Alexander Carswell, Sr.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7435479/alexander-carswell https://oldgeorgiahomes.com/2019/11/hopeful-baptist-church-1855-bur...

A Patriot of the American Revolution for GEORGIA with the rank of PRIVATE. DAR Ancestor # A019862

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

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

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

. . . Alex. Carswell

From a posting on genforum.genealogy.com, by Pauline Pierce.

(IN FTW FILE)

For those descendents of Alexander Carswell I, I thought you might like to have a copy of his will.

Old will (dated 1803) of Alexander Carswell I, preserved in a letter of 5 Feb. 1902 from Hattie e. Carswell, Hepzibah, Ga to Harriet Johnson Brown (Mrs. Elijah A. Brown), Atlanta, Ga.

In the name of God, Amen. I Alexander Carswell of the county of Burke and the State of Georgia, planter, being in perfect health of body and mind and memory, thanks be unto God, calling into mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to Die, do make and ordain this my last will and testament: that is to say, principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hand of Almightey God that gave it and my body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in decent Christian buriel at the discretion of my executors and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this like I give, devise and dispose of the same in the following maner and form:---

First, I give and bequeth to my wifeISABELLA CARSWELL her own bed and furniture the house, that is to say, at the discreation of the executors, together with a brown bay horse, her sadle and bridel. I also bequeath my negro Mary to be left to my wife during her life and at her disceas to be given to my youngest sun MATHEW and the children from Mary to be equaly divided amongst my legatees, any crop or provision that may be on hand at my disceas to be divided at the discreation of my Executors. I also leave two smal tracks of land I now live on, joyning my daughters land, and at her death to my daughter AGNES TEMPLETON, with awl my stock of hogs together with two cows and calfs to my wife together with my plantation tools to her own disposal.

I also leave and bequeath to the heirs of my sun EDWARD CARSWELL disceased awl the remainder of my stock of horses, mares and cattel. I also leave and bequeath to my sun JOHN CARSWELL all that track of land he now lives on, during his life, contaning two hundred and fiftey eakors and, in case his present wife survives him, during her widowhood the land to be her property and then to become the property of their oldest son ALEXANDER CARSWELL and his heirs forever.

I also leave and bequeath to my sun ALEXANDER CARSWELL one negro man named Munday -- I also leave and bequeath to my sun MATHEW CARSWELL that negro cawled Mary at my wifes disceas & any child or children after my disceas to be my sun MATTHEWS property. Whatever may be thought more than nessacery by the industry of the negro Mary more than is suficient to suport my wife is to be given to my sun MATHEW.

I also leave and bequeath to my daughter AGNES TEMPLETON my negro man named Gilbert and also two tracts of land before mencioned to my wife at her discease and another treact of land joyning my lines and NOE SMITHS, containing two hundred and thirtey three eackers and the two samall tracks joyning her lines and my own. I awlso alow to become the property of her oldest sun ALEXANDER TEMPLETOWN after the discease of my daughter.

I also alow any muney or any other property not mencioned here in this my will to be equaly divided amongst my legatees. I likewise constitute, make and ordain my son MATHEW and my daughter AGNES the sole executers and executrixs of this my last will and testament, all and singular my land, mesuages?? and Tenements. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this fourteenth of March one thousand eight hudred and three, signed, sealed, published, pronounced, and decleared by the seal ALEXANDER CARSWELL as his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presence and in the rpesence of each other hereto subscrib our names.

A. Carswell

Thomas Dib James Tode Wm. Campbell

"fought in the Revolutionary War with the rank of captain" The Story of Georgia, Volume IV, p. 878