Modern day re-enactors at the Dunbar Battlefield, Dunbar, Scotland, UK
https://www.dunbar1650.org/
War....the theme for this week's writing prompt is war. I am going back in time to the late summer of 1650 when Oliver Cromwell invaded Scotland and defeated the Scots in the Battle of Dunbar. The result of this loss was that a Scottish soldier named Duncan Stewart was taken captive, marched to Dunbar Cathedral with thousands of his kinsmen and subsequently put on the ketch Unity bound for the New England Colonies as an indentured servant. What happened next?
The impact of war can be devastating in many ways. Wars of the past had major effects on subsequent family histories, often changing the trajectory and course of a family tree in a myriad of ways. When I was researching my Boothby surname and roots, I discovered that my 4th great grandfather Josiah Boothby married Sarah Stewart on September 19, 1765 in Scarborough, Maine. When researching her paternal family line I eventually came to Duncan Stewart and his remarkable story. Thank goodness Duncan was blessed with a good deal of luck and a hardy constitution that got him through his life altering ordeal. He eventually created a new life for himself in New England. He was my 7th great grandfather!
Who Was Duncan Stewart?
Duncan Stewart was born in the highlands of Scotland around 1623, although there is still no concrete documentation of where he was born, or who his parents were. After wading through several on-line genealogies and fanciful family trees I finally found a wonderful website called The Scottish Prisoners of War Society (https://spows.org/...link on the right) which was full of well researched information to promote knowledge of the prisoners from the battles of Dunbar (1650) and Worchester (1651). I got to meet my 7th great grandfather and learn about how this battle utterly changed his life.
Duncan's Ordeal
Duncan's story took place during the civil wars in the British Isles after King Charles I was executed in 1649. A Scottish army of thousands was quickly raised in support of Charles II, the rightful successor to the throne and newly proclaimed king in Scotland. Duncan was a part of this army pledged to fight. Most soldiers were between the ages of 15 and 25 and had very little combat experience. Duncan, however, was older than most in the army being around 30 years old.
Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army invaded Scotland in the spring of 1650 and after several maneuverings both armies ended up at the small harbor town of Dunbar. Cromwell had his opportunity to attack at dawn on the morning of September 3, 1650 and his army routed the Scots in a matter of an hour. 4,000 prisoners were taken. These prisoners, including Duncan Stewart, were forced to march south to Durham (100 miles away). Only 3,000 men reached Durham after a week's marching (some having escaped, died from lack of food or were shot) and were locked inside the empty cathedral which was the only place that could house the sheer numbers of prisoners.
Durham Cathedral on the River Wear
irvings-coaches.co.uk
Durham Cathedral interior today.
Durham Cathedral (photo: alljengi, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Conditions quickly deteriorated in the makeshift prison with so many men confined to a small space with little food, water or heat. 1,600 prisoners died before it was decided that the healthiest of the prisoners were to be transported to the colonies as indentured servants; the Unity left London in November of 1650. Duncan's fate was sealed with 150 other Scots prisoners of war.
The written order to deliver prisoners to New England, November 11, 1650
It cost about 5 Pounds to ship a prisoner, and a contract sold for 25-30 pounds, so this was a profitable business at the time.
Screen shot from the YouTube video Landscapes of Indenture: Scottish Prisoners of War in 17th Century New England. Partnership of Historic Bostons 2023
Duncan Arrives in Ipswich, Massachusetts
After what must have been another harrowing journey, this time aboard a small and crowded ship, Duncan arrived in New England in mid-December. At this time labor was sorely needed and scarce in the colonies; the prisoners were either sent to the Saugus Iron Works (now a National Historic Site in Massachusetts), sawmills in Maine and New Hampshire, or to farmers and merchants. Duncan's indenture was sold to George Hadley in Ipswich, Massachusetts. He was most likely a farmer.
What is an indenture contract? Interesting! One copy was for the master, one was for the servant.
Indentures provided cheap, controllable labor for England and indentured servitude was an economic and social institution during this time period of English history. Instead of being hanged for treason, these Scots were actually given the chance for a better life in New England.
Screen shot from the YouTube video Landscapes of Indenture: Scottish Prisoners of War in 17th Century New England. Partnership of Historic Bostons 2023
All the Scots indentures were over by 1659. In New England, Scottish prisoners had legal rights and their service was temporary, which was a far different fate from people groups whose enslavement was permanent. Most Scots were offered land after they completed their contracts and went on to build homes, raise families and build wealth. They could become citizens. So, Duncan Stewart was free to build his new life!
Duncan Stewart Builds a New Life in New England
Duncan married Anne Winchurst (possibly an indentured servant from Ireland) in April of 1654, just a few years into his indenture. This was unusual, as most SPOWs did not marry until after they had finished working off their terms, usually around seven years. This little piece of information explains it all....
“Court held at Ipswich, Mar. 28, 1654:
Duncan Stewartt…and An Winchest [both servants to George Hadley] to be whipped for fornication, the man that afternoon and the woman when she should be called out by the magistrates, after she was delivered. Together they were to bring up the child and pay charges.”
Duncan Stewartt…and An Winchest [both servants to George Hadley] to be whipped for fornication, the man that afternoon and the woman when she should be called out by the magistrates, after she was delivered. Together they were to bring up the child and pay charges.”
The couple moved to Newbury in 1659, worked a farm for 30 years and went on to have numerous Stewart children. Duncan died in Rowley Massachusetts on August 30, 1717, at around the age of 100. You have to wonder; did he leave a family back in Scotland? Did they ever wonder what his fate was after the battle? Was he ever astonished at his own fate? I certainly was.
The Rest of the Story
Duncan and Anne's son Samuel moved to Wells, York County, Maine and married Dorcas Baston. Their son John married Mary Bragg and their daughter Sarah married Josiah Boothby on September 19, 1765. Incidentally Sarah's sister Mary married James Boothby, brother of Josiah. These families made the move from Maine to Ohio sometime after 1790.
So, our family tree descending from Duncan Stewart of Scotland looks like this:
Duncan Stewart (Scotland to Massachusetts as a Prisoner of War)
*Samuel Stewart (Wells, Maine)
*John Stewart (Maine)
*Sarah Stewart m. Josiah Boothby (Maine)
*Josiah Boothby (Ohio)
*Josiah Stewart Boothby (Oregon)
*Josiah Thomas Boothby (Oregon)
*Sterl Kenneth Boothby (Oregon)
*D.R. Boothby (California)
*Me (California to Nevada)
The Scottish Prisoners of War from both the Battle of Dunbar and the Battle of Worchester who were transported to the New World became the progenitors of many New England families as they quietly assimilated into the culture over many years. They left a lasting Scottish presence, especially in parts of Maine. It is probably safe to say they were the most fortunate of all the prisoners of those battles. Including Duncan Stewart, our Boothby SPOW.
Resources:
YouTube video: Landscapes of Indenture: Scottish Prisoners of War in 17th Century New England. Partnership of Historic Bostons 2023
The Scottish Prisoners of War Society website https://spows.org/
Scottish Prisoners of War in Durham Cathedral: An Interview with Ghris Gerrard
https://www.europenowjournal.org/2018/11/07/scottish-prisoners-of-war-in-durham-cathedral-an-interview-with-chris-gerrard/
This is a book on my reading to-do list:
Gerrard, Christopher (Author); Pam Graves (Author); Andrew Millard (Author); Richard Annis (Author); Anwen Caffell (Author), Lost Lives, New Voices: Unlocking the Stories of the Scottish Soldiers at the Battle of Dunbar 1650, (England: Oxbow Books, 2018) 384 pages. “A book documenting the archaeology of the discovery, the process of analysis, and the history of the Scottish soldiers, including stories of the survivors…” ~ The Scottish Soldiers Archaeology Project Team & Exhibition Curatorial Team.
Available to purchase online at: Barnes and Noble and Amazon
Available to purchase online at: Barnes and Noble and Amazon
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