On Thursday, August 31, 2000, Dora Smith <tiggernut_48@yahoo.com> wrote: > My ancestors, John and Isabella Smith, came from > Ireland,and landed at New Castle, Delaware. > sometime between 1787 and 1797. New Castle lost > all its ships' records in a fire. But I > understand that most ships carrying Scotch Irish > immigrants who got off the ship at New Castle, > were in fact bound for Philadelphia. I don't > know if it cost more to go on to Philadelphia, or > what, I can't remember what is the story to why > so many people got off at New Castle. I would be curious to know this, too. One thing to keep in mind is that New Castle was at that time a very large port as well, so where one got off probably had more to do with where one intended to end up (Pennsylvania or Maryland/Virginia), as opposed to now, where Phily is a "destination" and New Castle can be hard to find on a map. > Even though JOhn and Isabella Smith got off the > ship at New Castle, if the ship they were on was > bound for Philadelphia, would they be on the > ship's list in Philadelphia? Not likely, because the records you are probably going to find are port records, not ship records. S R C A cott obert ranston nderson phssra@physics.emory.edu