A good start for this new endeavor might be contacting the Churches on the American side that Makemie and his followers first established on their arrival in Maryland in 1683 - The Manokin Presbyterian Church in Princess Anne and the Rehobeth Presbyterian Church in Rehobeth, Somerset County, Maryland. These are still active. For photos and a short account of their histories go to http://www.marylandhistoricaltrust.net/nr/NRMapSO.html and click on sites 9 and 42. Although the great migration of the Scotch-Irish is usually thought to have been an 18th century phenomenon, the arrival of Makemie in Somerset County, Maryland in 1683, was a true precursor to this movement. Makemie was not a lone figure by any means. A good number of other Ulster-Scot emigrants from the Laggan, including both ministers and families, arrived either with and shortly after Makemie. There are no records of the specific dates of arrival, or ships that brought them, but within a decade some hundreds of family were found in Somerset that had roots in the Laggan. A comment in the letter of an official from neighboring Virginia in 1692 was "I hear he has continued Majr King to bee the Navall Officer in Somerset Coty, a place pestred with Scotch & Irish. About 200 families have within the two years arrived from Ireland & settled in your County besides some hundred of family's there before." The very term Scotch-Irish, in its American usage, first appeared in the Court Records of Somerset in 1690 - already in a decidely perjorative manner. Besides Makemie himself, the ministers included - - William Trail of Ballendrait who arrived the same year as Makemie, and became the first ministor of the Rehobeth Church; Trail's earlier imprisonment, interrogation by Crown authorities in Dublin, and ultimate exoneration is fully recorded in J. S. Reid's "History of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland;" - Rev. Thomas Wilson of Killybegs, who arrived by 1685, became the first pastor of the Manokin Church, and died there - Rev. Samuel Davis, also of Ulster, though possibly not the Laggan, who arrived by 1684, and became the first pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Snow Hill, now in Worcester County. Many others followed in the next two decades, and by 1706 there were sufficient churches and members to form the first Presbytery in America in a meeting at Philadelphia. Makemie was the driving force in this event. Laggan families that arrived in Somerset include Knox, McKnitt, Wallace, Alexander, Owens, White, Galbraith, Caldwell, Gray and Polk. It is interesting to note some of the names of the lands which they patented after arrival, that carry echoes of their Laggan Roots: Ballybuggin - John Caldwell Clonlett - John Caldwell Kirkminster - Matthew Wallace Kirkington - Adam Wallace Castle Fine - Andrew Wallace Castle Finn - Hugh Stevenson Monyn - Ninian Dunlap Ballindret - John Polk Moanen - William Polk Desert - John Caldwell Ballyshannon - William Owens Daintry-William Alexander Sligo - Samuel Alexander Rapho - William Alexander I do not personally have any connections with the churches mentioned above, as I live several hours drive from the area, but I know they are proud of their ancient roots, and expect they would be interested in renewing connections with their Laggan brethren. I will also post the forgoing note on the Lower Delmarva Rootsweb site (Delmarva = Delaware + Maryland + Virginia) so people with genealogy interests in the relevant area will be aware of it. John Polk Havre de Grace, MD > [Original Message] > From: Montgomery Michael <ullans@yahoo.com> > To: <Scotch-Irish-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 1/18/2006 10:49:55 AM > Subject: [Sc-Ir] Re: Scotch-Irish-D Digest V06 #13 > > Dear All > > While this endeavour is to be welcomed, would it ot > have been more appropriate at Ramelton, where Makemie > first pastored and from whiere he left for North > America (it was William Gregg's port of departure too, > I believe). There is an old building in Ramelton that > purports to be the one or on the site of one in which > Makemie had his charge. Why would this site at > Monreagh/St Johnston be chosen rather than Ramelton? > The latter would seem to have a much more palpable > connection to North American Presbyterianism. Wasn't > it Makemie's native village as well? > > Michael Montgomery > > > From: "Boyd Gray" <boydgray26@utvinternet.com> > > To: Scotch-Irish-L@rootsweb.com > > Subject: Macosquin, The Laggan Valley and Boston > > > > Hi Listers, > > > > I am sure many of you saw the news that the > > University of Ulster's Institute > > of Ulster Scots Studies is in the process of > > creating a new Centre > > celebrating the links between Presbyterianism in > > Donegal and America. Their > > press release states, "The achievements of two of > > Donegal's most famous > > sons, Francis Makemie and William Gregg as towering > > figures in the growth of > > the Presbyterian Church in the United States and > > Canada, will be > > centre-stage in an educational and interpretive > > centre to be built in the > > cradle of Irish Presbyterianism - the Laggan > > district in the north-east of > > the county." > > > > It continues, "The old manse at Monreagh near St > > Johnston is just five miles > > from the Donegal-Derry border will be converted into > > the new centre, > > containing 17th and 18th century artefacts and > > displays that tell the story > > of how Presbyterian communities fled Ulster seeking > > freedom of religion and > > a new life in the New World." > > > > The full press release can be found at the link > > below: > > http://www.ulster.ac.uk/news/releases/2005/1948.html > > > > The church at Monreagh is of particular interest to > > me because a possible > > ancestor of mine, the Reverend William Boyd, was > > minister there from 1725 > > until his death in 1772. He came from Macosquin > > Parish near Coleraine in > > County Derry, which is where my Boyds originated. > > He is also a very > > important but neglected character in the history of > > Presbyterianism and the > > Scotch Irish. In 1718, he carried the petition to > > Governor Suitte in Boston > > which resulted in the first mass emigration of > > Presbyterians to America > > later that year. I wrote to the University asking > > if he was to be included > > in their new Centre. > > > > This is their reply: > > "Many thanks for your interesting mail concerning > > the Reverend William Boyd. > > We will, of course, be using the opportunity > > provided by the new Centre to > > present the history and heritage of Presbyterianism > > as fully as we possibly > > can. The press release only highlighted the most > > well known. > > > > We have already researched the 1718 migration for > > the Ulster Scots Agency > > and they will be launching a website dedicated to > > these important events in > > the near future. > > > > We would welcome any further information or comments > > and hope to see you at > > the Centre when work starts there this year." > > > > I am sure you will all be pleased to see that work > > is underway to celebrate > > this link between Coleraine, East Donegal and > > America which has provided so > > many of us with endless hours of enjoyment > > researching our common ancestors. > > > > Best wishes, > > > > Boyd > > > > Apologies in advance - I am sending this to all > > three lists/sites where I > > think it will be of interest. > > > > Boyd Gray > > 17 St Judes Court > > Lifford > > Co Donegal > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > --- John Polk --- Havre de Grace MD --- jfpolk@earthlink.net