Coming To America

 


John Hugh and his family left Liverpool on 17 April, 1698 on a ship
named the "Robert and Elizabeth."  The Robert and Elizabeth docked at
Philadelphia's Delaware River port facilities three months later on 17 July
1698.
        In 1702, John's brother-in-law (Edward Foulke), who was on the same
1698 voyage, wrote an account of the trip in his native Welsh language, and
about a century later one of Edward's descendants translated the account to
English.  The translation reads, "We lived (in Wales) at a place called
Coodyfoel, a farm belonging to Rodger Price, of Rhewless, in Merionethshire,
aforesaid.  But in process of time, I had an inclination to remove thence
with my family, to the province of Pennsylvania, and in order thereto, we
set out on the 3d day of the Second month, April, Anno Domini, 1698, and
came in two days to Liverpool, where, with divers others who intended to go
the voyage, we took shipping the 17th of the same month, on board the Robert
and Elizabeth, and the next day, set sail for Ireland, where we arrived and
staid until the 1st of the third month, May, and thence sailed again for
Pennsylvania, and were about eleven weeks at sea -- and the sore distemper
of the bloody flux broke out in the vessel, of which died five and forty
persons in our passage.  The distemper was so mortal, that two or three
corpses were cast over every day, while it lasted.  But through the favor
and mercy of Devine Providence, I, with my wife and nine children, escaped
that sore mortality, and arrived safe at Philadelphia about the 17th of the
fifth month, July, where we were kindly received and entertained by our
friends and old acquaintance, until I purchased a tract of about seven
hundred acres of land, about sixteen miles from Philadelphia, on a part of
which I settled.  Divers others of our company, who came over sea together,
settled near me about the same time, which was the beginning of November,
1698, and the township was named Gwynedd, or North Wales."
        Notes on Edward's account: 
        (1)  The spelling, grammar, and punctuation are those of the translator.  
        (2)  The dates reflect both the Julian calendar in which the new year began in       
               March and the Quaker system of counting, instead of naming, the months.  
               Under the Quaker Julian system, March was the "1st month." 
         (3)  Edward Foulke's wife was Eleanor Hugh, one of John Hugh's sisters.  
         (4)  I cannot find "Rhewless" on any modern map of Wales.  Most sources say     
               that they lived in the area of Denbigh, which is about 20 to 30 miles from        
               Liverpool.