Immigrant Ships
Transcribers Guild
Brig Minstrel Boy
Unspecified Irish Port of Departure* to Wilmington, Delaware
2 September 1831
DISTRICT OF WILMINGTON - PORT OF WILMINGTON
I, John McBride, Master of the brig Minstrel Boy of London Derry, do solemnly, sincerely and truly maketh oath that the within list contains a just and true account of the names, age, sex, and occupation of all the Passengers taken on board the said brig Minstrel Boy since her departure from the Port of (not filled in). (Signed) John McBride. Taken and subscribed before me, at Wilmington, the Second day of September 1831. (Signed) Saml. McDowell, D. C.
List of all Passengers Taken on board the Brig Minstrel Boy of Londonderry in any foreign Port or Place. Capt. John McBride.
Columns represent: name, age, residence, occupation.
Names of Crew
1 William Maxwell Coughey 30 Ireland mate
2 Henry Rycroft 23 Scotland seaman
3 David Yo?g * 25 Scotland seaman
4 John McFarlan 40 Scotland seaman
5 Michael Power 22 Ireland seaman
6 Thomas Byant 19 America seaman
7 Edward Odg??s * 19 England seaman
8 John Donnel 16 Ireland apprentice
9 James Turnb??? * 17 Scotland apprentice
Names of Passengers
10 George Rankin * 32 County Derry labourer died 30th August of consumption, at sea
11 Mary Mahaffy 30 County Tyrone wife
12 Leath??? Mahaffy * 6 County Tyrone child
13 Mary Mahaffy 4 County Tyrone child
14 Rebecca Kilgore 21 County Derry spinster
15 Rosean Kilgore 20 County Derry spinster
16 James Caldwell 28 County Tyrone farmer
17 Charles Caldwell 30 County Tyrone farmer
18 Elenor Caldwell 28 County Tyrone wife
19 ? Caldwell * 6 County Tyrone child
20 Joseph Caldwell 4 County Tyrone child
21 James Caldwell 1 County Tyrone child
22 Charles Erwin 22 County Tyrone labourer
23 William Guy 21 County Tyrone labourer
24 George West 21 County Tyrone labourer
25 William Breadan 18 County Donegal labourer
26 James Robb 21 County Donegal labourer
27 Paggy McMahon * 30 County Derry wife
28 Phillip McMahon 7 County Derry child
29 Mary McMahon 5 County Derry child
30 Biddy McMahon 3 County Derry child
31 Con O'Neil 18 County Derry labourer
32 George Butler 33 County Donegal labourer
33 George Qui?? * 50 County Derry labourer
34 William Qui?? 16 County Derry labourer
35 Ellen Qui?? 17 County Derry spinster
36 Mary Ann Qui?? 11 County Derry child
37 Charles Qui?? 9 County Derry child
38 Mary Ann McClosky 22 County Derry spinster
39 William Byron 20 County Derry labourer
40 John Taylor 21 County Derry labourer
41 Martha Taylor 20 County Derry spinster
42 John Erskin 20 County Tyrone labourer
43 Robert Smyth 20 County Derry labourer
44 Martha Smyth 16 County Derry spinster
45 John Fulton 26 County Derry labourer
46 Robert Lindsey 26 County Derry labourer
47 Ann McClosky 16 County Derry spinster
48 John Bonner 20 County Tyrone labourer
49 Charles Quin? * 8 County Derry child
50 William Forrest 51 County Derry farmer
51 Ann Forrest 45 County Derry spinster
52 Marg?t Oliver * 17 County Derry spinster
53 Peggy Oliver 14 County Derry spinster
54 Peggy Ann Kerr 16 County Derry spinster
55 Henry Ewing 23 Liverpool labourer
56 John Eadie 45 County Tyrone farmer
57 Jane Eadie 45 County Tyrone wife
58 James Eadie 21 County Tyrone labourer
59 William Eadie 17 County Tyrone labourer
60 Matilda Eadie 14 County Tyrone spinster
61 John Eadie 12 County Tyrone child
62 Samuel Eadie 9 County Tyrone child
63 William Eadie * ?5 County Tyrone labourer
64 James McLelland 28 County Derry labourer
65 Mary Doharty 22 County Derry labourer
(Signed) John McBride
Transcriber's Notes:
The filing ticket (written at a later date) gives the port of departure
as Londonderry, though it was not recorded anywhere on the actual manifest.
So it is not exactly certain that the port of departure was Londonderry,
but given that most of the passengers were from counties in the north of
Ireland, it seems likely that departure was from one of the ports in the
north, if not from Londonderry as stated on the filing ticket. The filing
ticket also gives date of arrival as 1 September 1831, but the manifest
date is probably correct, 2 September 1831.
#3 surname looks like Youg or Yong; possibly should be Young.
#7 surname looks like Odgers or Odgus, probably Hodges with the dropped-h.
#9 surname looks like Turnbut or Turnbul.
#10 note for George Rankin: "died 30th August of consumption, at sea".
#12 first name not determined; something like Leathum or Leathun.
#19 damaged area; name on crease of paper. Impossible to read first name.
#27 first name as found.
#33-37 surname looks like Quim or Quirn, but is probably Quinn.
#49 here the surname looks like Quine, but is also probably Quinn.
#52 first name spelled Margat or Margot.
#63 age probably 55, possibly 35.
There was also at least one other passenger aboard this ship, whose name was not
recorded on the manifest. Joseph Ross died about 3 weeks before the ship arrived.
Correspondence 07-30-01 passengers #50 & 51 FORREST:
Just wanted to type a few words of thanks for transcribing passengers for the ship
'brig Minstrel Boy', where I found information on William and Ann Forrest from County
Derry. I had been looking to find their ages for a long time and thankfully this was
recorded. They emigrated to Philadelphia. They wrote home to Derry on a regular basis
and 8 of their letters survive in transcript form in the Public Record Office. In the
first letter home they said the ship was meant to go to Philadelphia but due to a
quarantine they had to call into Wilmington 'much to their loss'. The voyage lasted
54 days. This letter was dated 17th Sept 1831 only 15 days after they landed. It doesn't
say which port they left from but I'm sure it was Derry. Thanks to your transcription
I have much more information to work on.
William and Ann McClurg were married some time in 1830, so I believe the passenger list
is incorrect in stating that she was a spinster. (Transcriber's Note: The correspondent
has information that this family was involved in the linen industry, so Ann was probably
listed spinster due to her occupation.) This was a 'late marriage' that produced no
offspring - due to the poor state of Irish records I could not find out their ages, so
I was pleased to find this passenger list. The following letter was written a few days
after their arrival from Ireland. It was written by William Forrest to his father-in-law,
David McClurg of Templemoyle, Bovevagh parish in County Derry (near Limavady).
TEMPLEMOYLE LETTER No. 22. Philadelphia, September 17th, 1831.
Source of letter PRONI T/1227/39.
To: Mr David McClorg, Templemoyle, Parish of Bovevagh, Co L`Derry, near
Newtownlimavady, Ireland.
From: William Forrest.
Dear Father and Mother, brothers and sisters,
I embrace this first opportunity of writing these few lines to let you know that we
are all safe arrived in Philadelphia after a passage of 54 days. We were landed in
Wilmonton, much to our loss and against our will owing to a quarantine law that was
passed in Philadelphia on the 20th of June last on account of sickness that was said
to prevail in the city, which was false and much to our loss on account of expenses
that we were at by coming up from that to Philadelphia. But still we have great reason
to be thankful to the Most High for his protecting care of us both by sea and land,
also at this present time that all of us enjoy good health. Hoping that your health,
each and every one of you that are our friends and relations in our native country.
As to our health at sea it was very good, Ann (Forrest) only was two days sick, as
towards my own health it was good all the way. As for Peggy Ann Kerr (or Carr), she
had very good health only two or three days.
We have had the pleasure of seeing brother Robert McClorg in this city, he has been
sick but he is getting better. Ann (Forrest) has had the pleasure of seeing Mrs Jane
Ross, she is well and it was a pleasant meeting to them. William Ross (son of Jane)
was so kind as to come to see us, he is well and his wife also, and they are doing
well. This is a place at present that both men and women can find plenty employment.
With regard to the markets, they are high at present, beef at pre? is five dollars
per hundred, flour is six dollars per barrel, butter is fourteen pence per pound,
potatoes are two shillings per bushel. As yet we have not heard any account from
William (McClurg) or John (McClurg). My own family are all well and were all glad
to see us, they gave Ann a very kind welcome, she is much pleased with them and
expects to live happy, here (? Draws, Dresses ?), came safe and all the things that
we had with us. I have not much time as yet to write and my time is short, the vessel
sails tomorrow at six o’clock morning. Excuse my short letter, my bad spelling as I
wrote with candlelight. I add no more at present but still remain your affectionate son,
William Forrest.
(I forgot to let you know that Joseph Ross died three weeks before we landed.)
N.B. When you write direct to the post for William Forrest, Philadelphia. We send our
love to all enquiring friend, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts etc.
From this letter, we find out that William Forrest had relatives in Philadelphia
(whose names I have not yet discovered) and he was introducing his new wife to them.
George Forrest and David Forrest were mentioned in later letters but they appear to
have come after the Forrest couple. Ann Forrest nee McClurg had 4 brothers in America:
Joseph in West Salem (from 1800), Mercer county PA; Robert in Philadelphia (taught in
Frankford Academy) moved to New York state; John and William in New York.
Peggy Ann Kerr (Carr) travelled with the Forrest couple and stayed with them in
Philadelphia as a domestic servant until she was married c.1836-37 but still resided
in Philadelphia.
Note that William Forrest states that Joseph Ross died 3 weeks before they landed -
this is not mentioned in the inventory of passengers. Ann Forrest was a cousin of
Mrs Jane Ross in Philadelphia, so Joseph was probably a relation.
The Forrest couple continued sending letters home to Ireland (as indeed did the four
McClurg brothers). In total 32 letters have survived (8 by the Forrest couple) and
they give a wonderful insight into life in America for these immigrants. The first
letter was written in 1794 (by David Pollock - Ann (McClurg) Forrest's uncle) and
the last one in 1839 by Ann Forrest. The Forrest couple were still resident in
Philadelphia at this stage. I have no information about their dates of death.
I hope that this information is of interest to you. By the way I would be fairly
sure that the port of departure was Londonderry - there are many familiar names from
the Roe valley (Limavady area) of county Derry - McCloskey (Dungiven), Oliver (Limavady),
McClelland, Forrest, Carr or Kerr. Most of these are Scots-Irish surnames: The McClelands
and Olivers came from Kirkcudbright in Scotland in the early 17th century. Our Forrests
came from the same area only a little later in the 1650's. McCloskey is a native Derry
name, said to descend from a Bloskey O'Cahan in the 12th century. The Roe Valley was
controlled by the O'Cahan (O'Kane) sept until the 17th century, when the Scottish and
English took over their lands in what became known as the Plantation of Ulster.
Thanks again for your contribution to making the passenger list available, as it has
added so much to my knowledge of our family.
If anyone is researching these Forrest or McClurg families,
please contact Robert Forrest
National Archives and Records Administration, Film M575, Reel 16.
Contributed and Transcribed by Mary Koelzer a member of the
Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
27 March 2000
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