 He had three sisters, although only one, Elinor, survived until adulthood.De Vere's other siblings were; Horatio, William and Vere Edmond.In 1847, he took passage in one of the infamous "coffin ships" that transported Irish emigrants fleeing the Irish Potato Famine to British North America and the United States, wanting to see for himself the horrendous conditions that were leading to the deaths of so many of these passengers.