These newspaper articles concern the passengers of the Ship Elizabeth that left Belfast, Ireland on or about November 16, 1772 bound for Savannah, Georgia. A Hugh Brannen signed his mark to a letter attesting to his good treatment aboard the Elizabeth prior to sailing.

Copy of Articles from the Newspaper, "The Belfast News Letter", Belfast, Ireland



Issue of October 5, 1772

The Sailing of the good Ship ELIZABETH, David Brown, Master, which is now in the Port of Belfast, bound for Savannah, is put off till the 23rd instant, (on Account of her not coming into this Port at the Time expected) on which Day all Passengers who intend going in said Ship are desired to be in Belfast: they shall be put on Board without Loss of Time, and two Days after going on board receive full Allowance.

These who have not gave their Earnest for this Passage, are desired to give it to Capt. David Brown, (Master of the Ship) at Capt. Meer’s on the Quay, or to Matthew Rea, who will be in the House of Captain Barnett, Belfast, each Friday till the Ship Sails. Dated Drumbo, 2nd October, `1772

MATTHEW REA

Issue of November 13, 1772

BELFAST

There are now a number of poor people on board the passenger ships in this harbour, who have been several days on board, must be in a very miserable condition, many of whom would be glad to come on shore again, and return to their respective trades and businesses, but are not permitted to do so. ---- Would it not therefore be highly commendable for some magistrates to go on board these ships, and set at liberty such as choose it, and cause the money to be returned which was taken for their passage? It would certainly be doing a piece of great humanity and justice: and examined by a magistrate for the above purpose.

Whereas it has been reported unto us the Passengers on board the Ship Elizabeth, Capt. Johnson, now Commander, and bound for Savannah in the province of Georgia, and now riding at Anchor in Belfast Lough, that it has been asserted in the Belfast News Letter that we the aforesaid Passengers have been unhumanly treated on board of said Ship concerning Provisions and Room. Now we the undernamed who are Passengers on Board the aforesaid Ship do think it a duty incumbent on us both to satisfy our Friends, and clear Mr. Rae of Those evil Aspersions which have been thrown on his Character, and we do hereby truly certify that since our embarking on Board the aforesaid Ship, which has been from the twenty eighth of October till the Date thereof, that we have received full Allowance of the best of Provisions and Water. We the aforesaid Passengers have been informed of the Insertion of that malicious Libel, and as it has given Numbers of the Our Friends the greatest Uneasiness, that they have been on Board this Day from the Distant Parishes, around to know the Truth of that malicious Libel which they inform us was set forth in the last Paper, we are heartily sorry that we did not see the last Paper which that seditious Libel was set forth in, that we would had it better in our Power to have answered those Traitors. And as we have no Reason to expect worse Treatment than the Passengers of former Ships gone from Mr. Matthew Rea this four years past, so hoping that we on our Arrival in Savannah will have it in our Power to give all our Friends a true and satisfactory Account of a good and agreeable Passage, as we have on Board above twenty Weeks Provisions and Water, at full Allowance for one hundred and ninety full Passengers, which is the Number on board at present. We the undernamed who are the Heads of each Mess on Board the aforesaid Ship do certify the above to be true. Dated on Board the Ship Elizabeth, November 16th, 1772

Andrew Moore             Samuel McCleary             Wm Bell

Robert Wright               John McNau

Nath, McCleery             John Forth

John Thompson              James Simpson

John Bell                         John Blair

James McGaney             James Dunwody

John Thompson              Wm. Blair

Sha Broon                      Robert Love, his Mark

James Burns, his Mark     Andrew Boyd, his Mark

Wm. Boyes                      Thos Lyle

Samuel Robinson, his Mark  Gawin Gowdey

James Robinson , his Mark    John Adair

John M’Cullogh, his Mark    John Millin, his Mark

Alex. Carswell                 Samuel Kennedy

Sam Ritherford, his Mark   Alex McNeight

John Kennedy                   James McCrorey

Hugh Brannion, his Mark    George Slown

John Mears                     Nath. Killen, his Mark

Thomas Wright              Hugh Faulkner

John Wright                    James Cambell