Several people have asked me why our ancestors left their homes and came to
America. Though we might never know for sure on some of them, this may help
explain some of it. Often there is no record though.
Bud Caudle
FAMILY TREE FINDERS
Monday - 19 June 2000
Some of our ancestors were forced to emigrate
against their will.
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FAMILY TREE FINDERS
Monday - 19 June 2000
Forced Emigration
There are times when we have wondered why our ancestors
decided to brave the terrible traveling conditions over the
Atlantic ocean to arrive in what for many was an unknown
world, the American colonies. However, not all of our
ancestors had a choice in the matter.
For some, it may have been a decision based on the
economics of their present situation, such as the Irish Potato
Famine. For others though, the decision was made for them
in the form of forced emigration. In the years 1607 to 1776,
the English government found this to be a great method for
ridding their country of those that they considered to be
undesirables; felons, destitute children, political non-
conformists, religious non-conformists, beggars and others.
To be fair, England wasn't the first to do this. The practice
of transporting undesirables to remote areas can be traced
back to the Roman Empire. However, England has the
distinction of having relied the most on this method. In fact
by 1776, England would have transported some 50,000
inmates to the colonies.
For some of these inmates though, this was the best thing
that could ever have happened to them. Through this
program, some of them would achieve freedom, something
they couldn't have hoped for back in England.
Unfortunately, the majority of them would suffer a life of
serfdom with little hope of freedom, much the same life as
bonded slaves.
Not surprising of the 50,000 inmates that were sent to the
Americas, the majority of them were those from the poorest
class, sentenced for crimes that today we would regard as
petty. For many of the poor, the need to survived forced
them into some sort of illegal activity. In the earliest of the
1710s in the city of London alone, the number of
professional thieves was approximately 2,000. However by
the 1720s that number had reached 12,000. For many of us
it is difficult to truly comprehend the squalor that some of
these people were forced to live in that resulted in their
turning to crime.
Another popular reason to be transported was to be a non-
conformist. After the Civil War in England many of those
that were "transported" were guilty of having lost in battle.
In 1650 and 1651, some 450 Scottish would be transported
to New England because of this. The shipping of prisoners
of war would continue. In 1653 100 from Ireland would be
shipped to Virginia. In 1656 some were shipped from
Surrey.
For those interested in reading more about this particular
subject, the best resource is Peter Wilson Coldham's
"Emigrants in Chains" which was published in 1992 by
Genealogical Publishing Company. This book is also
available on CD-ROM on FTM-CD #350 "Immigration
Records: Complete Book of Emigrants, 1607-1776."
Rhonda R. McClure
rhondam(a)sodamail.com