DIARY
OF COL. CHARLES CLINTON DURING HIS PASSAGE FROM IRELAND TO AMERICA,
MAY 9th-OCTOBER 4th, 1729.
A Journal of my voyage and travels from the county of Longford in
the Kingdom of Ireland to Pensilvania in America - Anno Dom' 1729.
I
took my journey from the County of Longford on Friday The 9th,day
of may, Came to Dublin ye 12th Ditto. Enter'd on Ship Board The Ship
Call'd The George and Ann ye 18th Sett Sail the 20th.
Came
to Anchor at Glanarm on The 24th where matt'w mcClaughry and his wife
and 2 of his family went on Shoar and quit Their voyage. Sett Sail
from Glanarm on ye 25th and Came to Apchor at Green Castle in the
Lough of oern (seems to have been Lough Foyle ed's note) The 26th
where we Stay'd till ye 29th then Sett Sail in Company with The John
of Dublin, bound for new castle' (New Castle in Delaware, in 1728
4,500 persons most of whom came from Ireland landed cf. Maginniss
The Irish Contributon to America's Independence)in The Same Country.
Ditto
Came in Sight of Loughsuly (Lough Swilly) ye 30th Sail'd by Torry
&
hornhead on the 30th at night a Strong winde arose it Continued to
ye first of June at Evening which Loosened our bowsprint with Hazard
of our masts.
June,ye
2d 'we had a fair breese on our westerly Course. on the 3d ditto my
Daughter Katt'n and son James fell Sick of the measels.
A
strong Gale of westerly wind Continues to ye l0th ditto.
James Willan's Child Died ye 5th on the 7th met ye Mary from pensilvania
from w'e she sailed to us in 5 weeks and 5 days. On The 8th ditto
a Child of James mc Dowel's died and was thrown over board.
(Editor's
Note: The Mary from Pensylvania, it seems, had crossed the Atlantic
in 5 weeks and 5 days or roughly six weeks, According to the diary
the George and Ann Were off the Swilly on 30 May and sighted America
on 4 October, giving us exactly 23 weeks for the passage from east
to west; in other words because of adverse winds the passage from
east to west could take almost four times as long as the passage from
west to east, in the days of the sailing ships. )
on
the Tenth ye winde Came to East and be South.
on ye 11th Changed more Easterly and Continues fair and seasonable
on the12th the wind Blew north & be East, a fresh Gale by which
we sail'd 40 Leagues in 20 hours and found we were in 49° 20'
north Latitude by observation the wind Changed on ye 13th do to ye
South and so Continues to ye 15th being Sunday morning one of ye Serv'ts
a board belonging to one Gerald Cruise threw himself over Deck &
was drown'd
on
ye 15th my Daughter Katt'n fell sick of ye measels a Serv't of mr
Cruise's Dyed on ye 17th and was Thrown over Deck the wind Came to
w b s & Continues a violent fresh Gale to ye 18th. the 19th and
20th we had a South & be west wind. on the 21st
being Sunday 'we had a perfect Calm in La,tt 27° 30'
a
Serv't of mr Cruise's Died on monday a Child of James Thompson's Died
on Tuesday ye 23 a Child of John Brooks Died we had a fair wind on
ye 22d 23d then another Child of Jam's Thompson's died. on The 28th
a Child of James majore Died and one of Robt. Frazer's
We
now have w:n:w: wind Tuesday ye 1st of July a fair wind. July ye 3d
a Child of John Brooks Died. a Child or Daughter of Will mcCutchan's
Died Do a Child of John Brooks Died. July ye 5th came in Sight of
the Island of Curvo and flores (Ed's note - must have been the Azores)
which belongs to the portegees they Lye in the Latt'd of 40° :
09 north and 32 : 23 west Longitude
a
Child of James mcDowels Died July ye 7th.
Ditto Robt Todd Died.
Mr. Ephram Covell
Quintin Crimbell
Robert Brown-merch't
will Caldwell
a Brother of will hamilton's
Will Gray
my own Daughter on 2 of agust at night.
a child of James majore's
a Daughter of widow hamilton ,
James majore's wife
Thorn Delap's wife
Alex'd mitchel
a Child of James Thompson's
Walter Davis his wife
widdow Hamilton
Robt Gray
a Child of widow Hamilton
Walter Davis
Jane Armstrong
A Child of Jam majore's
an other servant of Cruise's
william Gordon
Isabel mc cutchan
my son James on ye 28th of agust: 1729 at 7 in ye morning
a Son of James majore's
a brother of And'w mc Dowell's
a Daughter of Walter Davis's
Robert frazer
Patt mc Came Serv't to Tho: Armstrong
Will
Hamilton
James Greer ser't to Alex. Mitchell
Widdow Gordon's daughter
James Morray died Thursday 11th 7br (September)
A serv't of Mr. Cruise's
A Son of John Beatty's
Two of Mr Cruise's men Ser'ts
James Thompson's wife
James Brown
A Daughter of James Mc Dowell's
A Daughter of Thom. Delap's
A Serv't of Mr. Cruise's
John Oliver's wife
James majores Eldest Daughter
John Crook a Sailor
Jos. Stafford
John mc Dowell's sister
James Wilson's wife
Sarah Hamilton will Ham'ns Sister
Thomas Armstrong died Monday ye 29th of 7br (September)
John Beatty's wife
Isabella Johnston
Edw'd Morris
Marg't mc Claughry
Widow Frazer's Daughter
And'w mc Dowell's Brother
Jos mc Claughry
A young Sister of And'w McDowell's
Tom Delap - and his daughter Katherine
James Barkly
Discovered Land on ye Continent of America ye 4th day of 8br 1729
(8th October 1729)
