The Wreck of the Brig St. John during the Famine and Its Commemoration, 1849 to present

• History

The Brig St. John left Galway in early September full of Irish famine refugees when it was wrecked in a nor’easter on Grampus ledge off Cohasset, Massachusetts on October 7, 1849.

Catherine Shannon, emerita professor of history at Westfield State University, will give an illustrated lecture, entitled “The Wreck of the Brig St. John and Its Commemoration, 1849 to the Present,” providing background about the ship’s passengers and owner, the response of Cohasset citizens to the tragedy, and the nature of the commemoration of this famine tragedy.