The Ship Carolina
by Victoria Proctor © 2005

INTRODUCTION

It is difficult to establish a true and accurate passenger list for the ship Carolina, which was but one of three ships in a fleet carrying passengers to establish a permanent settlement in (South) Carolina. Captain Joseph West created a passenger list prior to leaving England, but researchers should be aware of the events which followed. Moreover, accounts vary on the total number of passengers arriving -- from as low as 92 to as high as 150 souls.

The ship Carolina sailed from Downs, England in August 1669 as principal vessel in the fleet, with the Port Royal and the Albemarle comprising the remaining ships. The fleet reached Barbados by October, where they stayed for several weeks. A storm on November 2^nd sank the Albemarle at Barbados. Another ship, the Three Brothers, was leased to replace the lost ship and in late November, the fleet set out again for the Carolina coast but were caught in storms and separated from each other. The Port Royal was wrecked in the Bahamas by the storms, while the other two ships arrived in Bermuda 12 Jan 1670. On 26 Feb 1669/70, the Carolina and the Three Brothers set sail from Bermuda but storms blew the Three Brothers northward to the Virginia Colony.

The Carolina alone arrived at Bull's Island / Seewee Bay, a spot near present day Beaufort, about March 21^st 1670, and a settlement was briefly established and named Fort Royal. Due to local problems, the settlers moved about 60 miles up the Ashley River to Albemarle Point, later named Charles Towne. In late May, the colonists aboard the Three Brothers arrived from the Virginia colony, and in early 1671 additional colonists begin to arrive from Barbados.

First Fleet: The Carolina

Commander of the fleet was Joseph West, whose list of passengers, made prior to leaving England, is one of the primary sources for the first settlers of the Colony.

Captain of The Carolina was Henry Brayne, whose list of seamen on the fleet is often referenced.

LIST OF PASSENGERS
A partial list at this point, drawn from Joseph West's list and Land Warrants issued.

NOTE: on letters following a passenger / settler's name:
F = Free
S = Servant
S* = special category to indicate "servants" who either received a land warrant (e.g., an indentured servant who received land after his indenture), or a free individual who was traveling under the protection of another person (e.g., a wife).

1. ALEXANDER, Richard. (S) [servant to F. O'Sullivan]
2. ALLOURAN, Aaron. (S) [servant to F. O'Sullivan]
3. BAILEY (Bayley), Joseph. (F)
4. BARKER, Jonathan. (S*) [servant to S. Bull]
5. BARLEY (Borley), John. (S) [servant to W. Owen]
6. BEVIN, William. (S*)
   servant to F. O'Sullivan; later obtained 100 acres
7. BULL, Barnaby. (F)
8. BULL, Stephen. (F)
9. BURGES, William. (S) [servant to Joseph Dalton]
10. BURNE (Boorne), Andrew. (S) [servant to P. Smith]
11. CARTERET, Nicholas. (F)
12. CHAMBERS, William. (S*) [servant to Joseph Dalton]
13. COCKFIELD, William. (S*) [servant to P. Smith]
14. DALE, John. (S) [servant to F. O'Sullivan]
15. DALTON, Joseph. (F)
    commoner elected to the first Council
16. DARKENWELL (Dartnell), Nathaniell. (S*)
17. DAWSON, John. (S) [servant to Joseph Dalton]
18. DIMMOCKE (Dimock), Elizabeth. (S) [servant to F. O'Sullivan]
19. DONNE (Done), Robert. (F)
    commoner elected to the first Council
20. FITZPATRICK, Brian. (S) [servant to F. O'Sullivan]
21. FRIZEN (Fraiser), John. (S*) later obtained 100 acres
22. HUDLESWORTH (Huddleston), John. (S*) [servant to T. Smith]
23. INGRAM (Ingrum), Thomas. (F)
24. KENNIS, Joanna. (F) [wife of Wm. Kennis]
25. KENNIS, William. (F)
26. KENNIS, William. (F) [son of Wm. Kennis]
27. LARMOUTH (Larmott), John. (S) [servant to S. Bull]
28. LAWSON, Jane. (S) [servant to Joseph Dalton]
29. MARE (More), John. (S) [servant to F. O'Sullivan]
30. MARSHALL, Ralph. (F)
    commoner elected to the first Council
31. MATTHEWS, Maurice. (F)
32. O'SULLIVAN, Florence. (F)
33. OWENS (Owen), William. (F)
34. PRIDEOX, (Prideaux), George. (S) [servant to Joseph Dalton]
35. RIXE, Alice (Aice). (S) [servant to T. Smith]
36. ROADES (Rhodes), William. (S) [servant to Joseph Dalton]
37. SAYLE, William. (F)
    First governor of Carolina (1670-1671)
38. SCOTT, John. (S) [servant to F. O'Sullivan]
39. SCRIVENER, William. (F)
40. SEARLE, Andrew. (S) [servant to S. West]
41. SHUGERON, Teige. (S) [servant to F. O'Sullivan]
42. SMALLWOOD, Matthew. (S*) [servant to John Rivers]
43. SMITH, Abraham. (S) [servant to J. West]
44. SMITH, Elizabeth. (S) [servant to P. Smith]
45. SMITH, Paul. (F)
    commoner elected to the first Council
46. SMITH, Thomas. (F)
47. SULLIVAN, Daniel. (S) [servant to F. O'Sullivan]
48. SWADE (Swaine), Christopher. (S*) [servant to W. Owen]
49. WEST, Joseph. (F)
    Second governor of Carolina (1671-1672), held two additional terms: 1674-1682 and 1684-1685
50. WEST, Samuel. (F)
    commoner elected to the first Council
51. WEST, William. (S)
52. WHEELWRIGHT, Stephen. (S*) [servant to F. O'Sullivan]
53. WHITE, George. (S) [servant to F. O'Sullivan]
54. WIGGLESWORTH (Wiggleston), Hugh. (S*) [servant to T. Smith]
55. WIDZIER (Woodyer), Dudley. (S) [servant to Stephen Bull]
56. WORME, Thomas. (S*)
57. YOUNGE (Young), Thomas. (S) [servant to Joseph Dalton]

Sources:

• "The First South Carolinians" by St. Julien R. Childs,
  ("The South Carolina Historical Magazine", Vol. 71 (1970), pp. 101-108; Edited by Joseph I. Waring.)
• "The Shaftsbury Papers", edited by Langdon Cheves.
  The settlers/passengers of the three ships wrote letters to Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper, the Earl of Shaftsbury, in England. He was one of the eight Lords Proprietors. John Locke, the Earl's secretary, organized and compiled papers for the Earl which are known as the "Shaftsbury Papers." The original Shaftsbury Papers are in England but copies may be found in many libraries.
• Bermuda Historical Quarterly.
• Lefroy. Memorials of the Bermudas.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Special thanks to Ray Timmons for providing a copy of "The First South Carolinians".