GLOSSARY:
In support of ...
BLUPETE'S HISTORY OF NOVA SCOTIA: 1600-1763.
Twelve Immigrant Ships: The Arrivals at Halifax, 1750-52.1
| The Ship | Date of Arrival 2 | Port of Origin | No. of Immigrants 3 | No. of Days to Cross 4 | No. of Deaths |
| Alderney | Sept. 3rd, 1750 | London | Unknown | 72 | Unknown |
| Ann | Sept. 13th, 1750 | Rotterdam | 305 | 74 | 17 |
| Nancy | Sept. 25th, 1750 | London | Unknown | 74 | Unknown |
| Speedwell | July 21st, 1751 | Rotterdam | 212 | 76 | 17 |
| Gale | Aug. 8th, 1751 | Rotterdam | 205 | 70 | 9 |
| Pearl | Sept. 24th, 1751 | Rotterdam | 232 | 86 | 32 |
| Murdock | Sept. 31st, 1751 | Rotterdam | 269 | 98 | 29 |
| Speedwell | July 14th, 1752 | Rotterdam | 203 | 75 | 13 |
| Betty | July 14th, 1752 | Rotterdam | 154 | 75 | 7 |
| Pearl | Aug. 21, 1752 | Rotterdam | 212 | 90 | 39 |
| Gale | Sept. 6th, 1752 | Rotterdam | 220 | 110 | 29 |
| Sally | Sept. 6th, 1752 | Rotterdam | 218 | 120 | 40 |
- A Procession of Immigrant Ships:
- 1750:
- Alderney:
- The Alderney (504 tons) was loaded up from a dock near London and got away from Gravesend, it is estimated, June 23rd, 1750. Due to contrary winds she made little progress down the channel, so, before encountering the broad Atlantic she put in at Plymouth on July 17th in order to top up her supplies. She came into Halifax Harbour on September 3rd. The passenger lists for the Nancy and the Alderney, unfortunately, have not come down to us.5
- Ann:
- The ship Ann arrived at Halifax on September 13th, 1750. She left Rotterdam July 5th. As was the case for all the "Palatine Ships," the Ann was obliged to call in at Portsmouth for official inspection before proceeding to sea. She carried 322 passengers who had been upwards 12 weeks aboard. Seventeen of them died during the voyage. Of the 322: 190 (93 males) were adult persons (persons over 14 years of age). Seventy-seven children between the ages of 4 and 14, and 55 small children under 4. The voyage had been a tough one, though likely not too abnormal for the times. Stormy weather had tossed the ship around sufficiently to stave in several water casks, which, of course, dictated short rations.
- Nancy:
- The Nancy (90 tons) arrived at Halifax on September 25th, 1750. She had sailed from London on July 13th, though her passengers had been aboard for a week or so before that. The passenger lists for the Nancy and the Alderney, unfortunately, have not come down to us. (Since I made this statement, I received an e-mail directing me to http://www.progenealogists.com/palproject/ns/1750aldnan.htm )
- 1751:
- Speedwell:
- The Speedwell was a snow of 190 tons6. She had set sail at Rotterdam and arrived at Halifax on July 21st, 1751. Two hundred and twelve persons disembarked after having been at sea for approximately two and half months; seventeen persons had died on route. Bell points out that the passengers were often put on the vessels for upwards to two weeks before the ship sailed, usually, because the agent (in this case John Dick) didn't have any other place to put them, and, there was always the fear of losing them to one of the competitors. Also, it should be pointed out, that these desperate people would not be allowed by the port officials at Halifax to immediately disembark but would often have to continue to stay aboard the vessels for a number of days while those in officialdom went about their checks and re-checks.
- Gale:
- The ship Gale arrived at Halifax on August 8th, 1751. She had aboard 205 settlers. She had set sail at Rotterdam on June 12th. Nine persons died on route.
- Pearl:
- The ship Pearl arrived at Halifax on September 24th, 1751. She had aboard 232 settlers. She had set sail at Rotterdam on July 2nd. Thirty-two persons died on route.
- Murdock:
- The ship Murdock arrived at Halifax on September 31st, 1751. She had aboard 269 settlers. She had set sail at Rotterdam on June 25th. Twenty-nine persons died on route.
- 1752:
- Speedwell:
- The Speedwell arrived at Halifax on July 14th, 1752, after having left Rotterdam, together with the Betty, on 17th May, 1752. Two hundred and three persons came ashore with 13 having died since departing Rotterdam. A significant number of Montbéliards were aboard.
- Betty:
- The ship Betty (140 tons; Captain Warden) arrived at Halifax on July 14th, 1752, after having left Rotterdam, together with the Speedwell, on 17th May, 1752. One hundred and fifty-four persons came ashore with 7 having died since departing Rotterdam. A significant number of Montbéliards were aboard.7
- Pearl:
- The ship Pearl arrived at Halifax on August 21, 1752. She had left Rotterdam in company with the Gale on June 10th, 1752. Two hundred and twelve persons came ashore with 39 having died since departing Rotterdam. The authorities at Halifax concerned about the possibility of contagious disease aboard, left her at anchor in the Harbour for two weeks.
- Sally:
- The ship Sally (Captain Robinson who died on route; William Brocklebank, first mate) arrived at Halifax together with the Gale on September 6th, 1752. She had left Rotterdam at the end of May. Two hundred and eighteen persons came ashore with 40 having died since departing Rotterdam. The authorities at Halifax, concerned about the possibility of contagious disease aboard, left her at anchor in the Harbour for three weeks.
- Gale:
- The ship Gale arrived at Halifax together with the Sally on September 6th, 1752. She had left Rotterdam in company with the Pearl on June 10th, 1752. Two hundred and twenty persons came ashore with 29 having died since departing Rotterdam. The authorities at Halifax, concerned about the possibility of contagious disease aboard, left her at anchor in the Harbour for three weeks.
- 1750:
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Most all of information on this page has come from Winthrop Bell's work, Foreign Protestants. See, in particular, pp. 159, 179, 193, 198-9, 222, 237-40, & 251.
[2] The dates used cannot be accepted as being dead-on accurate. They are best guesses based on Winthrop Bell's data. Also, unless otherwise indicated I use the new style date.
[3] These are exact numbers landed at Halifax. The numbers that had embarked at the port of origin, of course, was larger due to deaths during the crossing. For the most part, the passenger lists are now available on line: check blupete's genealogy links page. If you can trace lineage back to a family who lived in Lunenburg County, or somewhere along the south-shore of Nova Scotia; and had a family name as listed next, then it is likely that you had an ancestor on one of the listed ships: Andrews, Baker, Baltzer, Barkhouse, Beck, Bezanson, Bissett, Boutilier, Clattenburg, Cole, Conrad, Cook, Corkum, Creaser, Crouse, Dauphinee, Eisenhauer, Eisenor, Gaetz, Gates, Harnish, Hatt, Hawbolt, Heisler, Himmelman, Hirtle, Hupman, Isnor, Jollimore, Joudrey, Kaulbach, Keyser, Kline, Langille, Mader, Mason, Maxner, Miller, Mosher, Naugle, Neiforth, Oxner, Patriquin, Payzant, Pentz, Publicover, Rafuse, Ramey, Rhodenhizer, Ritcey, Robar, Romkey, Schwartz, Slauenwhite, Smith, Snair, Sperry, Sponagle, Swinnimer, Tanner, Trider, Vienot, Wagner, Young, Zink, and Zwicker.
[4] The number of days spent crossing the Atlantic are, by and large (based on Mr. Bell's data) estimated. In addition, the immigrants spent a week or so abroad the vessel in Europe before getting under way; and, upwards to one, two or three weeks in Halifax Harbour in quarantine, especially where a high mortality was experienced during the crossing.
[5] Bell, p. 282. Given the size of the vessels, and, relating that to the numbers of Dick's ships of similar size, it might be estimated between the two, the Nancy and the Alderney, that there was better than 500, of which, 150 were "German/Swiss."
[6] I have set out, where found, the tonnage of these ships. As I write elsewhere, tonnage, as a measure during the 18th century, varied greatly and it is difficult to visualize the size based on tonnage; but, for those who have seen the replica of Captain Bligh's ship, HMS Bounty, which numerous Nova Scotians have seen, and countless others have seen in the movie, might take note (as did Bell at p. 229) that she, the Bounty, the original, built in 1784, was 220 tons.
[7] Bell, pp. 193-4.