James and Isabella (Isabelle) Haworth had six children. Four girls and two boys. Three of the six decided to make the very difficult journey to America, leaving behind their family and friends, hoping for a better life, away from religious persecution. Mary was the first to head to the New World. It is not clear when she left England but there is a documented court case in Delaware, in March 1693/94, with her as a witness. So she must have arrived before that.
There is some evidence to the fact that Mary had been married twice. Once to a Thomas Haslum (Hazelum) and then to John Miers (Myers, Mires). Unfortunately, there is not much information out there on Thomas.
Mary and John settled in an area that, at the time, was near the Delaware Bay in Maryland. That town no longer exists. George makes reference to it in letters to his family as Hurbills. Don Haworth, a family member who has done a lot of research on the Haworths, wrote this about the town, "I became intrigued by the location where George visited his sister Mary. Since I could not locate any place called Hurbills, Harbills, or Whorkill (as James Rodgers Haworth wrote it in his book), I decided to do some research and find out where it was located. I soon discovered that the place was actually called and spelled “Whorekill”, which was anglicized from the Dutch name for the same place. The Dutch name was “Hoerekill” which translates as “Harlot’s River”. Whorekill has a long and interesting history under both Dutch and English rule, including the origin of the name, but that is another story. For a brief period of time the village name was changed from Whorekill to Deal. Later William Penn permanently changed the name of the village of Whorekill/Deal to Lewes, after Lewes in Sussex County, England. After the village name was changed to Lewes, the village was often referred to as Lewestown, although the name was never official. Use of the unofficial name Lewestown eventually ceased and the village was thereafter known as Lewes but often pronounced and misspelled as Lewis or Louis. Therefore, George’s sister Mary was living at the current location of Lewes, Sussex County, Delaware, in 1699 when George visited her."(1)
So George and his pregnant sister Alice, along with her husband John Kenworthy (Kencerly) (Kennerly), set sail to America in 1699 and George's letters gave a pretty detailed account of their journey. The original letters have been lost or misplaced but thank goodness, they were reproduced in several books, which have been a wonderful resource for our family history. (2)
It was May of 1699, when George, Alice and John, boarded the ship Brittania, in Liverpool, England. This ship was chartered on behalf of the Lancaster Quaker Meeting (George was a Quaker) and was bound for Philadelphia. The ship was commanded by a Richard Nicholls (Nicholas) and it was thought to have left Liverpool sometime in May (Quaker calendar - July on our traditional calendar) and stopped in Cork, Ireland to take on provisions. After this stop, they headed for America. (3)
The voyage from east to west, during that time period, usually took about eight weeks. However, the Brittania was overloaded, winds were probably unfavorable and the ship was considered a "dull saylor". Several publications, referring to ships, indicate that when they are large, with lots of people and goods, they tended to be "dull saylors", and would go slower than other vessels. So it should not have been a surprise that the voyage took 14 weeks instead of eight. It should also not have been a surprise that the food brought on board for eight weeks would not stretch for 14.
The Brittania was later dubbed the "sick ship" because sometime during the passage across the ocean, an infectious disease broke out onboard. Many died and others were very ill and in a weak state when they arrived in America. It is interesting that most of the deaths were adults. It seemed to hit them harder than the children. The passengers were dropping ill fast and many started writing their wills, should they not survive. George's brother-in law died and then his sister, Alice, gave birth to a child that died and then she passed three days later. According to a letter from George to his mom, sisters and brothers, after arriving in America, "My Brother in law is dead
and child died also about 3 days before my Sister, She was indifferently well
most of the way but about 100 Leagues of sight of land she bore a child and it
died and then she died.." Note: All italics are quotes directly from George Haworth's letters, as written.
"We were about 14 weeks at
Sea after we left Liverpool a long and tedious Journey we had, for we being
over many throng'd in the Ship, I believe hurt many, for we had many distempers
among us, as Fevers, Flux, and Jaundice, and many died at Sea about 56 and at
Shore there died about 20."... "if my brother or any of my
Neighbours do incline to come into this country, let them be careful that they
do not come too many in the Ship as we did; for being throng, and then come
into the hot weather and the smell of many, then many fainted away and died, we
wanted Water and Beer to drink, for having salt Beef, we were much athirst and
could not get enough to drink, for the seamen stowed the Hold so full of Goods
that they had not room for Water and Beer, and then wanting such things as
might have nourished us we suffered hardships. But if any come, let them
bring for themselves over and besides the Ships allowance Spices and Brandy and
cheese let the Seamen pretend what they will; or else victual themselves and
bargain for being carried over and goods and then bring for yourselves but a
little Beef and some bacon, and wheat flour is very good, and cheese and Butter
and Eggs, or any mild sort of food, and as for your goods you bring let them be
Bed ticks very good with all sorts of bedding bring no hats except very good,
and hard wares so be careful of being thronged in the Ship on a Summers
Journey, lest you be hurt as we were, we had a very hard passage, we were
brought to allowance of Water and Beer, and for every 4 we had 2 Cans of Water
and 1 1/2 so no more..."
George wrote, "I got well on shore at a place 100 Leagues short of Philadelphia, where I was informed that my Sister dwelt there at a place called Hurbills, and so in much weakness I got to the place and quickly found her, and staid there one week."
He reported to his family back in England that his "Sister was in good health
and she hath four children 2 Boys and 2 Girls and her Husband being well allso,
and is a Hatter to his trade. They have few Cattle but live indifferently well
of his Trade."
A week after arriving at his sister's, George "set sail in a Sloop
for Philadelphia for which I paid 5s". His journeys to this point had been very eventful. What would await him in Philadelphia?
Today's Terri's Tidbit: While doing my research on the Ha(y)worth family I found that George Haworth, who was my 7th Great Grandfather, was also the 4th Great Grandfather of President Herbert Hoover. George's son Stephanus was the connection in my line to my Grandmother Mittie Ethel Hayworth Garrison. Another son, John, was the connection to President Hoover. So, we're sort of related to a Past President.
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(1) Mary Haworth Miers, by Don Haworth. After further research by Mr. Haworth, this was a revision from
previous information. It was updated April 2012.
(2) George's letters can be found in many publications but most notably in:
Early Letters from Pennsylvania, 1699-1722
George Haworth The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography
Vol. 37, No. 3 (1913), pp. 330-340
(3) George Haworth's Voyage to America, by Don Haworth, revised November 2012
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