|
a.
|
Note: an Rhineland in the spring of 1709. He travelled with his brotherMichael and Michael's family. It was in April 1709 when the first parties of refugees began to move on the Great River. What with local restriction and feesand tolls to be paid, the trip took 4 to 6 tedious weeks. By early June the emmigrants where flocking into the Dutch city of Rotterdam. A few Dutch ship owners where commissioned by the Duke of Marlborough, whom Queen Anne had made responsible for transporting the displaced Germans to England. "Good Queen Anne" andher commissioners thought that surely all of these convinced Protestants wouldstrengthen the anti-Roman feeling in Britain. The sailing ships from Rotterdamlanded at Deptford, near London. Christopher was sent to Blackheath upon arrival in England on June 2, 1709. On August 8, 1709, Christopher left with a groupof wagons for Chester to embark for Ireland. The trip was about 120 miles. From Chester they sailed in schooners for Dublin. There was a total of 821 families chosen to go to Ireland. The trip to Ireland took about 24 hours. Sir ThomasSouthwell had chosen experienced husbandmen and some weavers to go on his Estates in the south of Ireland. All of the Palentine men where presented with muskets even though Irish tenants throughout the country had been disarmed. Later the Palentines where to be enrolled in a Militia Unit of their own, The German Fusiliers or "True Blues" (this was the origin of the telling phrase "true blue"). The first village built by the Germans was Courtmatrix, which they planned ina square around a commons. The old home of Christopher was still standing herein 1963, although like others, it had shingles substituted for the original thatched roof and it had a second story added. A French immigrant on a walking tour of Ireland in 1791, commented on the Palatine homes in Limerick, Ireland. Hesaid they where so clean that they looked like palaces and an Irishman wrote that their neat cottages and farmsteads form a striking contrast to most of theadjacent dwellings. The Germans went on to build villages at Ballingrane and Kiliheen. Christopher was listed as a freeholder at Courtmatrix on July 13, 1715and also in 1720 and 1755. OBJE: bmpC:\Program Files\PhotoDeluxe HE 3.1\MyPhotos\limerick ireland.bmpYYPHOTO
Note: Christopher (not married) joined a stream of distressed humanity which poured out of the Germ
|
