 |
Richard Holmes, Derry Town Historian,
thanks to the Union Leader newspaper |
A Press Release by Rick Holmes, the Town Historian of Derry, New Hampshire:
Blue Plaque Presentation, 2014
On July 28, 2014 the Rev. James McGregor (1677-1729) of Derry, NH will be honored
with a “Blue Plaque” memorial in Aghadowey,
Northern Ireland.
Rev. McGregor was the leader of the pioneers that in 1719 settled the Nutfield
grant in Southern New Hampshire -- now the towns of Derry, Londonderry, Windham as well as portions of Manchester, Hudson,
Salem, and
Pelham. The Encyclopedia of Irish History
in America has called McGregor “the Moses of the Scotch Irish in America.”
The plaque will be put up by the Ulster
History Circle, with funding from the Ulster-Scots
Agency.
The exact particulars of the ceremony on July 28th are still
being developed. Derry’s Town Historian Rick
Holmes has been invited to take part in the unveiling of the plaque. It is
hoped that others from the area can join him at this unique honor being offered
to the founder of Derry, Londonderry and Windham
by the people of Northern
Ireland. We are possibly the only town in America
to have its founder so officially honored “across the pond.”
History of the Blue Plaque Scheme
The original “Blue Plaque” scheme was started in London in 1867 with the
goal of installing permanent signs in public places ‘to commemorate a link
between that location and a famous person or event.” Examples of such
commemorated sites include the homes of such luminaries as Charles Dickens,
Napoleon III, Sigmund Freud, Benjamin Franklin and Lord Byron and even several
buildings associated with the Beatles. The popularity of these plaques in London led to similar programs being run across the United Kingdom and now even in Paris,
Rome, Oslo and Dublin.
Since 1983 the Blue
Plaque program in Northern
Ireland has been under the administration of
the Ulster History Circle.
The circle is a wholly voluntary organization that relies on local councils,
businesses, individuals, and organizations to fund the plaques. To this date
they have erected over 170 plaques
throughout the 5345 square miles of Northern Ireland. The Ulster History Circle
has also recently installed one plaque in County
Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.
Most of the plaques in Northern Ireland honor individuals
who, while having distinguished careers, are likely unknown to most Americans.
There are however a number which have established world-wide fame. Among these
are:
Cecil Frances
Alexander (1818-1899) writer of the hymn All
Things Bright and
Beautiful
Samuel Beckett
(1906-1999) playwright and Nobel Laureate
John Dunlop
(1840-1921) inventor of the pneumatic tire
C.S. Lewis
(1898-1963) author of the Narnia stories
Guglielmo
Marconi (1874-1937) inventor of wireless communication
Robert the Bruce
(1274-1329) King of Scots
Lord Kelvin
(1824-1907) scientist
Jonathan Swift
(1667-1745) author of Gulliver’s Travels
Oscar Wilde
(1854-1900) author and wit
Only 2 other Blue Plaques from the History Circle recognize Ulster-born
individuals who are chiefly associated with America;
one is for the Rev. Francis Makemie (1657-1708,) the “father of
Presbyterianism” in America.
His plaque is near his birthplace in Ramelton, County
Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.
The other is at the town of Strabane, NI in
honor of Ezekiel J. Donnell (1822-1896,) an “industrialist, polemicist and
philanthropist” of New York City.
Background on Rev. James McGregor:
James McGregor was likely born in Northern
Ireland (Ulster,)
circa 1677 of Scottish ancestry; some believe he was the cousin of the famous
Rob Roy McGregor. As a 12 year old boy he was trapped in the city of Londonderry during the 105
day long siege of the city by the forces of King James II in 1689. It is said
that McGregor was standing on the tower of the city’s cathedral and was the
first to signal the starving people of the city that a rescue boat had broke
through the Jacobite blockade. In 1701 he became the pastor of a small
Presbyterian church in Aghadowey and soon became known as the village’s
peacemaker. In 1710 the synod gave him the privilege to preach in the Gaelic
language.
During the 2nd
decade of the 18th century times began to grow tough for the Scots in Ireland.
The British government issued a number of edicts favoring the Anglican Church
which was the established (official) church. No longer were Presbyterians
allowed to hold office, teach or to conduct most civil ceremonies such as
marriages and funerals. Economic laws hurt the Ulster Scots in making a living
by selling linen, their chief source of income. Rents on English owned lands
were also on the rise. Soon there was a fever for emigration throughout Ulster.
While for decades Presbyterian Scots and Ulster Scots had been immigrating to
the British colonies in America,
the first to do in a big way was Rev. McGregor
In 1718 Rev. James
McGregor and the major part of his congregation set sail for America on the brigantine Robert. This
group consisted of perhaps 200 souls, representing
3 or 4 generations of Ulster’s
history. They were primarily from16 families and ranged in age from
babes-in-arms to an elderly couple nearly ninety years old. A few were landed
local gentry but most were poor tenants of crown land. All were willing to
follow the charismatic McGregor 3000 miles west to start a new Ulster in America. All shared the faith that
their God and their pastor would lead them safely across 3000 miles of open
ocean, despite the dangers of fierce storms and cut-throat pirates. Setting
out, they truly believed with the Apostle Paul, “If God is for us who can be
against us?”
Each adult was aware
that in the New World there was the
possibility of Indian attacks, starvation, and disease. They were to become
“strangers in a strange land.” Each knew that for the first time in their life,
they would be without any kith or kin to give them comfort. They also knew that
they would likely never see their Ulster
friends again or walk the familiar green hills of the Bann Valley.
They were giving up everything they had known to start a new life in the
American wilderness. Despite these dangers the 16 families were united in their
willingness to follow McGregor to America.
Arriving in New England
they found they were unwelcomed by the Puritans of Boston. Despite this
hostility the 16 families stayed united behind pastor McGregor. They had come
too far to turn back. Soon they were
diverted to Maine
where they suffered through a long, cold winter. Returning south in the spring they heard about an unoccupied
piece of land in the province
of New Hampshire that had
been previously named Nutfield. In 1719 McGregor persuaded the Royal Governor
to give the Ulster
pioneers the 144 square mile wilderness grant. This thickly forested land was many miles from any other
community…. or even from roads. Here in Nutfield they could establish their
village on a hill; their new Ulster
would be where they could be culturally Scots, raise their families, weave
linen and worship in their own kirk. Beside their faith and culture, the
Nutfield Pioneers also brought potatoes to North America.
In the common field in 1719 they planted what is commonly recognized as the
first crop of pradies in North America.
By the end of the
first year the Nutfield colony was judged a success. Under McGregor the
community soon built a meeting house, church and a school. Nearly every house
was soon spinning and weaving linen that quickly became known as the best in America.
In 1722 Nutfield was incorporated as a town and took as it’s the official name:
Londonderry.
The news of the success of Londonderry soon spread back to Ulster and thousands were inspired to follow
McGregor across the Atlantic to the New World.
Many Ulster Scots during the 1720’s came initially to “Londonderry in New England” before settling in other places which still
had cheap land. There are dozens of towns in Canada
and America which were
founded by ex pats from McGregor’s town; some even named their new towns
“Londonderry” after the town in New
Hampshire. Rev. James McGregor died in 1729; he was
only 52 years old. He is buried underneath an impressive red sandstone grave
stone in the Forest Hill Cemetery
in East Derry, directly behind the site of the
church he founded in 1719. One
additional matter of interest is that genealogical research has proven that the
Rev. James McGregor is the great, great,
great, great, great, great grandfather of Secretary of State John Kerry.
Notes:
1. Each year the Ulster
History Circle receives many nominations for Blue
Plaques. The basic criterion for approving the selection is that individuals to
be honored must:
·
Be dead for 20 years or, if less, have passed
the centenary of their birth;
·
Be associated with the province of Ulster
through birth, education, work or vocation;
·
Have made a significant contribution to the
development or delivery of education, industry, commerce, science, arts and
literature, politics, international affairs or other calling anywhere in the
world.
2. The term “scheme” is Brit-speak for “plan”
or “proposal.”
3. The American
term “Scotch Irish” is never used in the UK. The preferred phrase is
“Ulster
Scots.”
4. During the 18th century the proper
name McGregor was spelled in several
different
ways such as “MacGregor”, “Macgregor,” “McGregor” Mcgregor and
“M’Gregor” as well as having those 5 variant spellings having
an “e” as the
last letter.
IE “McGregore.”
