In the early 1680s, several hundred Scots crossed the Atlantic to establish colonial settlement in New Jersey. This was backed at the highest level and sought to ensure that Scotland had a stake in the development of the American colonies. It brought together Quakers, Episcopalians and Presbyterians, a tense mix of religious affiliations. Many of the Presbyterians were transported Covenanters and the Quakers too had had their share of persecution.
This talk by Derrick Johnstone will set out the background to the venture and consider the questions: Who were the emigrants, why did they leave and what became of them?
Derrick will introduce his website East Jersey Bound and reflect on some of the challenges in conducting genealogical research at such a distance in time. The site contains a database of 600 emigrants and over 2,000 of their kin and associates.
This little-known colonial episode was successful for many, in contrast to the later Darien expedition. Today they have many descendants, which is how Derrick came across the East Jersey story some years ago when reviewing his own DNA matches. He has sought to join up family and local histories in the USA, often siloed and lacking authoritative detail on the emigrants, with those in Scotland which rarely mention them.
Our Speaker
Derrick Johnstone is a Research Affiliate in the Department of History at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, having completed his postgraduate dissertation on the Scots emigrants in 2025. He has been a member of the Scottish Genealogical Society for 10 years and is Secretary of the Old Edinburgh Club, the city’s history society.