-25-
A Case for The Antelope
(Continued)

tors, John Scott and wife, Jane Bond, came with their offspring in the
spring of 1699 on the Brittania, from Liverpool, a ship wracked with
disease and tempests, but that is another story.)
 
    The Antelope is the only ship not treated in the British port
books, because it sailed out of Belfast in the north of Ireland.
 
    We know that Ann Milcom or Malcolm came on this ship. Albert C. 
Myers "Quaker Arrivals at Philadelphia, 1682-1750 (1900)," a small book
RECENTLY STOLEN FROM OUR LIBRARY, but which I had luckily taken off a
few pages in Xerox before that disaster, p. 6, shows that John and 
Joseph Low had taken certificates from the Ballyhagan Meeting, Parish
of Kilmore, Co Armagh, Ireland, dated 5 mo.(July) 31, 1682, and Archibald
"Michael" (Mickle) took one dated 6 mo. (Aug) 2, 1682, from the men's 
meeting at Richard Boyes' (Boyce?) House near Lisburn, Co. Antrim.  Since
Antelope arrived either 9th or 10th of 10th month (Dec) 1682, it is 
possible the above men were also aboard.

    Dr. McCracken discredited Antelope as Val. Hollingsworth's ship,
but we affirm it here. We think the good professor misunderstood the 
1735 deposition of John Musgrave, indentured servant to Hollingsworth,
when he said he (Musgrave) "lived for four years at New Castle; that 
he first saw Penn in 1682 at Robert Wade's house in the town now called 
Chester in Pennsylvania." McCracken concluded that Hollingsworth & 
Musgrave had come on a ship which arrived in the New World before
either the Welcome or the Antelope. Valentine obtained his 
certificate from Lurgan Meeting on 5 mo. (July) 25, 1682, about the same
week that the Lows and Mickle obtained theirs.

    We feel that Musgrave's phrase is ambiguous; that "first saw" is 
colloquial jargon; that it should not be interpreted to specifically 
mean that Musgrave had just debarked and walked into Wade's public 
house to meet the Hon. Proprietor, or that he was there to receive the 
Proprietor in the general welcome.  Nor should we conclude that because 
Wm. Penn was entertained at Wade's after his arrival (28 Oct 1682) 
over a month before Antelope arrived, and because Musgrave says
he 'first saw' Penn there, that he had to be there in late October. Penn 
surely would have paid other visits to Robert Wade. Probably regular 
meetings were held at his house.

    Consider Penn's fleet: The Elizabeth (or Isabella) Ann & Catherine
was loading at London from lst to 31st July 1682.  The Hopewell 
was also loading there in mid July.  The Lamb loaded at Liverpool 26
June. The Bristol Factor loaded from 26 July to 26 August. The Welcome 
loaded in the Thames early in July. The Jeffrey loaded 29 August
in London but sailed after 23 September 1682. The Antelope, as above.
(If port books for Belfast ever existed, their present whereabouts are 
unknown; they seem not to have been destroyed in the PROI fire, but if 
they were somehow transferred to the Dublin Custom House (unlikely), 
DeValera's destruction of that edifice in 1921 would seal their doom.)

    From the above rundown, it is seen unlikely that Valentine 
Hollingsworth could have left Ireland and gotten over to London to catch 
any of those ships.  Why should he do, if the Antelope was lying at
Belfast?  Nor have we any information that any one of the above London
ships sailed up to Belfast on the way out. 0nly the Lamb, based at
nearby Liverpool, could have stopped over at the Irish Port. But Lamb
had loaded cargo on 26 June, a month before Valentine even obtained 
his removal certificate!  It has been proved he was not on the Welcome.

    Only the Antelope is left as the likely vessel of transportation 
for Valentine Hollingsworth and his family.  We at this time are still 
waiting for our order of microfilm containing the full deposition of


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