Sponsor
History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church in America, by W. Melancthon
Glasgow, Baltimore, MD., 1888, pages 228-234.
Submitted by Donald N. Hester
"I am a direct descendant of William Campbell and Grisel Gamble listed as
passengers. I am their 9th GGGrandson."
Donald N. Hester
donald-hester@bigfoot.com
NEW JERSEY.
Perth Amboy. In 1685, George Scot, Baird 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. As Wodrow has given these names of the banished, we have thought it proper to insert them here. Their names are:
Name
Robert Adam
Lady Athernie -Yes Yes
John Arbuckle - Yes
Rev William Aisdale -Yes
John Black
George Brown
Robert Campbell
David Campbell
John Campbell
William Campbell
Christian Cavie
John Crichton
John Corbet
Andrew Corbet
John Casson
Agnes Corhead -Yes
Barbara Cowan
Marjory Cowan
William Cunningham -Yes
Patrick Cuningham
Charles Douglas
William Douglas
Isabel Durie
John Frazer
Thomas Finlater -Yes
Elspeth Ferguson
Janet Ferguson
Mary Ferret -Yes
John Ford -Yes
James Forsythe -Yes
John Foreman
John Gray
Thomas Gray -Yes
Thomas Graham -Yes
Grisel Gamble
William Ged -Yes Yes
Fergus Grier
James Grier
Robert Gilchrist
John Gilfillan -Yes
Bessie Gordon
Annabel Gordon -Yes
Katharine Bovan
John Harris -Yes
John Harvie -Yes
John Henderson -Yes
Adam Hood -Yes
Charles Honyall -Yes
John Hutchinson -Yes
John Hodge -Yes
Thomas Jackson -Yes Yes
William Jackson
George Johnston -Yes
John Johnstone -Yes
James Junk
John King
John Kippan - Yes
John Kincaid -Yes
James Kirkwood
John Kirkwood -Yes
John Kellie
Katherine Kellie -Yes
John Kennie
Margaret Leslie -Yes
Janet Linthron
Gawen Lockhart
Michael Marshall
John Marshall
John Martin
Margaret Miller
George Muir -Yes
Gilbert Monorg -Yes
Jean Moffat -Yes
John Muirhead
James Muirhead -Yes
William MccCalmont
John McEwen
Walter McEwen -Yes
Robert McEwen -Yes
John McQueen -Yes
Robert McLellan
Margaret McLellan -Yes
Andrew McLellan -Yes
John McKenman -Yes
William McMillan -Yes
John McGhie -Yes
William Nevin -Yes
William Oliphant
Andrew Patterson -Yes
John Pollock
John Ramn Yes
Rev. Archibald Riddell -Yes Yes
Mr. Archibald Riddell -Yes Yes
William Rigg -Yes Yes
Marian Rennie
John Renwick -Yes
James Reston
Thomas Russell -Yes
Peter Russell -Yes
Christian Strang -Yes
William Sprat
Agnes Stevens -Yes
William Sproull -Yes
Thomas Shelston
John Swinton -Yes
John Smith -Yes
John Seton -Yes
George Scot -Yes Yes
Margaret Scot -Yes Yes
Eupham Scot -Yes Yes
Janet Symington -Yes
James Sittingtown
John Targat
John Turpine
William Turnbull
Patrick Urie
John Vernor -Yes
Mrs. Vernor -Yes
John Watt
Patrick Walker
James Wardrope -Yes
Elizabeth Whitelaw
Grizel Witherspoon
William Wilson
Robert Young
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 road 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.
PATERSON. For some years previous to its organization into a congregation, a few, families of Covenanters resided in the city of Paterson. They were usually supplied by the students of the Philadelphia Seminary and received the organization in the fall of 1818. The Rev. William L. Roberts was the first pastor ordained and installed in charge in May, 1824. The congregation was small and rent with factions, and he resigned charge in December, 1825. The Rev. William Gibson took charge, of the congregation in 1826, and was stated supply for several years. In 1833, the great majority of the members went into, the New School body, and the cause gradually declined. The few faithful followers of the Church were supplied but they lost their organization in October, 1836. Of the eldership were James W. King, John McIntire and Thomas Lindon.
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