Preserving the Ha(y)worth Family History for Future Generations, Part 2

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.  
________________________________
(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

Preserving the Ha(y)worth Family History for Future Generations, Part 1

In the summer of 1699, a young man from Gambleside, Lancashire, England, decided to leave his home and take the very long voyage across the ocean to America. Little did he know, when he made this fateful journey that his family, for many generations, would work diligently to preserve his story. I am so thankful that they did, because it has given me the opportunity to get to know this man, who is my 7th Great Grandfather, George "the Emigrant" Haworth.

George's home, Gambleside, was just a blip on a map back in the time he lived there and is now nothing but ruins.  It was located near Dunnockshaw, Lancashire, and there is now a reservoir right by the site where the home had been located.  He was born in 1676 to James and Isabelle (Isabella), whose last name has not been verified.  His baptismal records, dated 10 Sept 1676, were located in Haslingden, Lancashire, down the road a bit from Gambleside. 

The pink locator button is the approximate location of the
Haworth family home, in what used to be the town of Gambleside.
Haslingden is in lower left corner. (Click to make larger)

The church where George was baptized was St. James Church, in Haslingden.  The picture below is the church today.  The original church, from George's time, fell but was rebuilt with the same stones.  According to the church website, "Disaster struck after a long period of burying within the church so that the building became unstable and eventually fell down. In fact in 1772 an entry in the register of burials reads:-

‘February 17th, Mary, daughter of Robert Ashworth of Sabden, who had her grave made near the pillar which occasioned the church to fall before she was buried.’"

St. James Parrish Church, Haslingden

George, as a young man, became a Quaker.  At this time in England, Quaker's were being persecuted for their religious beliefs.   Also, around this same time, William Penn had accepted a land grant in America, which was a debt owed to his father by King Charles II, and which would eventually become Pennsylvania.  He believed it could be a religious refuge for the Quakers, so began a quest to get many in England to move over to the New World. Side note:  George Fox, one of the founder's of the "Religious Society of Friends"  or "Quakers", wrote in his autobiography that he was imprisoned for a year in Derby Prison and when brought before an English magistrate by the name of  Gervase Bennett, told him he should "tremble at the word of the Lord."  The magistrate, after hearing this, called him a “quaker”.  (Tremble - quake.)  At first this was thought to be a derogatory name but the Quakers embraced it and today that is how most of them refer to themselves.  

So George, along with his sister Alice Kenworthy (Kencerly) and her husband John, took Penn up on his offer and headed for Pennsylvania, America in 1699.  You won't want to miss out on all the adventures that take place during this journey, so come back for the next blog and and find out the rest of the story.

Today's Terri's Tidbit:  I have found a fun little website that is a great resource for those doing genealogy and family history.  It is called Genealogy Gophers and to see what it is all about, click here.  I have already found so much fun info on this site and will be returning to it often.