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“Ready to Sail”: Crossing the Atlantic with 1403 Mediterranean Settlers
Andrew Turnbull to Sir William Duncan Gibraltar, April 18, 1768 After two more anxiety-filled days in port at Gibraltar, Dr. Turnbull wrote to Duncan explaining that westerly winds had again forced a delay. He was very anxious to depart since it was then the best season for travel. In addition, his expenses mounted each day he was away from the East Florida settlement where he expected less costly food to be in waiting in storage, and where the colonists “will raise provisions for themselves very soon.” Turnbull expressed gratitude to Geneneral Cornwallis for his helpful assistance while in Gibraltar. He also informed Sir William Duncan that the mercantile firm of Livingston and Turnbull would notify him by letter when the convoy for East Florida departed Gibraltar. That firm had been so helpful to Turnbull that he recommended it for “our Florida agents here for our peopling ships.” Finally, after an agonizingly long wait, Turnbull announced that the “Capt. Signals ready to sail.” Dundee City Archive Andrew Turnbull to James Grant In sight of the Madeira, April 24, 1768 “This goes by Mr. Hugh Orr, Master of the Betsey, a brig. I dispatch him to acquaint your Excellency thus far with six other vessels bound to St. Augustine. I left another [ship] fifty leagues to the Eastward with orders to make the best of his way to St. Augustine. That ship went very bad and would have detained us had I waited for him. “I have upwards of fourteen hundred men, women, and children in the eight ships, the greatest part of them from the Island of Minorca, British born subjects and a very sober industrious people. The Turkey Co. took measures to prevent my having many Greeks, however, hundreds of families will be brought from that country. This Captain Orr carries the families with the smallest children as his brig has a very [not legible] between decks. I beg your Excellency shall take care to get them housed and situated in St. Augustine till I come. “And if Captain Orr will stay till the arrival of the other ships please to agree with him what he must have for each trip from the ships without the bar to the town to land the passengers and provisions. You will see by his charter exactly what I am to pay him. I aim to pay him one hundred and forty pounds and no more, which you may draw on Sir William Duncan for, if he does not choose to wait for my coming, which I hope will be in a week at farthest after this gets to your hands. “If there are any boats and schooners which can be assisted in landing the people from the large ships, you will please to engage them if possible, but in this and everything in which regards this affair, I beg your Excellency would please to act as may be best in your opinion which I am sure is better than mine. I shall want provisions but my people do not eat much flesh meat, however if ten or a dozen of bullocks can be sent for from the Mosquitoes they may be necessary to supply the people with fresh meat for a few days after their arrival. “I have had no letters from St. Augustine later than this time last year which makes me very anxious for my family. The ship rolls so much that I can write no more. Mr. F[T?]itucci who is the overseer with the people will satisfy you to any other particulars you may want to know. The families are engaged to stay on our grounds ten years after they have paid the expenses of settling in the province, so that it ensures them for thirteen or fourteen years at least. I beg my complements to everybody.... [PS] “I shall hoist a blue or a white ensign main top gallant [mast of gallant?] mast head and beg the assistance of boats pilots etc. as soon as that signal is discovered. Captain Orr has a promissory note for eight[y] four pounds which you will please to give a draft for on Sir William Duncan.” James Grant Papers, Roll 15, File 126-127 Earl of Hillsborough to James Grant Whitehall, May 12, 1768 “I had a letter lately from Dr. Turnbull from Gibraltar, by which I find he has upwards of 1000 colonists, Greeks and others. This will be a noble addition to your infant settlement. I shall be glad to hear of their safe arrival.” James Grant Papers, Roll 15, File 239-242 Number of passengers aboard the ships during the Atlantic crossing. Return of Settlers Embarked by Doctor Turnbull for His Majesty's province of East Florida in the Levant, at Leghorn, Minorca and Gibraltar Charming Betsey 232 From James Grant Papers, Roll 1 File 456 Governor Grant to Captain Adam Bachop St. Augustine, June 22, 1768 The governor instructed Bachop to go Mosquito Inlet to unload provisions for the Turnbull colony, and to help disembark the settlers shipped on board the Broughton Island packet and a small schooner under command of James Warner. Dr. Turnbull and the remaining settlers were expected to arrive in other vessels. Bachop was told that boats, canoes and flats had already been sent to Mosqueto Inlet to assist in the landing. In case Bachop should come across the ship carrying Dr. Turnbull, he was asked to inform him privately of the unloading plans; it was important to the governor that the other ship captains not hear of the plans, “in case they should be obstinate as the [captains] have been who have already arrived.” Grant had previously hired Bachop into Turnbull's service at the rate of 300 pounds South Carolina currency per month beginning on the 15th of June. The small schooner captained by James Warner was also hired into Turnbull's service. The governor made alternate plans in case the ship carrying Turnbull went directly to Mosquito Inlet, thereby bypassing St. Augustine. In that case he wanted Bachop to find out what provisions were needed. Without receiving further instructions, the governor intended “to order pease, as [someone] says that is the food his settlers are fondest of.” James Grant Papers Andrew Turnbull to Sir William Duncan St. Augustine, June 28, 1768 “I arrived in St. Augustine the 26th, where I found three of the smallest of our ships with passengers, and a fourth brought me here and three more parted from me the 23rd of this month about thirty leagues from this port, but the winds continuing against them they are not yet in sight. The People by the two first ships are at work, these by the Wind are on their passage to the plantation and the 4th ships passengers are to march with me by land as soon as I can get them ashore. “The Betsey with 240 people on board being a heavy sailor lost company with us before we made the island of Madeira but as his ship is well formed in everything I am not apprehensive of anything happening. By being so long in passage from Gibraltar to here, I'm not lucky. Other ships have still a longer passage and God knows when they'll get here [with the wind and current against the ships).” Turnbull lamented the great loss of time during the passage, but judged that provisions could still be raised at the settlement in the current year if the ships appeared soon. He reported that the people on board six of the ships were very healthy, but that had not been the case onboard the 7th ship, on which “twenty-three died for want of proper care, the person appointed to be the trust being ill.” Blowers to sweeten the water on the other ships helped keep the passengers healthy. Turnbull was busily purchasing items to make ready to take the passengers on the fourth ship to the settlement at Mosquito Inlet, saying he would join them “when I've set things a going.” Dundee City Archive Andrew Turnbull to Sir William Duncan St. Augustine, June 28, 1768 Dr. Turnbull told Duncan he was anxious to receive letters from his partners concerning the large amounts of money he had already spent. He offered to reduce the expenditures to the £9,000 Sterling they had first agreed on by applying the first profits of our lands to the discharge of the overplus, which should be at seven percent interest until paid off. “I think I'll be able to bring this down to our first contract in three years, and if this is done I'll make the three tracts of land worth 10,000 pounds a year and capable of improvement to between twenty and thirty shillings an acre yearly for our whole tracts. I mean that some areas will render ten pounds sterling a year, others much less, together they will be worth the money. “But if Mr. Grenville and you are not inclined to be in disburse so long, I can in that case dispose of part of our People to bring expenses and disbursement down. It won't be difficult as the conditions I have these people in are far more advantageous to the Proprietor than ever agreed on before. Notwithstanding I think it would break the heart of our own plantation, and entirely put a stop to my having any more people as they would look on themselves to be sold as slaves. However as circumstances led me beyond what was intended, I must reduce the numbers if you desire it. “As our colony is much greater than first intended, I propose to add 20,000 acres of land to first three grants, which 20,000 will be taken up in family plots, so that the whole to be divided at expiration and agreement will be 80,000 acres, one tract extending from the banks of Hillsborough River to those of St. Johns River giving each a front on both. I flatter myself of scheming into your hands very noble estates at the end.” His ony fear was that some bills would come back protested. Dundee City Archive John Graham to James Grant Savannah, July 2, 1768 After returning from a visit to St. Augustine, Graham wrote Grant: “I found two of Dr. Turnbull's vessels had put in here ten days ago and that they had been supplied by my brother with provisions and other necessaries. One of them had sprung a leak and was obliged to be laid ashore, and the wind continuing still as favorable I thought it a good opportunity to send to the Doctor by these vessels the corn and other things that were intended to go in the East Florida, which I have accordingly done. By this the East Florida's voyage...I shall now put on board the corn first intended.” Graham also said that John Stuart, who was in Savannah at the time, told him of a shortage of peas in South Carolina. Peas being reportedly a favorite of the settlers, Graham said Dr. Turnbull would have to depend on corn. Graham offered to send more if Turnbull came up short of provisions. James Grant Papers, Roll 16, File 4-6 Andrew Turnbull to Sir William Duncan St. Augustine, July 3, 1768 After apologizing for expense and trouble that had occured thus far in the adventure, Turnbull said it was all unavoidable, but he thought the worst was over. He blamed Governor Grant for spending much more money on Negroes than he had intended. “It is not a Negro settlement that we wanted. If I can I'll dispose of them.” He felt Grant had also spent too much money for cattle, for the two hundred head brought from Georgia. Turnbull would not have gone so far, “merely so as to not spend the money. Cattle are well bought and thrive in best pasture land in America. I'm waiting in St. Augustine for the other ships but I'm wanted on the plantation and will set out for there tomorrow morning.” Turnbull been speaking to Governor Grant about hinting to Lord Hillsborough that it might become necessary for government to maintain the settlers for eight or nine months. The governor thought that Turnbull should have asked for a subsidy for fifteen months, “I think we shall never get anything as to the premium for the Greeks, the young people are always in greater numbers than the full grown people and the number of full grown people we have at present doesn't make it worth our while to ask for it. “Governor Grant has saved us great deal of money in sending his schooner with our provisions to our plantation and his schooner is gone now to Georgia for that end.” Dundee City Archive John Graham to James Grant Savannah, July 5, 1768 “I have the honor to inform you that Dr. Turnbull's two vessels are still here, nor do I know when they will go. This extra expense will be at least 100 guineas.” Graham indicates that the delay has apparently been the result of an inability to find a captain to guide the vessel to the Mosquito Inlet. James Grant Papers, Roll 16, File 14-16 |
