“Mr. Wm. Irwin, the leader of the movement, has set sail for America, and is to open a convention in Halifax, on Sunday, 16th last. Altogether he has to attend nine conventions until he returns to Crocknacrieve again next year.” (Impartial Reporter, August 13, 1908)
William Irvine’s Trips Abroad 1903 – 1919 | ||||||
| Departed on | Steamship | From | Destination | Occupation | Age | |
| 1903 Sept 5-14 * | Columbia | Glasgow, Scotland | New York, NY | Preacher | 40 | |
| 1904* | stayed home a year | 41 | ||||
| 1905 Aug 25* | Geelong | London, England | Adelaide, S. Aust. | Missionary | 42 | |
| 1906 Mar 19-Ap4 | Moana | Sydney, NSW Australia | Honolulu, Hawaii | Preacher | 43 | |
| 1906 Apr 16 * | City of Topeka | Victoria, B.C. Canada | San Francisco, CA | Preacher | 43 | |
| 1906 June 30 | Empress of Britain | Quebec, Canada | Liverpool, Eng | Evangelist | 43 | |
| 1907 Aug 6-15* | Ivernia | Liverpool, England | Boston, Mass. | Evangelist | 44 | |
| 1908 Aug 8* | Carthaginian | Liverpool, England | Halifax, N.S. Can | Laborer | 45 | |
| 1909 May 7 | Numidian | St John & PhiladelphiaPA | Glasgow, Scot | Preacher | 46 | |
| 1910 Aug 18* | Royal George | Bristol, England | Quebec, Canada | Evangelist | 47 | |
| 1911 July 12 | Geelong | Australia/Capetown | London, Eng | Preacher | 48 | |
| 1912 Aug 23 | Empress of Ireland | Liverpool, England | Quebec, Canada | Minister | 49 | |
| 1913 Aug 23 | Lusitania | Liverpool, England | New York, NY | Evangelist | 50 | |
| Excommunicated | August 10, 1914 | |||||
| 1914 Oct 10-17* | Olympic | Glasgow, Scotland | New York, NY | Miner | 51 | |
| 1919 June 28 | Vasari | New York, NY | Liverpool, England | Preacher | 56 | |
| 1919 Nov 2-27 | Unknown | Liverpool, England | Jerusalem, Israel | Preacher | 56 | |
| George Walker | Irish, Preacher, age 26 | Passenger # 19 | ||||
| Irvine Weir | Irish, Preacher, age 25 | Passenger # 20 | ||||
| 1905 Aug 25* | Irvine travelled with: | |||||
| Disembarked at | Cape Town, S.Africa: | |||||
| Mary Moodie, age 38 | Joseph Kerr, age 24 | |||||
| Barbara Baxter, age 24 | Wilson Reid, age 24 | |||||
| Lily Reid, age 26 | J. Cavanagh, age 27 | |||||
| Martha Skerritt, age 22 | A. Pierce, age 29 | |||||
| Falkiner, Laura, age 33 | ||||||
| 1905 Aug 25* | Irvine travelled with: | |||||
| Disembarked in | New Zealand | |||||
| Fanny Carroll, age 24 | John Fraser, age 27 | |||||
| Frances Hodgins,age 26 | Jim Hodgins, age 29 | |||||
| Maggie McDougal, 31 | Joe Williamson, age 32 | |||||
| Annie Smith, age 28 | Adam Hutchison, age 28 | |||||
| 1907 Aug 6* | Irvine travelled with: | |||||
| Jack Carroll | May Carroll | |||||
| 1908 Aug 8* | Irvine travelled with: | |||||
| George Johnson | Blanche H. Chappell | |||||
| Walter H. Dennison | Janet Dougal | |||||
| Thos. McGivern | Rosetta (Nettie) Miller | |||||
| Wm. Armstrong | Mary K. Wilson | |||||
| Joseph Brown | ||||||
| John Baillie | ||||||
| Irvine travelled with: | ||||||
1910 Aug. 18* 1912 Aug 23 | James E. Hawkins Frank Dennison | Ida Hawkins Annie Corcoran, Ellen Clarke | ||||
NOTES: Twenty years today since I first saw USA (1903) and 9 years ago since I landed in New York for the last time–going.” (1914) (September 12, 1923 Letter to Dunbars)
1904-05: Irvine wrote that he returned on September 5, 1904, a year to the day he left.
September 1904 to August 1905, Irvine stayed in the UK: spent a year at home (Oct 13, 1921 Letter to Dunbars)
The first Crocknacrieve Convention was held for a few weeks in September 1904.
He then left on a 2-year trip for 1905 and 1906 before returning to the UK.
1905: Arrived in Adelaide, South Australia on September 25, 1905, aboard the S.S. Geelong, from London, England via Cape Town, South Africa enroute to Adelaide, SA. Source: Passenger List for S. S. Geelong on ancestry.com
1906–1908: He was in San Francisco on April 18 when the Earthquake took place.
Had my first trip down California Coast after the Earthquake, April 1906.
He returned to UK in August 1907. Irvine wrote: 1907, I got back home in August after having meetings in Canada, in two places. Came back to the States that year and had conventions and went back to Ireland for July again [1908], by New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.
1914: Irvine wrote: Was rejected by Testimony in September 1914. No ship records found.
In 1914, I was rejected by the Testimony and crossed to U.S.A. on September 5th, the same day and from the same port I had left in 1903 on September 5th, eleven years [earlier] (October 13, 1920 Letter to Dunbars).
Nine years ago [today] since I landed in New York for the last time–going (1914) (Sept. 12, 1923 Letter to Dunbars).
October 10, 1914, about a month after WWI began, Irvine, age 51, boarded the SS Olympic in Gourock/Glasgow for New York, New York, US, to visit Mrs. Abernethy in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania, US (possibly Andrew Abernethy’s mother, Martha, George Walker’s first convert in the US). He gave his occupation as “miner.” He did not leave emptyhanded/with empty pockets. Ship records reveal he declared $7,000 USD in his possession, a value of about $190,000 today. He remained in the US during WWI, which began in 1914.
Irvine stayed in America during WWI, which ended November 11, 1918. He wrote: “My last trip up coast in April 1919. Left Los Angeles on June 4 or so, 1919″ (October 13, 1920 Letter to Dunbars). Possibly visiting his loyal friends living on the West coast, US.
1919:“I have been looking forward to getting my permit for Sat. 5th April, and cross on the Mauretania on 12th April” (March 31, 1919 Letter to Wm. & Rose Edwards). No record found for Irvine on this ship in ancestry.com.
1919, November 2: Departed on S.S. (Unknown) from Glasgow or Liverpool? for Palestine…John Long wrote: On Wednesday 29th October, I travelled with my former friend William Irvine, from Kilsyth to Widnes, Lancashire, [England] by train. He left on November 2nd to go to Palestine (JL Journal 1919 October 28, 1919).
LINK to Irvine’s letter to Dunbars giving chronological account of his life