Scots emigrants to East Jersey, 1682-1702: motivations and outcomes

Johnstone, Derrick (2025) Scots emigrants to East Jersey, 1682-1702: motivations and outcomes. MPhil(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Between 1683 and 1685 several hundred Scots emigrated to East New Jersey, home to the Native American Lenape and earlier Dutch and English settlers. While Insh in his Scottish Colonial Schemes (1922) deemed this venture a success, it has been overshadowed by the later failure of the Darien expedition. It deserves attention, seeking greater understanding of the emigrants, their motivations, and the nature of ‘success’: what did this mean, and for whom?

This study delves into the backgrounds of the emigrants and what became of them in the period of settlement up to 1702 when New Jersey became a royal province. It adopts a prosopographical approach, based on a project database drawing on underused sources in Scotland and New Jersey. This captured details of 603 emigrants plus those of a wider range of people, including their kin in Scotland, influential supporters, absentee investors and emigration agents.

The research highlights an unusual mix of emigrants, brought together at a time of social strife and economic uncertainty. They came from discordant religious-cum-political groups (Royalists and religious moderates, Quakers and Covenanters), and included transported prisoners as well as free emigrants and indentured servants.

The dissertation provides fresh perspectives on the main protagonists and lesser-known figures, informed by a model of influences on decisions to emigrate. Distinctive features relating to their motivations include the influence of leaders, the closeness of kinship groups and business networks, religious affinity, and economic aspirations varying by social status.

Some free emigrants thrived, establishing farms and estates and doing well as merchants. Several played a substantial role in the governance of the province. Amongst indentured servants and Covenanter prisoners there were conspicuous examples of economic and social mobility. Others got by or struggled, and there is no record of over 40% after their arrival. Evidence suggests that in this period there were constructive relationships with
the Lenape, and few enslaved people were owned or employed by Scots.

The database can facilitate future prosopographical research, e.g., on longer term outcomes for emigrant families and on the activities and networks of Scottish East Coast merchants, including how family members established themselves in transatlantic trade based beyond Scotland.

• Item Type: Thesis (MPhil(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Subjects: D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain; E History America > E151 United States (General)
• Colleges/Schools: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > History
• Supervisor's Name: Bowie, Professor Karin and McClure, Dr. Julia
• Date of Award: 2025
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2025-85247
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 14 Aug 2025 12:20
• Last Modified: 14 Aug 2025 12:30
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.85247
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/85247

Related URLs

• https://eastjerseybound.scot/wp-content/...