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Maine Scots-Irish Project

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A place to organize my notes on the history of the Ulster Scots who emigrated to Maine in the early 18th century, especially those who came under the guidance of Capt. Robert Temple starting in 1717 and Col. David Dunbar from 1729-1732.

Timeline

1715ish: Pejebscot Company founds several towns on the Sagadahoc Peninsula, including Georgetown

1717: Robert Temple arrives in Boston and makes his way to Georgetown, where he's invited to join the proprietors in founding new settlements; he receives 1,000 acres at the mouth of the Kennebec River, establishes the settlement of Cork (Merrymeeting Bay) and begins chartering ships the following year[1]

1 Sep 1718: the ship Maccallum arrives in Boston Harbor from Londonderry, Capt. James Law, bringing ~20 families; the ship was meant to dock in New London but "haveing a long Passage the Master perswaded them to putt in here, so the poor Creatures are left in the Lurch."[2] Passengers:

8 Sep 1718: the Maccallum sets sail for Merrymeeting Bay, persuaded by Capt. Robert Temple

Autumn 1718: Gov. Shute tells a large group of Scotch-Irish immigrants that they can either stay in Boston and convert or go to the frontier and create their own township, thus (presumably) affording them some religious freedom; ~300 settlers leave for Casco Bay (Falmouth) on the ship Robert

Winter 1718 - Spring 1719: conditions in Falmouth are appalling due to harsh weather and lack of food and supplies, and many families choose to leave. Less than 60 families remained, including[2]:

  • Armstrong, James; John; Simeon; Thomas
  • Holmes, Robert and wife
  • Holmes, William and child
  • Jameson, William
  • McLellan, Bryce (this contradicts other sources that say he was in Wells at the time and didn't settle in Falmouth until the 1730s; needs to be researched)
  • Means, Robert and wife Jane Armstrong (duplicate unsourced profiles exist for both; needs to be cleaned up)
  • Simonton, Andrew and William

11 April 1719: several families from the failed settlement at Falmouth settle at Nutfield (Londonderry, N.H.)

28 Jul 1722: Andrew McFadden and family are warned out of Boston, having sought shelter there due to Indian raids

Spring 1724: the settlement at Merrymeeting Bay is abandoned; settlers migrate to Pennsylvania, Londonderry, and Georgetown (Arrowsic)[1]

1728/9: ship leaves Londonderry, Ireland for Philadelphia but lands at the mouth of the Kennebec due to foul weather; families settle in Arrowsic (Georgetown/Phippsburg) but after a few years several relocate to Boothbay as Dunbar settlers at the urging of Samuel McCobb[3]. Families on this ship all seem to have come from County Tyrone:

  • Campbell, Alexander (married to Alexander Drummond's daughter Frances, no other Campbells with them); stayed in Arrowsic
  • Drummond, headed by Alexander; stayed in Arrowsic
  • Fullerton, headed by William; went to Boothbay
  • McCobb, headed by brothers Samuel and James; James stayed in Arrowsic, Samuel moved to Boothbay
  • McFarland, headed by John; went to Boothbay
  • Rogers, headed by George and wife Isabella (McCobb); stayed in Arrowsic

June 1731: Walter Beath comes to Boothbay from Lunenberg, Massachusetts in response to Dunbar publishing "large encouragements to any of His Majesty's Protestant liege subjects who should settle en sail lands."[4]

Citations

  1. 1.0 1.1 O'Brien, M. J. The Lost Town of Cork, Maine: An Early Attempt by Robert Temple and Emigrants From Ireland to Establish a Settlement in the Kennebec Wilderness. The Journal of the American Irish Historical Society, Volume 12. New York, NY: American Irish Historical Society, 1913. Page 175. [1]
  2. 2.0 2.1 Bolton, Charles Knowles. Scotch Irish Pioneers in Ulster and America. Cambridge, MA: Boston Bacon & Brown, 1910. Page 261.
  3. Rohrer, S. Scott. Wandering Souls: Protestant Migrations in America, 1630 - 1865. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2010. Page 80.
  4. Stone, Kate Graupner. Family of Beath. Portland, Maine: Maine Historical Society, 1898.




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