See above mail re: Quote from Pete St.John (who wrote it in 1988)

Also from Cecil Woodham-Smith's book "The Great Hunger" which covers the time of the famine (1847 to 1851)

The Trevelyan is Charles Edward Trevelyan who was Assistant Secretary to the Treasury at the time of the Famine. The famine was not restricted to Ireland and affected the whole of Europe. The reason that its effects were less severe elsewhere than in Ireland was due to greater variety in crops grown - in certain parts of Ireland the dependence on the potatoe was almost total. Other countries affected by the famine bought grain and other cereal crops from America to suppliment shortages at home. Britain (Trevelyan) through agents for Barings Bank in America purchased Indian Corn the only crop available in sufficient quantities. According to the author, there were very few recorded instances of people stealing the corn. In a post-script Woodham-Smith gives an account of Trevelyan's career after the famine. He never returned to any post associated with Ireland. He was sent out to India where on at least two occasions he had to deal with famine. These he dealt with fairly successfully by applying the lessons he had learned dealing with the famine in Ireland. The main difference in India being that his hands were not tied, as they had been in Ireland, and he was free to deal with both cause and effect.

The worst famine in recent times was in Ethiopia in the mid 80's where thousands continued to die each day even after the "international community" was made aware and were pouring in aid with the assistance of modern communications,trucks, helicopters and aircraft. During Trevelyan's time, particularly on the west coast of Ireland, he had very few developed ports, poor roads and the only means of transport required more feed than those who had to be fed.