"New Lisburne" - Pelham, Massachussetts, and the Scotch-Irish

In Western Massachusetts, not far from Colrain and Palmer is the town of Pelham. It was originally founded as "New Lisburne" by Ulster-Scots settlers who had landed in Boston in 1718, then moved inland to Worcester, and then further still. As the opening lines of History of Pelham, Mass, from 1738 to 1898 (online here) says:

The people who settled in Pelham in 1738-9 were of Scotch origin, as many of the sturdy names would indicate if it was not definitely known that they were such. They came to this country from Ireland and were commonly called Scotch-Irish...

The story shows the classic pattern - settlement in Ulster, persecution by the state, the 1718 migration, the arrival in New England. The History of Pelham, Mass includes lists of the names of the 41 'proprietors' who were the founders of the settlement - such as McFarland, Gray, Young, Alexander - and maps of the land grants they individually received.

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PRESBYTERIANS: The ancient West Burying Ground has some gravestones which predate the American Revolution; it even as a Betsy Gray who died in 1793.

Of course these people were Presbyterian – "They adhered to the creed, the doctrines and the government, and discipline of the Scotch Presbyterian church to the letter, and brought with them all the church customs and practices that were prevalent in Scotland, and among the Scotch who had made their homes in the North of Ireland for many years previous to coming to Massachusetts." The first minister of the congregation was a Rev Robert Abercrombie:

he preached among Presbyterians at Boston, Worcester, and other places, going about on horseback and in this work became acquainted with Scotch-Irish Presbyterians who went from Worcester to Pelham, before they had become fully established in their new settlement.

In 1745 Abercrombie was one of the founders of the first "Boston Presbytery", along with Rev. Messrs. John Moorhead of Boston, David McGregor of Londonderry, N. H., James McKeon, Alexander Conkey and James Hughes. Jonathan Edwards was present in the area at the time too.

The settlement name was changed to Pelham in 1742, for Lord Pelham.

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DECLARATION: Like in Palmer, and Colrain, Pelham had a committee which (reputedly*) published its own Declaration. It was a compilation of expressions from earlier sources such as William III and Mary II's 1689 Bill of Rights:

I — A.B. Truly and Sincerely acknowledge profess certify and declare that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is and of Right ought to be a free Sovereign and Independent state and I do Swear that I will Bear true faith and allegiance to the said Commonwealth — And that I will defend the same against Traitorous Conspiracies and all hostile attempts whatsoever and that I do Renounce and abjure all allegiance, subjection and obedience to the King, Queen or government of Great Britain (as the case may be) and every other foreign Power whatsover, and that no foreign Prince, Person, Prelate, State or Potentate hath or ought to have any Jurisdiction, Superiority, Preeminence, Authority, Dispensing or other Powers in any Matter Civil, Ecclesiastical, or Spiritual, within this Commonwealth except the authority which is or may be rested by their Constituents in Congress of the United States, and I do further testify and declare that no man or body of men hath or can have any right to absolve or discharge me from the Obligations of this oath Declaration or Affirmation,— and that I do make this acknowledgement, Profession, testimony, Declaration, Denial, renunciation and obligation heartily and truly according to the common meaning and acceptation of the foregoing words without equivocation, mental evasion, or secret reservation whatsoever. So help me God.

John Rankin,

John Haskins,

Andrew Abercrombie

Alexander Berry

Nath'l Sampson

* The History of Pelham on page 345 says that this Declaration was "evidently drawn up and subscribed toby the five men whose names appear, just before the war broke out". However, it looks almost identical to the 1780 Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (online here), so perhaps it dates from that era.

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REVOLUTION: At the Battle of Lexington and Concord of 19 April 1775. Pelham sent a militia of 20 men led by a Colonel David Cowden, with surnames like Gray, Johnson, Rice, Barnes, Alexander, Ferguson, Hunter, McKee, Patterson and Rankin. By August of that year, the Pelham military had almost doubled, adding surnames like McCulloch, Gilmore, Hamilton and McCartney. Joshua Conkey was the drummer, and Silas Conkey was the fifer.

One of the Pelham men who served in the Revolutionary War was Daniel Shays, he was born in Massachusetts to parents believed to have emigrated from County Kerry. The war ended in September 1783 and Shays went back to farming in Pelham. However, in 1786-7 Shays led a rebellion against the government of the state of Massachusetts over the issue of post-war taxation and revenue raising.

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The history of "New Lisburne" / Pelham is yet another example of how much there is still yet to uncover in rural Massachusetts, and like the research in recent years in New England generally, demonstrates that the near fixation on the southern Appalachian story totally misses the scale and scope of Ulster-Scots influence in America. And of a community who believed that liberty was more important than loyalty. 

 

 

Lexington 1775 and the Glorious Revolution 1688 - a contemporary newspaper report from Ireland

In its 26-28 June 1775 edition the Hibernian Journal or Chronicle of Liberty newspaper printed a long article by an author named as Tullus in support of the historic action that had been taken at Lexington two months before on 19 April, by the colonists in America (such as David Spear and his 'Minutemen' in my previous post) and opposing "the despotic measures of the administration".  It was later reprinted in a number of newspapers in Philadelphia and Virginia:

“... If the Americans who lately fought in their own defence, in the defence of their chartered liberties, in defence of their undoubted properties, in defence of their wives and their little ones, nay more, in defence of the constitutions; if those men were rebels, then every man who joined in the Glorious Revolution, every man who drew his sword in this kingdom to oppose an arbitrary Stuart, was an arrant rebel ..."

The Scotch-Irish in Palmer, Massachusetts - and the "Palmer Declaration of Independence, 17 June 1776" / "Born in the north of Airland"

The town of Palmer, Massachusetts is on the route from Boston through Worcester to Springfield, and 60 miles south of Colrain. Its story was published in 1889, entitled History of the Town of Palmer, Massachusetts, early known as The Elbow Tract, by Josiah Howard Temple and is online here.

The settlement of 'Elbow Tract' was founded in 1715 by a John King who had headed west from Boston; when the Ulster-Scots started to arrive in Boston in large numbers in 1718, some moved to 'The Elbows'.

"... Probably the first of these came here in 1720; and others followed at different dates, scattering along till 1733. A part of the Worcester colony, joined by a fresh arrival of their countrymen, settled at Coleraine in 1736; and a company of thirty-four, partly recent emigrants, purchased of Col. John Stoddard, Jan. 1, 1739-40, a township to the east of Amherst, being the northerly section of the Equivalent Lands. To this, the first comers gave the name Lisbon, or New Lisburne - changed to Pelham, on the incorporation of the town Jan. 15, 1742 ..."

Others from Ulster later arrived at Elbow Tract from their Londonderry, New Hampshire settlement, and many of the surnames can be found in the famous Shute Petition. The 'List of Early Settlers' includes many specifically described as being from the north of Ireland - online here.

"... The line marked by the passage of the Chicopee river through the town of 'Palmer, early bestowed upon that tract the name of "The Elbows." On this tract, as early as 1727, settlements were made by a considerable colony of emigrants from the North of Ireland, on grants from the proprietors of Lambstown, now Hardwick, and it is stated that John King made a settlement some ten years earlier.

The settlers were the descendants of a colony of Protestants which migrated from Argyleshire, in Scotland, and settled in the North of Ireland about 1612. They emigrated to this country in 1718, and were the first Presbyterians in the country..."

(from 'History of Western Massachusetts', Vol II, Part III, by JG Holland, 1855)

 

Elbow Tract was renamed as Palmer on 30 January 1752, after a recently deceased Scottish friend of John King's. A Presbyterian congregation and meeting house was founded and the first minister was a Rev John Harvey:

"... it is commonly understood that he was a Scotchman, born in the north of Ireland, and a graduate of the University. Before coming to the Elbows he was employed as a schoolmaster at Londonderry, N. H." .

"... On the 5th day of June, Anno Dom. 1734 the Rev. Mr. John Harvey was ordained the first minister of the church of the Elbow settlement. The ordination was performed by the delegates of the Reverend Presbytery of Londonderry, upon a scaffold, standing on the plain, on the East side of the meadow called Cedar Swamp Meadow, within Mr. Harvey's lot. The Rev Mr. Thomson of Londonderry preached the sermon, and the Rev. Mr. Moorhead gave the charge..."

(from 'History of Western Massachusetts', Vol II, Part III, by JG Holland, 1855) 

 

This Rev John Moorhead was a Newtownards man, and was the minister of the "Church of the Presbyterian Strangers" in Boston. Harvey was succeeded by a Rev Robert Burns, who was "from the North of Ireland, though of Scotch parentage".

Fast forward a couple of generations and the people of Palmer were of course swept up into the momentum of the American Revolution.

One of Palmer's prominent citizens, and an elder of the Presbyterian church, David Spear (1725-1800), gathered a company of 44 'minute men' to march to Lexington on 19 April 1775. The muster roll of those men's names is online here. [His father, David Spear senior (1676-1760), is believed to have been born in Ulster, possibly Coleraine. He and his wife Jane had five sons – David junior, John, William, Calvin and Luther).

(illustration above: Minutemen: Heroes of 1776 / Heroes of 76, Marching to the Fight - Currier & Ives lithograph, 1876)

A few weeks later David Spear junior was appointed as Palmer's representative at the General Assembly of Massachusetts; and on 13 June 1776 a town residents public meeting was called for 17 June. At that meeting, moderated by Robert Ferrell, the people approved the following Declaration:

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"At a very full meeting of ye Inhabitants of Palmer, legally met at ye publick Meeting-house, on Monday, the 17th day of June, 1776 , at one of the clock, ye meeting being opened, Robert Ferrell was chosen moderator: and then proceeded & Voted ye following instructions to the Representative of this Town, now at the General Assembly of this Colony, as ye sentiments of this Town:

That, Whereas, the Court of Great Britain hath by sundry acts of Parliament, assumed the power of Legislation for ye Colonies in all Cases whatsoever, without the Consent of the Inhabitants; - Have likewise, exerted ye assumed power in Raising a Revenue in ye Colonies without their Consent: we cannot justly call that our own, which others may when they please take from us against our wills: - Hath likewise, appointed a New set of officers to superintend these Revenues, wholly unknown in the Charter, and by their commissions, invested with powers altogether unconstitutional, and destructive to ye security which we have a Right to enjoy. Fleets and armies hath been Introduced to support these unconstitutional officers in collecting these unconstitutional Revenues: - Have also altered the Charter of this Colony, and thereby overthrown the Constitution, Together with many other grievous acts of Parliament too grievous to be borne: -The peaceable Inhabitants being alarmed at such repeated inroads on ye Constitution & gigantick strides to despotick power over ye Colonies, Petitioned the King for Redress of grievances separately: -finding that to fail, Petitioned joyntly - begging as children to a Father to be heard and Relieved, But all to no purpose, the Petitions being treated with ye utmost contempt.

The united Colonies finding that No Redress could be had from Great Britain, unitedly agreed to an opposition In the most Peaceable way they could contrive, being willing to try every peaceable measure yt possibly could be invented, rather than Brake with Great Britain.

Great Britain being bent on her favorite scheme of Enslaving ye Colonies, declared them Rebbels & Treated them as such. The Colonies being driven to a state of Dispare from the least Reliefe from them, were obliged by ye laws of self-preservation, to take up arms in their own Defence, and meant to use them only as such. But the dispute has arose to so great a height that it is Impossible for the Colonies ever to be Joyned with Great Britain again, with the least Security & Safety to themselves or posterity.

We, therefore, the Inhabitants of this Town, do believe it absolutely Necessary for the safety of the United Colonies, to be Independent from Great Britain, & Declare themselves Intirely a Separate State, as we can se no alternative but Inevitable ruin, or Independence. - But as there is a General Congress of the United Colonies, composed of Honourable, wise and good men, who sit at the Head of affairs, consulting measures which will be most for the Safety and Prosperity of the whole; & have the means of Intelligence and Information in their hands, we submit the whole affair to their wise Consideration & Determination: - And if they shall unite in a separation from Great Britain, we do unanimously determine & declare we will Support them with our Lives and Fortunes!

We do Direct the Representative of this Town to lay these votes before the Honourable General Assembly of this Colony, to Enable them to communicate our Sentiments to the Honourable Continental Congress.

Robert Ferrell, Moderator

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• This predates the eventual 4th July Declaration of Independence by 17 days.

• A catalogue of births, deaths and marriages for Palmer, entitled Vital Records of Palmer, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850, was published in Boston by the New England Historic Genealogical Society in 1905. Its Publications Committee included renowned historian of the Scotch-Irish in America, Charles Knowles Bolton (1867–1950) - online here.

• The Spears and other early families were buried in Palmer Center Cemetery, which can be searched on FindAGrave.com here.

• There is a series of gravestone 'Tablets and Epitaphs' at the back of the book, which include references such as "Born in ye county of Antrim, in Airland", "Born in the north of Airland", "Formerly of Londonderry", "Born in ye county of Derry, Ireland" - online here.

2050 - Winston Marshall in conversation with R.R. Reno of 'First Things'.

"[Germany] won't even exist as a coherent country in the next generation ... and I think the same thing is true of Great Britain. The same trajectory of demographic change, low fertility, a general attack on any attempt to reconsolidate the country around some sort of shared mythos ... by the time you get to 2050 the country has effectively disintegrated. It may continue to exist as a legal entity ... Saint Augustine identified that the thing that makes a mass into a people are shared loves ... I would say if I'm Great Britain, you want to blow on the embers of that love, make it stronger, make it more than just a bureaucratic operation... "

20 May 1775 - The Mecklenburg Declaration and the Ulster-Scots / Scotch-Irish

(this is a recap / summary of various posts which have appeared here over the years)
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250 years ago, on 20 May 1775, a local committee of overwhelmingly Ulster-Scots descent, met in Charlotte, North Carolina, to compose their ‘Mecklenburg Declaration’.

They had founded the county and its main town in 1762, and in doing so they had expressed their loyalty to the King by naming each after his bride, Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg. However less than a decade later on 16 May 1771, the King’s troops opened fire on thousands of them at the Battle of Alamance in Orange County.

Some of those who had been at Alamance moved westwards to establish a new settlement, independent from the Crown, within Cherokee country and with Cherokee co-operation. 

Some of those who stayed, such as Rev David Caldwell, were influential in writing the ‘Mecklenburg Declaration’. Caldwell cited their ancestral defiance of Derry and Enniskillen in 1689 - “They our forefathers, or many of them, sacrificed at Londonderry and Enniskillen their lives, that they might hand down to us the fair inheritance of liberty”

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Of the 27 who gathered at Charlotte, nine were elders in local Presbyterian churches. Their Declaration asserted “the inherent and inalienable rights of man”, and that “we do hereby declare ourselves a free and independent people”.

Captain James Jack (whose father Patrick Jack was from Ireland, and whose grandfather was Rev William Jack from Donegal - one of the thousands of ministers across our islands who had been persecuted by King Charles II in the 1660s) took copies of the Mecklenburg Declaration on horseback as fast as possible to Philadelphia.

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Two months later, the Presbyterian Synod for all of the 13 British Colonies in America issued a Pastoral Letter to all of its member congregations, advising them all to:

"... let every opportunity be taken to express your attachment and respect to our Sovereign King George, and to the (1688) Revolution principles by which his august family was seated on the British throne ..."

however, that

"... Hostilities, long feared, have now taken place; the sword has been drawn, in one Province, and the whole Continent, with hardly any exception, seem determined to defend their rights by force of arms ... If, at the same time, the British Ministry shall continue to enforce their claims by violence, a lasting and bloody contest must be expected ..."

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In later years, some in Washington DC challenged the authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration, especially Thomas Jefferson, but its date of 20 May 1775 was later incorporated into the design of the official flag of North Carolina.

David Starkey: Britain Is No Longer a Democracy | Peter McCormack Show

“... the American revolution isn’t like the French Revolution … the American Revolution is really a continuation of the great struggles in England at the end of the 17th century, more particularly of the Glorious Revolution of 1688-89, and what the Americans are doing is recreating that idea of self-government... ” - (go to 26 minutes for this extract)

 

"Fighting for the Flag"? A new flag for Northern Ireland

This week has marked the 80th anniversary of 'VE Day' when the European dimension of World War II ended. So, the Union Flag has been all over the media coverage, but not as an assertion of nationality but rather a celebration of liberation. Flags, like all symbols, in themselves have no meaning – it is how we respond to them gives them meaning.

What of Northern Ireland? This hoary old chestnut resurfaces ever now and again. To be fair, the discussion earlier this week on BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show (6 May, on iPlayer here) was mostly pretty sensible, especially at 43:40 when Dr Dominic Bryan chipped in, and cited the "hexagonal thing" that I designed just over 20 years ago as the corporate identity for the Northern Ireland Executive and its Departments.

I agree with him - given its 'sharedness', and distinctiveness, the Red Hand of Ulster has most potential as a core emblem. As with modern commercial branding, a family of designs in multiple styles might be worth thinking about, with a Red Hand as a centrepiece. It could be adaptable to suit various contexts and settings – maybe like the legendary British Airways 'ethnic liveries' tailfins. Like everything, it ain't what you do it's the way that you do it. A 'high five' with open, relaxed, digits is not the same as a defensive rigid 'stop' or a clenched fist.

One of the listeners - Brian from Enniskillen - who phoned in made an important, essential, point at 58:40. World War II was a fight for freedom, not a fight for a flag. Nobody 'fights for a flag' as a cosmetic combination of shapes and colours. 

In my various travels around England, the flags of the 'Black Country', of Dorset, of Devon, of Cornwall, these are all more prominent in those counties and regions than the national Union Flag is. There is pride in the local.