Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Michael McBride will visit the Seymour Library to share the story of his great uncle – internationally-known Irish freedom fighter and Brockport’s forgotten human rights crusader – John Joseph “Exile” McBride. The presentations will be held at the Seymour Library, 161 East Avenue, Brockport, on Thursday, March 9, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and Tuesday, March 14, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. They are free and open to the public.
Michael McBride will share his personal journey as he unravels how he discovered his connection to the Irish freedom fighter through DNA. Learn how research into his great uncle’s storied history turned up over 1,400 newspaper articles written between 1880 and 1911 in the United States, Canada, England, and Ireland. And hear about the search for Exile’s lost burial site in Brockport’s Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
The Seymour Library will also have an “Exile Exhibit” on display beginning March 1.
Westside News first shared the story of Exile McBride in March 2021.
He earned his moniker by escaping Ireland as a teenager to avoid persecution after a failed rebellion against the tyrannical British Government. He secured transit to America, arriving first in New York City then traveling along the Erie Canal, stopping in Brockport, where he became involved with the new field of photography.
In 1866, Exile went to Buffalo to join the Fenians, a secret society of Irish patriots who had emigrated from Ireland to the United States. He was captured in the Battle of Ridgeway, when the Irish declared war on Canada. Bishop John Timon, the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Buffalo, and Congressman Bass helped secure his release.
Undeterred, Exile spent the next 40 years of his life traveling throughout the United States, at his own expense, speaking out against British oppression in his homeland. He addressed Congress and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, met with numerous mayors, senators, governors, and United States presidents – including Benjamin Harrison, Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt – building support for Irish independence. On his travels, he would also circulate petitions and gather massive numbers of signatures. On three occasions, Exile sailed to England and met personally with Prime Minister William Gladstone, delivering the petitions and pleading for Home Rule of Ireland.
All are welcome visit the Seymour Library to learn more about the human rights crusader who considered Brockport his home.
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