac Weld.

External bonds

biographical Dictionary of Canada with a detailed biography of Isaac Weld

Random links: