The migration in 1719 to Pennsylvania would seem to be directed to the Scotch-Irish settlement "at the forks of the Neshaminy" in what was then the center of Bucks Co., PA, as Northampton Co, PA was not formed until 1752. The land to this settlement had no ownership until it was purchased by Chief-Justice Allen in 1735, and who sold title of land to the individual settlers, bringing stability to this early community. Thus, no land deed records until 1735. The Neshaminy Presbyterian Church was established about 1726 with William Tennent as its first pastor. Some of the early families are identified as Jamison, Ramsey, Archibald, McCullough, McMicken, Henderson and Wallace. Some of the settlers at the forks of the Neshaminy settlers most likely were part of the settlement at the forks of the Delaware (Easton) in East Allen Township, in 1737, which became known as the "Craig Settlement" with Warwick as its center. Warwick Township had been formed 1733 by residents of Middleburg Township. Some of these early families are identified as Craig, Jamison, Baird, Stewart, Hair, Long, Weir, Armstrong, Gray, Graham and Wallace. Lee Ramsey -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Daniel Wilson Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 1:18 PM To: Scotch-Irish Discussion List Subject: Re: [S-I] Migration of 1718 group from Casco Bay to Northampton Co., PA I too have been searching for some hard evidence of the migration from Casco Bay to Northampton Co., PA. I haven't read Collier's book, but I've seen a quote attributed to William Egle, former PA State Historian and prolific writer of PA history. I don't have the exact quote on hand but it was something in his attempt to explain the so-called "irish Settlement" which began at Mt. Bethel, PA not far from Easton, PA, and spread west to the Lehigh River around Allentown, PA. In his statement he mentions the difficult winter at Casco Bay and the migration to eastern PA. There is also an anecdote that the group got lost on the way, and thought they were settling in NY, so they named their settlement the "Hunter Settlement" supposedly in honor of the Governor of NY at the time. A contingent from the Hunter Settlement moved on to E. TN and settled around Greenville, Greene Co., TN ca. 1791, where they founded the Mt. Bethel Presbyterian church, named in remembrance of their former home in PA. If you want more specific information, let me know, and I'll dig out what I have. Dan Wilson From: "Ruth McLaughlin" <[email protected]> >> Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 9:52 PM >> To: <[email protected]> >> Subject: [S-I] a question about a possible Scotch-Irish migration from NH >> toPA in 1719 >> > >>> Below is an excerpt about the 1718 arrival of "the 5 ships" to give > >>> the context. The bit of the excerpt that catches my attention is the > >>> last sentence beginning "The majority of the Scotts-Irish could not > >>> wait any longer...." Here's the paragraph: > >>> > >>> Elmer Roy Collier begins his book, Weir, Wear, and Ware, by saying, > >>> "The... families petitioned in 1718 to the Governor of New England to > >>> come to America...they arrived in Boston Harbor in 4 August 1718 but > >>> were forbidden to land by the intolerant Puritans. ...Sixteen families > >>> sailed to Casco Bay to claim a tract of land there but were frozen in > >>> the Bay by early winter weather?When the ice broke in the Spring they > >>> journeyed to Haverhill, Mass., where they heard of a fine tract of > >>> land about 15 miles northeast called Nutfield?James Gregg and Robert > >>> Weir sent a request to the Governor and Court, assembled at > >>> Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for a township ten miles square. The > >>> majority of the Scotts-Irish could not wait any longer and traveled > >>> overland to the Scotts-Irish settlement at the Forks of the Delaware > >>> (Northampton County, Pennsylvania)." > >>> > >>> Is anyone familiar with this 1719 movement of families from New > >>> Hampshire to PA, after the terrible winter in Casco Bay, ME? Who were > >>> they, why there in particular, how did they get there? I am familiar > >>> with the families who stayed and settled in Nutfield/Londonderry, NH > >>> and environs. The idea makes sense that others, perhaps within the > >>> same families, couldn't wait for the decision of Governor and Court, > >>> not wanting to endure another tough winter as yet unsettled, and moved > >>> on to PA, thus losing contact with siblings, cousins etc. in NH. But I > >>> am out of my depth on PA! So any insights or help would be much > >>> appreciated. > >>> > >>> Ruth ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
Yes, the Log College and the associated church of Rev. William Tennent are probably the earliest of the Irish Settlements in Eastern PA., but I haven't seen anything that states these people all came at the same time or were from the same place in Ireland. In contrast, the 1718 group were primarily from the parishes of Dunboe, Macosquin and Aghadowey and elsewhere throughout the Bann Valley, so that makes their settlement a bit unique. It's certainly possible that the 1718 group from the Kennebec first settled at the Neshaminy and later moved to Mt. Bethel, but I haven't heard of this before. Maybe that's why I've missed the hard evidence I'm after. Do you have information suggesting that the Kennebec contingent from the 1718 group settled at the Neshaminy? The Craig Settlement in Allen Township, however, seems to have been comprised of Scotch-Irish that did not come as a group, but rather as individuals and families. The Craig settlement usually is said to have been settled in the 1730-1735 period with its center at Weaversville /Bath rather than Warwick. Davis (1905) in his /History of Buck Co, Pennsylvania, /says that the residence of Thomas Craig was about 4 miles from Bath. About the Hunter Settlement he says that Alexander Hunter arrived at the Forks of the Delaware with about 30 families - he does not give a date for their arrival. However, in 1730 he acquired 300 acres "on the North Branch near the mouth of Hunter's Creek." Hunter's settlement was planted at three places: Martin's Creek, Richmond and Williamsburg - all in Mt. Bethel Township. From this, it sounds as if the 30 families arrived at the forks of the Delaware before 1730, then moved to Mt. Bethel when Hunter obtained the land for the settlement. So it sounds possible that they could have been in Warwick Twp. prior to 1730. Anyway, interesting stuff! Thanks for pointing me toward Warwick as a possible early location for the Hunter Settlement. Dan Lee K. Ramsey wrote: > The migration in 1719 to Pennsylvania would seem to be directed to the > Scotch-Irish settlement "at the forks of the Neshaminy" in what was then the > center of Bucks Co., PA, as Northampton Co, PA was not formed until 1752. > The land to this settlement had no ownership until it was purchased by > Chief-Justice Allen in 1735, and who sold title of land to the individual > settlers, bringing stability to this early community. Thus, no land deed > records until 1735. The Neshaminy Presbyterian Church was established about > 1726 with William Tennent as its first pastor. Some of the early families > are identified as Jamison, Ramsey, Archibald, McCullough, McMicken, > Henderson and Wallace. > > Some of the settlers at the forks of the Neshaminy settlers most likely were > part of the settlement at the forks of the Delaware (Easton) in East Allen > Township, in 1737, which became known as the "Craig Settlement" with Warwick > as its center. Warwick Township had been formed 1733 by residents of > Middleburg Township. Some of these early families are identified as Craig, > Jamison, Baird, Stewart, Hair, Long, Weir, Armstrong, Gray, Graham and > Wallace. > > Lee Ramsey > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Daniel Wilson > Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 1:18 PM > To: Scotch-Irish Discussion List > Subject: Re: [S-I] Migration of 1718 group from Casco Bay to Northampton > Co., PA > > I too have been searching for some hard evidence of the migration from > Casco Bay to Northampton Co., PA. I haven't read Collier's book, but > I've seen a quote attributed to William Egle, former PA State Historian > and prolific writer of PA history. I don't have the exact quote on hand > but it was something in his attempt to explain the so-called "irish > Settlement" which began at Mt. Bethel, PA not far from Easton, PA, and > spread west to the Lehigh River around Allentown, PA. In his statement > he mentions the difficult winter at Casco Bay and the migration to > eastern PA. There is also an anecdote that the group got lost on the > way, and thought they were settling in NY, so they named their > settlement the "Hunter Settlement" supposedly in honor of the Governor > of NY at the time. A contingent from the Hunter Settlement moved on to > E. TN and settled around Greenville, Greene Co., TN ca. 1791, where they > founded the Mt. Bethel Presbyterian church, named in remembrance of > their former home in PA. If you want more specific information, let me > know, and I'll dig out what I have. > > Dan Wilson > > > From: "Ruth McLaughlin" <[email protected]> > >>> Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 9:52 PM >>> To: <[email protected]> >>> Subject: [S-I] a question about a possible Scotch-Irish migration from NH >>> toPA in 1719 >>> >>> > > >>>>> Below is an excerpt about the 1718 arrival of "the 5 ships" to give >>>>> the context. The bit of the excerpt that catches my attention is the >>>>> last sentence beginning "The majority of the Scotts-Irish could not >>>>> wait any longer...." Here's the paragraph: >>>>> >>>>> Elmer Roy Collier begins his book, Weir, Wear, and Ware, by saying, >>>>> "The... families petitioned in 1718 to the Governor of New England to >>>>> come to America...they arrived in Boston Harbor in 4 August 1718 but >>>>> were forbidden to land by the intolerant Puritans. ...Sixteen families >>>>> sailed to Casco Bay to claim a tract of land there but were frozen in >>>>> the Bay by early winter weather?When the ice broke in the Spring they >>>>> journeyed to Haverhill, Mass., where they heard of a fine tract of >>>>> land about 15 miles northeast called Nutfield?James Gregg and Robert >>>>> Weir sent a request to the Governor and Court, assembled at >>>>> Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for a township ten miles square. The >>>>> majority of the Scotts-Irish could not wait any longer and traveled >>>>> overland to the Scotts-Irish settlement at the Forks of the Delaware >>>>> (Northampton County, Pennsylvania)." >>>>> >>>>> Is anyone familiar with this 1719 movement of families from New >>>>> Hampshire to PA, after the terrible winter in Casco Bay, ME? Who were >>>>> they, why there in particular, how did they get there? I am familiar >>>>> with the families who stayed and settled in Nutfield/Londonderry, NH >>>>> and environs. The idea makes sense that others, perhaps within the >>>>> same families, couldn't wait for the decision of Governor and Court, >>>>> not wanting to endure another tough winter as yet unsettled, and moved >>>>> on to PA, thus losing contact with siblings, cousins etc. in NH. But I >>>>> am out of my depth on PA! So any insights or help would be much >>>>> appreciated. >>>>> >>>>> Ruth >>>>> > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > >
My Boyds supposedly arrived at the "Forks of the Delaware before arriving at Craig Settlemen(t became Allen Township.) Does this fit with anyone else...........or.............is more definitive information available? I would love to know if they were possibly part of the group under discussion. Diane
The Hunter Settlement (now Martins Creek) is a few miles above the Forks of the Delaware. Sherri Bangor, PA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Diane Graham" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2010 6:21 PM Subject: [S-I] Migration of 1718 group from Casco Bay to Northampton Co., PA > > My Boyds supposedly arrived at the "Forks of the Delaware before > arriving at Craig Settlemen(t became Allen Township.) > > Does this fit with anyone else...........or.............is more > definitive information available? I would love to know if they were > possibly part of the group under discussion. > > Diane