"Brian Orr" <brian@@orrnamestudy.com>
Hi List
There are very few records but Orrs were probably among the earlier
settlers in the 1650s both in the States and the West Indies where they
were known to be plantation managers, foremen and slave owners. The first
ship to Barbados was the `Janet of Leith` in 1611 and settlement under
the Earl of Carlisle , a Scot, from 1626. Involvement inthe tobacco,
sugar, molasses and rum trade would have encouraged migration to the
southern and south eastern states , Virginia , Carolinas etc. as trade
developed. It wasnt until the Union of Scotland and England in 1707 that
the Scots / Ulster Scots were allowed to trade with the former English
colonies and it was from this time that migration began in any number.
Meanwhile, as they say, the various civil wars in England, Ireland and
Scotland were a fruitful source of migrants - prisoners sold into
slavery and shipped to the Colonies. The earliest Scotch-Irish to the States
was ca 1652 with the main migration from ca 1714- 1800 into
Pennsylvania, the Scotch Irish made up about a quarter of the population in PA by
about 1745.and about a third by 1770. From PA they spread out down the
Shenandoah and Cumberland Vallies and went inland where their was
land available.. The migrants were in Delaware 1692-1750, in Georgia from
1751; Kentucky ca 1775; Massachusetts from ca 1630-1660; Maine from ca
1736; Maryland 1634; New Hampshire ca 1719; NJ ca 1700; NY ca
1740; NC 1719, SC from 1684-1800, Vermont 1763 VA 1603-1800. and West VA
ca 1737-1800. The peak migration periods from Ulster were 1710-1730;
1730-1740 and 1750-1775 - the bulk to PA, NY , SC, Mass, MA and GA.
Dont waste time trying to find passenger lists -they dont exist much
before the 19th century when passenger ships came on the scene. You are
much more likely to find infornmation about people in early township
archives.Early settlers were either prisoners in chains on a warship or
charter vessels; freemen were often brave souls heading into the unknown
as supercargo on a trading vessel where the cargo was more important
than the passengers. There are about 100,000 Orrs in the US today and
found in every state.
Hope this potted history helps
Very many Scots - tens of thousands migerated to Ulster following
the "Plantation of Ireland " - ca 1610-1630 and were the founders of the
Ulster Scots (aka Ulster Scotch or Scotch Irish)
>
>. The Orrs were among the first settlers with the Montgomery
settlement of 1606/7 in the Ards peninsula - James Orr and wife Janet
McClement came from Beith - next door to Lochwinnoch. where the Orrs were thick
on the ground from about 1300 AD. At one time there were over 30 Orr
farms in and around Lochwinnoch. I believe wey originated from the
Parish of Urr in Kirkcubrightshire, where a local baron was possibly the
progenitor - one Hugh or Hugo del Urr ( various spellings) who was among
the signatories to the "Ragmans Rolls" - the declaration of fealty to
Edward I in 1296.
>
>It was very common for families to flit to and fro between Ulster
and Ayrshire/Galloway - its only 21 miles from the Mull of Galloway - a
three hour sail on a good day. In the mid 17th century there are records
of people travelling from Portaferry in Ulster to Portpatrick in
Galloway to attend church because they were followers of a certain
Minister. In earlier times the populace went to and fro depending on the
weather - good/bad crops, local wars etc .Prior to that there were assorted
Scots settlement along the north coast of Ulster, and before them the
mercenaries or "galloglass" who served in Ireland ca the 13th century.
>
>There is a bit about the Ulster Plantation and the Ulster Scots etc
on my web site at www.thereformation.info - click on Ulster Scots tab
at foot of page.
>
>Happy hunting
>
>Brian Orr