Immigration
My DNA tests tell me that I am 100% Northern and Western European. I seem to have a 4g-grandmother and a 6g-grandfather who were Native American, which would give me about 2% of my DNA, but that doesn't appear in the test results. With that caveat, all of my ancestral lines must have crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the past 400 years. There were probably many dozens of immigration events, maybe over a hundred, but I only know of a few. This page gives the details that I have been able to discover. The first ones came over in 1630, and the last in 1892.
Counties of England
The majority of immigrants to America in the 17th Century came from England, or more generally the British Isles, and my immigrant ancestors fit this pattern. Many came to avoid religious persecution, and establishing the religion of their choice was an important consideration. The Church of England, under Charles I, actively persecuted Puritans, Quakers, Presbyterians and Catholics. Therefore I have tried to describe what is known about the religious affiliations of the immigrants. Most from eastern England were Puritans, and those from Scotland were Presbyterians.
Many of my ancestors left England well before the English Civil War (1645 - 1651).
See the individual pages for more details.
1630 - England to Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony
Thomas HOWLETT (mid 20s)
A single man in his mid 20s, Thomas HOWLETT came to America from England, by 1630, probably with Winthrop's fleet. He became member #51 in the Boston church, on 27 Aug 1630. In 1633 he settled in Agawam (later called Ipswich, about 30 miles north of Boston). At about the same time, he married Alice FRENCH.
1630, 1633, 1638 - Assington, Suffolk, England to Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Thomas FRENCH family: (ages in 1630) Thomas (46), Susan (46),
Thomas Jr (22), Alice (20), Dorcas(16), Susan (14), Anne (13), Margaret (11), John (8), Mary (6)
Thomas and Susan (RIDDDLESDALE) FRENCH and their 6 children came from Assington, in southern Suffolk, England, to the Boston area, abut they didn't all come at the same time. In 1630 Thomas Jr and his sister Alice came to Boston, as servants of the John WINTHROP family. Their sisters Dorcas and Susan arrived in 1633. The rest of the family made the journey between 1633 and 1638. All eventually settled in Ipswich, where Alice married Thomas HOWLETT.
1630 - Essex, England to Braintree, Massachusetts Bay Colony
William ALLIS (14-17)
William ALLIS was born between 1613 and 1616, in England. He came to New England as a teenager in 1630, in Winthrop's fleet. This group of 11 ships carried 700 immigrants. One of the ships was the Mayflower, the same ship that had brought the first Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620. [HDA] argues that William ALLIS was on this ship, which carried mostly people from London, and Essex County, so it is likely that William was from that area. The ship landed at Boston (then called Trimountain), on 1 Jul 1630.
The Mayflower on this, its third voyage, had as passengers a group called the Braintree Company, including William ALLIS, Thomas GRAVES and Thomas MEEKER, whose descendants intermarried. GRAVES and ALLIS were both surveyors and laid out the town or fort of Charlestown. The Braintree Company settled in Mount Wollaston, which they soon renamed Braintree, after the town of the same name in Essex, England.
The town of Braintree (Mount Wollaston) was settled in 1625, colonized in 1635 and incorporated in 1640. In addition to the present Braintree, now a suburb of Boston, it comprised land that was later split-off into the separate municipalities of Quincy (incorporated in 1792), Randolph (1793), and Holbrook (1872). Braintree was part of Suffolk County until the formation of Norfolk County in 1793.
1635 Apr - London, England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Immigrants: The KILBOURN family
Thomas (55), Frances, (50), Margaret (23), Lydia (22), Mary (16), Frances (12), John (10)
also, traveling with the MARVIN family: Mary MARVIN (7), future wife of Richard BUSHNELL,
and John WARNER (20)
The KILBOURN family traveled on the Increase, which embarked from the port of London on 15 Apr 1635, bound for New England, under the command of Mr. Robert LEA.
1635 Apr - Hertfordshire, England to Massachusetts Bay Colony
Immigrants: The BEARDSLEY family
William (30), Marie (26), Marie (4), John (2), Joseph (6 months)
They sailed from London on the Planter, commanded by Captain TRAVICE, on 2 Apr 1635, and landed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where John became a freeman on 7 Dec 1636. Soon after, they moved on to the Colony of Connecticut, staying in Hartford and Wethersfield until 1638, when they went further west, and were among the founders of Stratford. William and Marie had 4 more children, in Stratford.
Also on the Planter was Francis BUSHNELL, with his wife and child (below).
1635 - Horsham, Sussex, England to Boston and Salem, MA
Immigrants: 5 BUSHNELL brothers and their families.
Edmund (29), Martha, Edward (6), Elizabeth (4)
Francis Jr (26), Marie (26), Elizabeth (1)
William (24), John (21), Richard (12)
Francis BUSHNELL Jr immigrated with his wife and child, on The Planter, with Nicholas TRERICE, Master. They left England on 6 Apr 1635 and arrived in Boston on 7 Jun 1635. Francis was 26, listed as a carpenter. His wife was 26, and their daughter was 1. In 1637 he was granted land in Salem, MA, but in 1640 he settled in Guilford, CT where his father and sisters had arrived the previous year (see below). [GEB, p. 31]
William and Richard BUSHNELL may have traveled with their brother, Francis Jr, but at any rate, they seem to have immigrated at about the same time. William was 24 and Richard was 12 in 1635. The three brothers all went to Guilford before 1646.
John BUSHNELL also immigrated in the spring of 1635, on the ship Hopewell. He was 21 and single, and settled in Salem, with his brothers, and it seems he did not go to Guilford, but lived in Boston. [GEB, p. 37] In the ship's manifest he is a glazier (glass worker). [JCH, p. 49]
Edmund BUSHNELL, son of Francis and Ferris, was still in England on 21 Sep 1635, but left shortly thereafter, as he received a grant of land in Boston under the Act of Nov 1635. He must have traveled, with his wife and 2 small children, on the ship True Love. Edmund was 29 or older, his wife Martha's age is unknown, and the children were 5 and 3. Edmund died in Boston on 28 Mar 1636, and his wife and children remained in Boston.
1635 Jul 13 - Wales to Hampton, NH
Immigrants: Edmund JOHNSON (23), and possibly his wife, Mary
Edmund JOHNSON was approved on 13 Jul 1635, for travel on the ship James, with ship's master John MAY, departing from London and landing in New England. He settled in Winnicumet, NH, from which the town of Hampton was formed in 1639. By 1639 Edmund had a wife and son in Hampton.
1635 Aug 10 - Essex, England to Cambridge, Massachusetts Bay Colony
Immigrants: William (32) and Elizabeth FRENCH, and children: Francis (10), Elizabeth (6), Mary (2 1/2) and John (5 mos)
The FRENCH family lived in Halstead, Essex, England, where William was born on 15 Mar 1603. They booked passage on the Defence on 4 Jul 1635, with Captain Thomas BOSTOCK, which left the port of Hartwick, Essex, England on 10 Aug 1635, bound for Boston, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The family settled first in Cambridge, moving on to Dunstable in 1652.
William had a brother, John FRENCH, who also immigrated, appearing in Cambridge as early as 1637. Both William and John were tailors, but I have not found evidence of them working in that profession in Cambridge. Another immigrant, Richard FRENCH, may have been related.
William and Elizabeth FRENCH were members of The First Church of Cambridge, which was "Congregational in doctrine" at that time.
1635 Oct - Essex, England to Watertown, Massachusetts Bay Colony
Immigrants: Isaac (34) and Anne CUMMINGS and their 3 children: Ann (6), John (5) and Isaac Jr (2)
The CUMMINGS family lived in Mistley, Essex, England, where Isaac was born in 1601. The family traveled to Boston in Oct 1635, appearing in Watertown in 1636. By 1638, Isaac had procured land in Ipswich and Topsfield, and settled in Topsfield, north of Boston.
Isaac CUMMINGS was a Deacon of "the church in Topsfield for many years". I think this refers to the Congregational Church of Topsfield.
1635 - Colchester, Essex, England to Wethersfield, Colony of Connecticut
Hugh WELLS (45), Frances (BELCHER) WELLS (37) and their children, Thomas (15), Hugh Jr (10), Mary (9), John (7),
also Richard WELLS and Joseph WELLS, younger brothers of Hugh Sr.
The family came to New England in 1635, in the Globe, along with Hugh's younger brothers, Richard and Joseph. They landed in Boston, and went to Hartford, CT, the next year, and Hugh settled his family in Wethersfield, CT.
1636 - England to Kent Island, Colony of Maryland
Immigrant: William MEDCALF (16)
William MEDCALF was born about 1620, in England. He came to St Mary's, Maryland in 1636, and was indentured to serve 4 years for his transport, to Captain George EVELIN (or EVELYN). In 1638 Captain EVELIN was appointed commander of the settlement in Kent Island, the largest island in Chesapeake Bay.
The Colony of Maryland was first settled by English Catholics, who sought to escape persecution by the Church of England. The early history of Maryland featured many clashes between the Catholics and Puritans. George EVELIN, and hence, William MEDCALF seems to have been on the Puritan side. There was also a George MEDCALF who was among the Catholics.
The details of William's life are very sketchy. His birth date of 1620 is only a guess, and his wife and children are unknown, except that he is thought to be the father of William MEDCALF II, born about 1675 on Kent Island, and hence the progenitor of the Maryland MEDCALFs.
1637 - Badby, Daventry, Northamptonshire, England to Farmington, Colony of Connecticut
Immigrant: John ROOTE (29)
John ROOTE was born on 26 Feb 1608 in Badby, according to Parish records. His parents, John ROOTE Sr and Mary RUSSELL, were married in 1600, and had children: Mary, Susannah, Thomas, and John Jr, in Badby. When John Sr died, John Jr was adopted by his wealthy uncle, a brother of John Sr.
The ROOTEs were Puritans, and John's uncle was a zealous anti-Catholic, who insisted that John should join the Parliamentary army under Cromwell, to fight against Charles I, and the Catholics. However, John didn't like the idea of going to war, and joined a group of Puritans who were emigrating to America, about 1637, when John was 28 or 29, and single. Around 1640 he settled in Farmington, CT, where he was one of the founders, and a leading citizen. He has been known ever since as John ROOTE of Farmington.
1639 - England to Windsor, Colony of Connecticut
John DUMBLETON (19)
John DUMBLETON first appeared in Windsor, CT in 1639-40, a single man of about 20. He was an indentured servant or Mr. William WHITING, of Hartford. John was working on the farmland in Windsor that William WHITING had purchased from Mr. Roger LUDLOW.
Windsor was the site of the first English settlement in Connecticut, which began with a trading post in 1633. It was first incorporated in 1637, and was still very much on the frontier in 1640, when a famine struck. An argument over a purchase of grain from the Indians caused an argument which changed the relationship between the settlers in Springfield and Hartford, with Windsor lying between the two. As a result, the settlements on the Connecticut River in Massachusetts, although physically and ideologically closer to the settlements down river in Connecticut, were politically aligned with the Massachusetts Bay Colony, with its theocratic headquarters in Boston.
1639 - Bilston, County of Stafford, England to Springfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony
John LEONARD (19) and 2 brothers
1639 mid July - Horsham and Ockley, Sussex, England to Guilford, CT
Immigrants: Francis BUSHNELL Sr (59), Rebecca (28), Sarah (14)
Thomas NORTON (56), Grace and children
Francis BUSHNELL and his daughters, Sarah and Rebecca, emigrated about 20 May 1639, in the company of Rev. Henry WHITFIELD, aboard the ship St. John. The passengers were soon to become the first settlers of Guilford, Colony of New Haven. While at sea, on 1 Jun 1639, the company formulated a covenant, pledging mutual assistance, sometimes called the "Guilford Covenant" or "The Plantation Covenant," which was signed by Francis BUSHNELL, and the Rev. John HOADLEY, who later married Sarah BUSHNELL.
They landed at Fair Haven, CT between 10 and 15 Jul 1639. In Sep 1639 the deed was signed for their new settlement at Menunkatuck, purchased of the Quinipiac Indians, which they named Guilford. The original town had 40 people, of whom 28 were heads of families, and 25 were signers of the covenant. [HFS, vol 2, p. 516]
Also on the ship was Thomas NORTON, his wife Grace (WELLS) NORTON, and probably most of their 7 children. They came from Ockley, Surrey, England, where Thomas was Warden in Henry WHITFIELD's church. Thomas and Grace, and Francis BUSHNELL, were all g-grandparents of John SEWARD, my 6g-grandfather.
1640 - Staffordshire, England to Wethersfield, Colony of Connecticut
Richard BELDING, with sons William (17), John (9), Samuel (8), and possibly others
1643 - Yorkshire, England to Rowley, Massachusetts Bay Colony
Immigrants: John PEARSON (33), possibly with his wife, Dorcas PICKARD (22)
John PEARSON may have first come to Ipswich, but soon settled in Rowley, by 1643. The settlement in Rowley was established in 1639, and John was not among the first settlers. It is not known whether he was married before or after his voyage from England.
1645 - Sagan, Selesia, Germany and Lyddington, Rutland, England to Lyme, Colony of Connecticut
Immigrants: Balthasar DE WOLF (24) and Alice PECK (20)
The first record of Balthasar DE WOLF is in Hartford, Connecticut, 5 Mar 1656, when he was fined for smoking in public. However, it is thought that he was married about 1645, in Connecticut, as his oldest son was born about 1646, probably in Connecticut. His wife was Alice PECK, born 26 Feb 1625 in Lyddington, Rutland, England to William PECK and Elizabeth Sarah HOLT.
The origin of Balthasar DE WOLF has been the subject of much speculation. The best evidence seems to indicate that he was born about 1621 in Żagań, or Sagan, which is now in Poland, in the northwest part of the historic region of Silesia, once part of Prussia.
We can only guess whether Balthasar and Alice immigrated together, or when and where they met. The DE WOLF family settled in Lyme, Colony of Connecticut, and some of their descendants became very wealthy traders.
1647 - British Isles to Boston, MA
Immigrant: John HUNTLEY (24)
John HUNTLEY first appeared in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, on 12 Jul 1647. He probably came from somewhere in the British Isles, in or shortly before 1647.
The next year there is an account dated 1 May, 1648 between John PEASE and John HUNTLEY, about a load of fish which HUNTLEY had shipped to the Barbados in the Welcome, with John ALLEN, Master. We can only speculate as to whether shipping fish to Barbados was something that John HUNTLEY did regularly.
Some have claimed that John HUNTLEY had come to Boston by way of Barbados. There was a William HUNTLEY, possibly related, an inhabitant of St. Philip’s Parish, Barbados, who died in St. Philip’s Parish, and was buried there 1 August, 1679. He was the owner of 5 acres of land and 2 slaves.
John's son Aaron HUNTLEY was baptized on 27 Oct 1657, in the First Church of Roxbury, a Congregational Church in Roxbury, MA, 2 miles southwest of Boston.
1647 - Norfolk, England to Saybrook, Connecticut
Immigrant: Henry CHAMPION (36)
Henry CHAMPION was born in or near Norwich, Norfolk, England, about 1611. He first appeared in Saybrook, Connecticut in 1647.
1654 - England to the Colony of Connecticut
Immigrant: Walter LEE (24)
Walter LEE was born about 1630, in England. He first appeared in Connecticut in 1654, where he was admitted a freeman. He was in Northampton, MA in 1656, and Westfield, MA in 1665.
Walter must not have been on the best of terms with the church at Westfield, for he was fined for threshing corn on the Sabbath.
1714 - Müsen, Germany to Germanna Colony, part of the Colony of Virginia
Immigrants: Johan Jost MERTEN (23) and Maria OTTERBACH (15)
Johan MERTEN was born on 24 May 1691, in Müsen, a small mining village near Siegen, in western Germany, the 3rd of 11 children born to Hans Jacob MERTEN (23 Sep 1660 - 26 Aug 1693) and Anna Barbara WURMBACH (21 May 1667 - 10 Mar 1741). He immigrated to the Colony of Virginia in 1714, as part of a group of 42 German immigrants who were the first occupants of the Germanna Colony, at the invitation of Governor Spotswood. Among the group of immigrants were Johan's future wife, Maria OTTERBACH, and his half-brother, Melchior BROMBACH. In America, Johan was called John Joycelyn MARTIN, and later John Joseph MARTIN.
Siegen in modern Germany
Germany in 1648 was a fragmented jumble of small states. In the upper left part of the map, the city of Köln (Cologne) lies on the Rhine River. A little to the southeast, the Sieg River flows west into the Rhine. There are two places labeled Siegburg, and I think the one on the right is Siegen.
The Germanna Colony was located in Essex (now Fauquier) County, Virginia. A bend in the Rapidan river encloses the two-square-mile area on three sides, leaving access only from the south. It was hoped that this would provide some protection from Indian attacks. The county names and boundaries have changed, and this area is now in the northeastern corner of Orange County, Virginia, although little remains of the fort. Incidentally, of the original 42 settlers, 13 were named John (or Johan)!
Fauquier County in Virginia
The site of the Germanna Colony on the Rapidan River
The 12 men in the group were to work as miners. They had all come from the Siegen area, and were experienced in various types of mining. When they first arrived, the permission to begin mining had not yet been given, as it had not been decided how much of the proceeds would go to the crown. The settlers spent their time improving their living conditions, and searching the area for traces of precious metals and iron deposits.
1727 - Raphoe, Donegal, Ireland to Lancaster, PA
Immigrants: Extended HARRIS Family
Ayrshire in red, the rest of Scotland in pink
Ayrshire, or Ayr Shire
Brothers Edward and Charles HARRIS/HERRIES fled together from their ancestral home in Ayrshire, Scotland to Raphoe, Donegal, Ireland, in the mid 17th Century. I don't know what happened to Charles HARRIS after that. Edward HARRIS married Flora DOUGLAS, in 1665, in Ireland. Flora was b. 1622 in Glenmaquin, the daughter of William DOUGLAS.
Many descendants of Edward HARRIS and Flora DOUGLAS brought their families from County Donegal, Ireland, to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, during the period 1715-35. In particular, Robert HARRIS, son of Edward and Flora, and his wife Dorothy WYLIE, brought their 8 children, and their families, to America in 1727. Robert himself fell ill, and died within sight of land. He was buried in Philadelphia. His sons and daughter all made their way to Lancaster County, PA.
County Donegal in green, Northern Ireland in red.
Raphoe, Donegal is near the border with County Tyrone.
The HARRIS family were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. Thousands of Presbyterians in Scotland were "encouraged" to migrate to the northern part of Ireland, where they occupied lands taken from the native Irish. They became known as the Scotch-Irish, and many of them later migrated to America. The HARRISes fit into this group.
1851 Mar 3 - Lincolnshire, England to DeKalb, IL
Immigrant: Emanuel STURGES
A single man of 25, Emanuel STURGES immigrated to America, arriving in New York on 3 Mar 1851. He traveled on the ship Princeton, with "a party of friends." Emanuel settled first in DeKalb County, IL, and later in Kane County. In about 1856 he married Margaret SHARKEY, an immigrant from Ireland.
1850s - Mecklenburg, Germany to Kane, IA
Immigrant: Sophie SASS (< 41)
Sophie SASS was born in Mecklenburg, Germany on 5 Aug 1825. She appeared in Kane County, IL on 8 May 1866, when she married Philip HAUSLEIN. Here son Fred, from a previous marriage, was adopted by Philip, and became known as Frederick "Fritz" HAUSLEIN. I don't know whether SASS was Sophie's maiden name, or the name of her first husband.
Fritz was born about 1857, and died in 1899. Various records have his birthplace as Germany, Illinois and Missouri. If he was born in Germany, the Sophie and Fritz, and perhaps other family members, came to America between 1857 and 1866. If Fritz was born in Illinois or Missouri, then Sophie immigrated before 1857.
1855 - Ireland to DeKalb County, IL
Immigrant: Margaret SHARKEY (18)
Margaret SHARKEY has been an enigma. Nothing is known with certainty before she married Emanuel STURGES in DeKalb County, IL on 24 Apr 1860. The 1900 US Census tells us that she was born in Jan 1837, in Ireland, and that she immigrated in 1854. However, it is claimed that she was first married to a KENNEDY, and there is a marriage record for a Margarita SHARKEY and Thomas KENNEDY in Templemichael, Ireland on 13 Feb 1855. I believe that they came to America shortly after marriage, possibly with a son John KENNEDY, and settled in Chicago.
1892 Aug 11 - Wawelno, Poland to Kane, IL
Immigrant: John GAPINSKI (25)
According to his citizenship application, John GAPINSKI was born on 1 Jan 1867 in Wanwelna, Poland. I have not found any Wanwelna in Poland, but there is a Wawelno in southwestern Poland. He immigrated to America, departing from Bremen, Germany on 1 Aug 1892 and arriving at New York City on 11 Aug, 1892. He settled in Kane, IL, where he married Louisa (HAUSLEIN) HUMBRACHT on 15 Jun 1901. Louisa was the daughter of Fred HAUSLEIN (above) and Maria BAUERS.
The map above shows where my immigrant ancestors first settled. There were others who settled in North and South Carolina, and many other places, but I have not yet discovered the details.
Sources
[BI] British immigrants
[EI] English Immigration to America Timeline
[GEB] Bushnell family genealogy : ancestry and posterity of Francis Bushnel (1945) George Eleazer Bushnell
[GMB] The Great Migration Begins/Immigrants to New England 1620-1633 by Robert Charles Anderson (1995) (requires Ancestry.com license)
[GM] The Great Migration/Immigrants to New England 1634-1635 by Robert Charles Anderson et al (1999) (requires Ancestry.com license)
[MA] Map of Ayrshire, Scotland (zoomable)
[RBB] The Great Puritan Migration, by Rebecca Beatrice Brooks, on History of Massachusetts Blog
Last updated 20 Sep 2020 by William Haloupek. Contact haloupek at gmail dot com.