Scotch-Irish-L Archives

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Subject: [S-I] Breden/"Free Mason"
Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 11:51:16 EDT

There is a persistent belief that all the emigrants to SC who arrived there
in December 1772 (or even earlier that year) were part of the Rev. William
Martin's congregation in north Antrim. An advertisement for the Pennsylvania
Farmer, for instance, placed by the Belfast merchants John Ewing and Samuel
Brown, noted that the "Rev. Mr. John Logue, near Broughshane, who with his
Family goes in said Ship," would assist potential emigrants from that
neighborhood. Logue was not a Covenanter.

Would-be emigrants to South Carolina had a great many choices in 1772, as
many or more than in any other year, so inevitably you made arrangements for a
ship leaving a port near your home. If you lived in Antrim (where the bulk
of the "Martin emigrants" did live) you chose a ship from Larne. It might
belong to Belfast or Carrickfergus, but would be taking on passengers riding at
anchor in Belfast Lough, most likely at Larne.
Thus, Rev. William Martin "and near 400 other passengers" sailed on October
4 from Larne on the ship "Lord Dunluce," which belonged to John Montgomery &
Co. of Larne. (Belfast News Letter, October 9, 1772)

Advertised sailing dates were almost never met, so you wanted to stay at
home until the ship was about ready to weigh anchor. Maintaining a family for
weeks in a port town would be financially ruinous. You didn't want more than
an overnight there.

You would not choose a ship sailing from Newry - even if they offered
cut-rate passages - if you lived anywhere in Cos. Antrim or Londonderry, Donegal or
Fermanagh, nor probably most of Tyrone. Newry ships drew from their own
hinterland in parts of Cos. Armagh and Down and possibly the corner of Co.
Tyrone around Dungannon and Cookstown. Several Newry ships advertised that they
would have agents in Gilford, Banbridge, Rathfriland, Drumore, etc.

In 1772 this linen-making and heavily Protestant section of Co. Down and Co.
Armagh was in great distress from the fall in linen prices. Parts of it
also experienced the "Hearts of Steel" anti-landlord disturbances that year.
This was a great impetus to emigration and passengers for America from this
area would sail from Newry.

The following item appeared in the Belfast News Letter, February 5, 1773
The Ship Free Mason, Captain John Semple, Commander, that sailed from
the Port of Newry the 27th of October last, with a great Number of passengers
for Charlestown South Carolina, arrived there on the 22nd day of December
last, after a short and pleasant passage of eight weeks, all well, and the
passengers highly pleased with the comfortable and humane treatment received from
the captain and crew.

The Free Mason belonged to Newry and was owned by David Gaussan, John
Glenny, Hill Wilson, William Beath and George Anderson, merchants there.

She was advertised to sail for Charleston on August 20 (BNL, July 28, 1772)
and again to sail September 10 (BNL, Sept. 1, 1772) but did not actually sail
until October 27.

The passsengers almost certainly all came from the linen region in Co. Down
and Co. Armagh.

Linda found the name in two places in this area: Braden, Widow in Armagh,
parish of Tynan
James in Down, Seapatrick. I'd hazard a guess this James could be from your
Breden family.

The town of Banbridge is in Seapatrick Parish, the heart of the linen-making
district. Tynan and Middletown in Tynan Parish are between Armagh City and
Monaghan in Co. Monaghan. I don't know anything about that neighborhood.

The 1740 Census of Protestant Householders is extant for both parishes and
the 1766 Religious Census for Seapatrick. There are also Presbyterian records
for Seapatrick from 1754 through 1796.

All the best,
Richard MacMaster




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