Post-Revolutionary Arrivals in the Delaware River

Post-Revolutionary Arrivals in the Delaware River HANNAH BENNER ROACH, F.G.S.P., F.A.S.G. W HILE many ships bringing Irish immigrants to this country came directly to Philadelphia, several of them made an intermediate landing in New Castle, Delaware. For example, in 1789 three of the five ships with such passengers dropped anchor before New Castle,' according to the Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser. In the issue of Saturday, 25 July 1789, under "Ship News" appeared the following: On Thursday last arrived at New Castle the ship Belfast, with 270 passengers: all well. St. James, Captain Collins from Two days later on Monday, 27 July, the paper printed an "Extract of a letter from Capt. Mark Collins to his friend in this city, dated Newcastle 23 July 1789:" 1 arrived here yesterday afternoon after a tedious passage of 8 weeks and 5 days, from Belfast, having on board 247 full-passengers. I am very busy landing them and their baggage, and some few other goods, that are our freight. In the same issue the grateful passengers offered the following unusual encomium: We whose names are hereunto subscribed, passengers in the ship Sr. James, from Belfast to Nevi-castle and New-York, impressed with a deep sense of respect and esteem, which no length of time can efface, take this public manner of returning our most ardent and sincere thanks to Capt. Mark Collins for his very kind, humane and generous treatment to us during the whole of our passage. Our obligations to him are so great, for his attention and humanity to the sick and aged, that to let pass this opportunity of expressing our heartfelt sense of his merit and abilities, we should consider our selves as guilty of the greatest injustice, as well as ingratitude. But what claims our highest esteem was his exemplary behaviour, with respect to sobriety and temperance, in the fullest sense of the words. Tho' train'd in boisterous elements, his mind Was yet by soft humanity refin'd; Each joy of wedded love at home he knew, Abroad confest the father of his crew: Kind, liberal, just, the calm domestic scene Had o'er his temper breath'd a gay serene. 81 82 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine Rev. John Martin 3 and Son Alex. M'Neight, for self & fans. ditto John Pollock, ditto Robert Bell, ditto David Bell, ditto John Brown, ditto John Barron, Archibald Watson, ditto ditto William Lee, John Lowry, ditto ditto John Marshall, John Mosman sr. & jr. ditto ditto Hugh Fairly, Samuel Magowan, ditto ditto James White, ditto Robert Law, ditto Joseph Wilson, ditto John Moore ditto William Adams Andrew Furguson Alex. Williamson Jane Haney James M'Blair George Mlulland James Lowry James Furguson George Willis John Barclay John M`Lean Eliza Wilson John Morton William Morton Alexander Gordon Elizabeth Vance James Boyd Samuel Stott Hugh Miller Samuel Wilson Edward Purdue Daniel Sanderson Thomas Shields William Smyle John Smyle John Hayse Andrew Young George Young Robert M'Illwrath Robert M'Lean John M'Caughtry Andrew Can William Dennam William Henry, for self & lam ditto Isaac Glass, Samuel Harbison, ditto Thomas Snoddon, ditto Andrew Thomson, ditto James Harris, ditto Alexander Cochran, ditto John Ringan, ditto Robert Dunlap, ditto Jane Dalzel, ditto William Holliday, ditto Samuel Brown and Wife Adam Wilson and Wife Archibald Ball and Wife John Armstrong and Wife Matthew Malcom and Wife James Hamilton and Sister John Young and Son Samuel Fingey and Son Thomas Jardaine Mary Stewart Samuel M'Cullough James Clarke John M'Connell Samuel Miliken Bernard Burns Alexander Agnew Patrick Beatty William Gordon Samuel Irwin Samuel M'Caghey William Ramsey Robert Bell David Stevenson Daniel M'Ree William M'Alade Henry M'Cullough George Osborne Henry Mercer William M'Rillop John Smith Joseph Henry James Whan James Park James Nickle James M'Veigh Joseph Martin Pierce Duffy James Brown John Boyd Samuel Thompson 83 PosrRevolutionary Arrivals James Summerville John Lyle John M'Fall Moses Wright John Lemon William Lemon Hugh Johnston Arthur Short John Mayne John Heron Alexander Hagowan Rainey Boomer The next expression of thanks tendered by overseas passengers to appear in the Philadelphia papers was less effulgent. The Packet for 31 July 1789, had noted in the "Ship News", under a Baltimore date-line of 28 July, that Captain Sutter. in the brig Havannah, had arrived there from Newry. On its passage the ship "in lat. 38, long. 61, on the 29th of June, spoke the brig Washington, of Philadelphia, from Boston for l'Orient — And on the 14th July, in lat. 37,43 long. 70 spoke the brig Mary Ann, Priestman, from Liverpool to Norfolk: this ship had the day before lost all her sails. Captain Sutter brought 90 passengers from Newry." Then in the Pennsylvania Mercury for 1 August, it was announced that "Captain Sutter in the brig Havannah arrived here with 90 passengers from Newry." However, it was not until 6 August, that 45 of the ship's passengers publicly tendered in the Packet their more moderate thanks to the captain. We, the Subscribers, passengeis with Captain Suter [sic] from Newry, chearfully take this public opportunity of returning him our warmest acknowledgments, for the very polite and friendly treatment we received while on the passage. We were plentifully supplied with provisions and water, and the sick treated in the most attentive and tender manner. Philadelphia, August 3, 1789 Robert M'Clung William M'Donald James Heslip Jos. M'Mahon William Ingram Abraham Hanna John Warnock Andrew Kelley James Murray William Cunningham Andrew M'Lean Robert Taylor John Dunsmor David M'Amon William Geary John M'Cloughan W. R. O'Hara John Templeton James Watson Joseph Thompson William Leyburn Owen O'Neill John Love Samuel Harvey John Leybum John Cochran Cornelius West John Templeton James Dorres Thomas Maghan Hugh Marshall William M'Clong John Kerr Edmund Scholfield David Clemens Matthew M'Cone Robert Galley Edward Conroy Robert Stewart William M'Clung Joseph M'Clung Josiah Ewart John Ewart James Stephenson John Dunegan Notice that a second ship had arrived at New Castle also appeared in the Mercury of 1 August 1789: "The Brig Conyngham, Captain Conyngham, is arrived at Newcastle, from Londonderry, with 200 passengers." Their note of thanks in the Packet of 11 August, was equally brief: 84 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine We, the passengers in the brig Coningham, Robert Coningham, master from Londonderry, are happy thus in the most public manner to return our warmest and most unfeigned thanks to Capt. Coningham, for his particular humane and generous treatment to us during the voyage; and beg leave most warmly to recommend him as a kind, careful and attentive commander. By particular desire of all the passengers, Richard Moore James Browne Andrew Carlisle Thomas Hardy Robert Watson James Humphries Philadelphia August 3, 1789 Thomas Kukwood A month later the Packet of 4 September noted the arrival down nver of a third ship from Ireland: "Yesterday arrived at Newcastle from Londonderry the ship Nancy, Capt. Crawford, with 300 passengers." Although these passengers had drawn up their testimonial at the end of August, it did not appear in the Packet until 7 September: We, the principal Passengers of the ship Nancy, of Londonderry, do return our sincere thanks to Captain Thomas Crawford, for his great care and activity by day and by -night, in guarding us and the ship against all dangers that offered on our passage to Philadelphia, as no man could be more careful of the ship and crew. Given under our Hands this 29th Day of Aug. 1789 Charles Patton Robert Sayers Francis O'Cleary Jeremiah Kyle John Wilson John Douglass Richard Johnson James Elliott Thomas Shaw Daniel Whitely Thomas Trimble G. Armstrong Hugh Gray William Smith Hugh Denes James M'Murray William Morron John Marron Richard Morton James Morron George M'NicIde William Mathews William Boyd Robert Thompson Robert Cunningham Abraham Anderson Robert Thompson John Ritchard The last testimonial published in 1789 appeared early in December. The Mercury of 3 December noted among "Arrivals at this Port: Mary, Cassidy, Londonderry (last from New-Castle, Delaware)." Two days later on 5 December, the Packet printed the following: Newcastle, November 1789 We whose names are hereunto subscribed, for ourselves and the other passengers on board the Brig Mary, from Londonderry, take this method of returning Captain Cassedy our sincere thanks for his gentlemanlike treatment of us during our passage to this place; and acknowledge that he and his officers took every method in their power to make the Pacialle pleasant and agreeable. Post - Revolutionary Arrivals Charles Boyle Richard Hamilton James M'Farlane Hugh M'Neely Thomas Scott William Hill Henry Robinson 85 Charles Hill Daniel Wakefield William Thompson Hugh Kelso Andrew Stewart Edward Collins Andrew Thompson NOTES New Castle as a port of entry antedated Philadelphia by many years, having been established as such by the Swedes and Dutch. It should be remembered that it took at least four days for a vessel to make its way up Delaware Bay and River to Philadelphia. For lists of other grateful passengers who published their thanks in Philadelphia newspapers, see Volume XXVI (1970), 179, 263, of this Magazine. This clergyman has not been identified; it is possible he was a Presbyterian minister from the north of Ireland, and that at least some of the passengers were members of his congregation, emigrating en masse. Notices Members are reminded that the next Annual Meeting of the Society will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 1974. Dr. Don Yoder, distinguished author, editor and lecturer, Professor at the Univ6rsity of Pennsylvania, and Fellow of the Society, will give an illustrated lecture on "The Cultural Setting of Pennsylvania Quakerism." Tea will be served following the meeting. The Society's "Reference Guides for Course in Genealogical Methods," compiled by Hannah Benner Roach and Rev. Carl Thurman Smith, has been republished, and is available in the Society Office for $5.00, or by mail for $5.50. The Historical Society of York County, 250 East Market Street, York, PA 17403, has had to terminate all mail researches. It will scan its resources and indicate whether any pertinent records exist in its files, and will continue its other activities in the genealogical field, and make its material available to researches in its library.