>From the book Scottish Trade with Colonial Charleston, 1683 to 1783, David Dobson, 2009, page 179-180 there is this information:- “Marketing in South Carolina The South Carolina Gazette, started in 1732, was the only newspaper published in Charleston, and its columns provide an insight into how the Scottish merchants there promoted and distributed their imported wares and also give an indication how they obtained the raw materials they exported to Europe. Established shopkeepers would advertise a wide range of commodities imported from the British Isles and ports visited by vessels en route, such as Madeira. Issue Number Seventy-nine of this newspaper announced that the brigantine Betty, master Robert Boyd had arrived from Glasgow on 14 July 1733: ‘To be sold at Captain R Austin’s on the Bay, choice claret imported on the Betty from Glasgow, Scotch coal at 4 pound per chaldron on board the said brigantine lying at the wharf, and good Madeira wine, by Alexander Nisbet.’ “ This “master Robert Boyd”, I believe is the same person as Captain Robert Boyd of Irvine, Ayrshire whose son Alexander came to Boydton, Mecklenburg County, Virginia, USA in the early 1760’s and married in May 1766 Ann Dandridge Swepson. Alexander and Ann have a large number of descendants and they run the Tavern at Boydton in which they lived. Captain Robert Boyd married on 14 February 1724, Elizabeth Anderson, the daughter of James Anderson and Elizabeth Galt. This Robert died in 1766 and is buried in the Old Parish Church at Irvine. His tombstone is still there and has his wife and daughter Mary Wood is buried with him. However there is debate as to his date of birth. The gravestone says he was born in 1688, but some members of this family think he was actually born in 1699. So this debate will go on until further information is found to prove his birth. I have been told that Robert was Ship Master of Bettie of Irvine, while the above source calls the ship “Betty”, so I am not sure if this will make any difference in trying to search for the history of this ship in either the USA or the United Kingdom. Thank you Mike Boyd Historical Committee House of Boyd Society PS This description of the route via Madeira, would suggest that Scots and Irish ship masters went south down the Irish Sea rather than going west from Ulster to meet the the Gulf Stream. So this may help to find “a migration route” from Scotland to America, where other ports in Europe may be import – such as Lisbon or some of the NW Ports in Spain.