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Henry & Francis of New Castle
Ship "Henry and Francis" of New Castle, departed from the port of Leith, September 5, 1685, arrived at Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in the middle of December, 1685. Three hundred and fifty tons, twenty great guns, Richard Hutton, master.
Perth Amboy. In 1685, George Scot, Laird of Pitlochie, was given his liberty in Scotland provided he transported to East Jersey many of the Covenanters who had refused to take the oath of allegiance to a tyrannical and profligate ruler. Thus authorized, he proceeded to gather his company from those confined in the tolbooth of Leith. He had to give security to land them there prior to September, 1686, and the penalty was to be five hundred merks in case of failure in any instance. In May, 1685, Scot chartered the Henry and Francis of New Castle, a ship of three hundred and fifty tons and twenty great guns, with Richard Hutton as master. On the eve of their banishment, twenty-eight of them signed the following conjunct testimony; bearing:
"That, now to leave their own native and Covenanted land by an unjust sentence of banishment for owning truth and. standing by duty, studying to keep their Covenants engagements and baptismal vows, whereby they stand obliged to resist and testify against all that is contrary to the Word of God and their Covenants; and that their sentence of banishment ran chiefly because they refused the oath of allegiance which in conscience they could not take, because in so doing they thought utterly declined the Lord Jesus Christ from having any power in His own house, and practically would; by taking it, sat, "He was not King and Head of His Church and over them consciences. And, on the contrary, this was to take and put in His room a man whose breath is in his nostrils; yea, a man who is a sworn enemy to religion; an avowed papist, whom, by our Covenants; we are bound to withstand and disown, and that agreeably to Scripture: When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a King over me, like as all the nations that are about me, thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee, whom the Lord thy God shalt choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set King over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. Deut. 17: 14-15. They then bore their testimony against the defections of the day, and for preaching in the fields and homes, and then signed their names.
Names 1 Adam, Robert 2 Aisdale, William Rev. 3 Arbuckle, John 4 Athernie, Lady 5 Black, John 6 Bovan, Katharine 7 Brown, George 8 Campbell, Daivd 9 Campbell, John 10 Campbell, Robert 11 Campbell, William 12 Casson, John 13 Cavie, Christian 14 Corbet, Andrew 15 Corbet, John 16 Corhead, Agnes 17 Cowan, Barbara 18 Cowan, Marjory 19 Crichton, John 20 Cuningham, Patrick 21 Cunningham, William 22 Douglas, Charles 23 Douglas, William 24 Durie, Isabel 25 Ferguson, Elspeth 26 Ferguson, Janet 27 Ferret, Mary 28 Finlater, Thomas 29 Ford, John 30 Foreman, John 31 Forsythe, James 32 Frazer, John 33 Gamble, Grisel 34 Ged, William 35 Gilchrist, Robert 36 Gilfillan, John 37 Gordon, Annabel 38 Gordon, Bessie 39 Graham, Thomas 40 Gray, John 41 Gray, Thomas 42 Grier, Fergus 43 Grier, James 44 Harris, John 45 Harvie, John 46 Henderson, John 47 Hodge, John 48 Honyall, Charles 49 Hood, Adam 50 Hutchinson, John 51 Jackson, Thomas 52 Jackson, William 53 Johnston, George 54 Johnstone, John 55 Junk, James 56 Kellie, John 57 Kellie, Katherine 58 Kennie, John 59 Kincaid, John 60 King, John 61 Kippan, John 62 Kirkwood, James 63 Kirkwood, John 64 Leslie, Margaret 65 Linthron, Janet 66 Lockhart, Gawen 67 Marshall, John 68 Marshall, Michael 69 Martin, John 70 MccCalmont, William 71 McEwen, John 72 McEwen, Robert 73 McEwen, Walter 74 McGhie, John 75 McKenman, John 76 McLellan, Andrew 77 McLellan, Margaret 78 McLellan, Robert 79 McMillan, William 80 McQueen, John 81 Miller, Margaret 82 Moffat, Jean 83 Monorg, Gilbert 84 Muir, George 85 Muirhead, James 86 Muirhead, John 87 Nevin, William 88 Oliphant, William 89 Patterson, Andrew 90 Pollock, John 91 Ramn, John 92 Rennie, Marian 93 Renwick, John 94 Reston, James 95 Riddell, Archibald 96 Riddell, Archibald Rev. 97 Rigg, William 98 Russell, Peter 99 Russell, Thomas 100 Scot, Eupham 101 Scot, George 102 Scot, Margaret 103 Seton, John 104 Shelston, Thomas 105 Sittingtown, James 106 Smith, John 107 Sprat, William 108 Sproull, William 109 Stevens, Agnes 110 Strang, Christian 111 Swinton, John 112 Symington, Janet 113 Targat, John 114 Turnbull, William 115 Turpine, John 116 Urie, Patrick 117 Vernor, John 118 Vernor, Mrs. 119 Walker, Patrick 120 Wardrope, James 121 Watt, John 122 Whitelaw, Elizabeth 123 Wilson, William 124 Witherspoon, Grizel 125 Young, Robert
The charge for transportation was five pounds sterling for each adult and to each of those who were unable to pay for their passage was promised twenty-five acres of land and a suit of new clothes on the completion of four years of service; for children under twelve years of age, fifty shillings; sucking children free; one ton of goods, forty shillings. These have been known in American History as "Redemptioners." Many of these passengers had endured much suffering. After some delay, the ship sailed from the town of Leith, September 5, 1685. We hear of no untoward event until after they had turned the Land's End," when a fever began to prevail with virulence, particularly among the prisoners who had been confined in the great vault of Dunnotter. Many were sick when they came aboard, and the health of the others was endangered by the condition of the provisions laid in by the Captain.
The meat began to putrefy and was not eatable, In a month the fever assumed a malignant type. Few escaped its ravages, and three or four bodies were cast overboard every day. Most of the ship's crew, except the Captain and boatswain, died. Pitlochie, who had freighted the ship, with his lady, died likewise, and so enjoyed nothing of the gain of nearly one hundred prisoners gifted him by the Council, and upwards of seventy persons died at sea.
Death and unwholesome food were not the only evils the unfortunate Covenanters had to encounter; the master of the ship was most cruel to the prisoners. Those who were placed under deck were not allowed to go about worship, and when they attempted it the Captain would throw down great planks of timber to disturb them and endanger their lives. The ship sprang a leak twice, and frequent storms added to their anxiety, After the death of Pitlochie, the prisoners fell into the hands of John Johnstone, his son-in-law Captain Hutton began to tamper with Mr. Johnstone, and urged him to carry the prisoners to Virginia or Jamaica, either places presenting better opportunity for disposing of them than New Jersey, and offered as an inducement to charge himself with the disposal of the prisoners and to account to him for them in the productions of the country. But the wind changed and they were forced to sail straight for New Jersey. They landed at Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in the middle of December, 1685, having been about fifteen weeks at sea.. Before going ashore, Johnstone endeavored to stop them by urging them to sign an agreement to serve four years at that place in consideration of the expense incurred by the departed Scot. This they would not agree to, but joined in another protest against their banishment and recounted their harsh treatment during the voyage. When they came ashore, the people who lived on the coast and had not the gospel preached to them, were inhospitable and showed them no kindness. A little way up in the country, however, there was a town (supposed to be Woodbridge), and a minister settled, and the inhabitants were very kind to them. When they learned who the prisoners were and their circumstances, they invited all who were able to travel to come and live with them, and sent horses far the rest, and entertained them freely and liberally that winter. In the following spring, John Johnstone pursued them and had them all cited before a legal tribunal of the Province. Alter hearing both sides, the Governor called a jury to sit and cognosce upon the affair, who found that the pannels had not of their own accord come to that ship, nor bargained with Pitlochie for money or service, and therefore, according to the laws of the country, they were assoiled. Those who had so agreed had their suits come before the Court of Common Rights, and Captain Hutton was remunerated. The prisoners then scattered throughout Eastern Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut, where they were kindly entertained and found employment according to their different trades. At different times the persecuted Covenanters were banished to New Jersey, Delaware and South Carolina, but in the latter part of the seventeenth century this cruelty ceased. At this time no organized' society of Covenanters has an existence in New Jersey.
Contributor's Note:
This list has been alphabetized and numbered by me and is not on the original.
Correspondence 07/18/02 passenger #54 Johnstone Dr. John Johnstone was on the Henry and Francis in 1685. Any other links would be appreciated. He is my 8th great grandfather. Tom Tremmel Correspondence 05/10/03 passenger #100 Scot/Scott Ancestor Eupham Scott married Edinburgh pharmacist John Johnston. Her Mother Margaret Rig Scott is descendant of Robert te Brus. Barb Brandon Correspondence 05/30/2004 passengers #85 & 86 Muirhead Among the passengers on this vessel were James and John Muirhead - both Coventanters who were imprisoned in the dungeons of Dunnottar Castle, near Stonehaven, Scotland. They were ordered to be transported as slaves [ indentured servants] to the Caribbean refused to take the oath of allegiance to King Charles II because they were convinced that he was secretly trying to return Scotland to the Roman Catholic religion. Thence they were force-marched via Dundee across the Rivers Tay and Forth to Edinburgh and lodged in the Tolbooth there before being taken to Leith to board that infamous ship. John Muirhead, after the star crossed vessel landed at Perth Amboy, went to Long Island married Rebecca Bayless of Jamaica, Queens County, New York. They subsequently moved their family to Ewing in Mercer County, New Jersey. John Muirhead/Muirheid became the first Sheriff of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. A grandson, Jonathon, is reputed to have shown General George Washington the best site along the west bank of the Delaware from which to launch his successful attack on the British forces at the Battle of Trenton. Amongst John's descendants were three governors of Kentucky - Charles Slaughter Morehead , James Turner Morehead, and Simon Bolivar Buckner, a second cousin once removed of the latter. Also a two-term governor of North Carolina - John Motley Morehead - a younger brother of the afore-mentioned James Turner Morehead -was another of his descendants General Simon Bolivar Bucker, Jr., - the only four star general to be killed in combat - Okinawa 1945 - during the Second World War was, of course a distant relative] Brian K Muirhead, the engineer named 'Engineer of the Year - 1997' for successfully placing the Rover vehicle on the planet Mars. Others descendants have made many contributions to our nation. Little is known of the fate of John's brother, James Muirhead. He was reported to have moved to Virginia. [I think that he may have settled on the island of Barbadoes in the Caribbean.] Please visit the website Muirhead Clan Society David Grossett
History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in America,
by W. Melancthon Glasgow, Baltimore, MD., 1888, pages 228-234.
Contributed by Sheila Tate a member of the
Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
6 March 2002
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