Benevolent Irish Society
In the early years of the 19th century, St. John's had a large Irish population with some members of affluence. It was a town with growing influence, and was the cradle of growing cultural and political ferment. Many of these Irish both saw social needs which were not being met by government, and desired to belong to a fraternal, gentlemanly organization. In 1806, under Bishop O'Donel's patronage, they founded the Benevolent Irish Society (the BIS) as a charitable, non-profit, non-sectarian society for Irish-born men under the motto "He who gives to the poor lends to the Lord." In 1823 the BIS collected a subscription and opened a non-sectarian school in St. John's, the Orphan Asylum, for the education of the Irish poor.
Read more about this topic: Irish Newfoundlanders
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