Oatmeal and the Catechism is the story of emigrants from the Outer Hebrides to Quebec in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Most were crofting families from Lewis who had suffered the severe effects of the potato famine of 1846-51. As a solution to the increasing pressure on landlords and government relief bodies, they were offered free passage to ‘Lower Canada’ and given land grants in the Eastern Townships.

By Margaret Bennett