David,
It sound as though your ancestors were Covenanters (also known here and in Scotland as Reformed Presbyterians). It’s probably possible to find out a little more about the Rev James Renwick. He will have attended one of the 4 Scottish Universities (Glasgow, Edinburgh, St Andrews or Aberdeen, then called Marischal College) because it wasn’t possible for Presbyterians to take a theology degree in Ireland till the 1840s. The universities keep good records and may find some bio about when he attended and where his home was. The Presbyterian Historical Society in Belfast also has a record of the lives of all Presbyterian Ministers in Ireland (including secession Ministers). They might be able to add a few snippets about him.
https://www.presbyterianhistoryireland.com
The problem with Covenanter Ministers in Ireland – and there were only about 7 or 8 of them before 1800 – was that they didn’t have churches (mostly conducting services in a borrowed barn or in the open air) and they covered a wide area. So though you sometimes can nail down their family background, you can’t use that to say where their congregation came from. The Rev Martin for example, preached from Donegal to Co Down, eventually splitting his territory with one other Minister. And the Rev Martin advertised in the papers for passengers, so some are not his flock at all. Here’s a bit about him which may give a sense of the times:
Source: http://genforum.genealogy.com/martin/messages/27682.html
“Our immigrant ancestor…was part of a large group of Presbyterians who followed an emigration led by the Reverend William Martin in 1772. Several Presbyterian pastors led their congregations in emigrations from Ulster to America in the decade following Rev. Dr. Thomas Clark's emigration from Ballybay, Northern Ireland to New York Colony in 1764. The most notable of these was the Martin emigration of Covenanter Presbyterian in 1772 from the area of Kellswater in central County Antrim, now part of Northern Ireland."
"In 1750 Presbyterians from Octoraro, Virginia, and North Carolina, came to South Carolina and settled at Rocky Creek. By 1755 Irish immigrants, many of them Covenanters, began arriving. Various groups (Associate, Covenanter, Burgher, Anti-Burgher, Seceders) formed the "Catholic" (meaning a union of various groups of Presbyterians) church on Rocky Mount Road, 15 miles southeast of Chester. In 1770 Covenanters began holding society meetings and wrote to Ireland for a minister. Reverend William Martin answered the call in 1772."
"The Rev. William Martin was the only Covenanter minister in counties Down and Antrim at that time. In 1760 he resided at Kellswater, in the townland of Carnaghts in the Parish of Connor. He had oversight responsibility for societies at Cullybackey, Laymore, Cloughmills, and Dervock. He preached also in Londonderry and Donegal. The Presbytery was founded in 1743 and Kellswater became the center in 1760."
"There were five ships in the emigration led by Reverend Martin, all of which sailed in 1772. The first two sailed from Larne, the next two from Belfast, and the last one from Newry. The emigrants settled throughout western South Carolina, many in the Abbeville area. Reverend Martin himself settled in the general area of Abbeville, South Carolina (Rocky Creek in Chester County). After the British burned his church in 1780, he took refuge in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.”
“The James and Mary sailed first on August 25 from Larne. There was smallpox on board (five children died) when they arrived in Charleston harbor on October 16. They were required to remain on board in quarantine, lying off Sullivan's Island for over seven weeks, until the first part of December.” Ulster Emigration to Colonial America: 1718-1775. Dickson, P:253.; English America: American Plantations & Colonies. Thomas Langford, contains ship lists of voyages to English America from 1500 to 1825; The Vessels, Voyages, Settlement and People of English America, 1500-1825.
“The next ship to sail was the Lord Dunluce that left Larne on October 4 and arrived in Charleston on December 20. This is the only ship that listed "Rev. Wm. Martin (Kellswater)" as an agent. The original sailing date was to have been August 15. The sailing was delayed until August 20, and then rescheduled for September 22. On August 28, the ship announced that passengers must give earnest money by September 5 since a greater number had offered to go than could betaken. On September 15, the ship advertised that, since some families had drawn back, two hundred more passengers could be accommodated. Reverend Martin was on this ship when it finally sailed on October 4. One man and several children died of small pox on the trip.” Dickson, P:254.
“The Pennsylvania Farmer, whose destination had originally been advertised as Philadelphia, sailed from Belfast on October 16 and arrived in Charleston on December 19.” Dickson, P:248.
“The Hopewell sailed from Belfast on October 19 and arrived in Charleston on December 23.” Dickson, P:248.
“The Freemason sailed from Newry on October 27 and arrived in Charleston on December 22” Dickson, P:252.
“According to Council Journal 37, Province of South Carolina, under date of 6 Jan. 1773, the brigantine Free Mason, out of Ireland (port not specified), discharged at Charles Town, South Carolina, the following among its Irish Protestant immigrant passengers who were authorized the amount of land, in South Carolina, indicated opposite their names:
(55 listed passengers alphabetized here by surnames - Land Warrant Petitions with number of acres)
Anderson, Hugh . ..100
Barnes, George . . .100
Beard, Jean . . .100 (Listed separately)
Beard, Margaret . . .100 * Listed together in this order
Beard, William . . .100 *
Bigham, Margaret . . .150
Breden, James . . .300
Brown, John . . .300
Coapling, Charles . . .150 * Listed together in this order
Coapling, Alexand(er) . . .100 *
Coapling, William, Jun'r ... 100 *
Coapling, Jane . . .100 *
Coapling, Charles . . .100 (Listed separately)
Coapling, William . . .350 (Listed separately)
Cox, James . . .300
Daniels, Margaret . . .100
Eger, Emila . . .100
Fleman, John . . .100
Foster, Isabella . . .100 * Listed together in this order
Foster, James . . .100 *
Foster, William . . .300 *
Foster, Sarah . . .100 *
Gorley, Hugh . . .100
Hall, John . . .250
Livingston, Isaac . . .300
McClurkam, Richard . . .150 (Listed "Rich'd")
McGreary, Edward . . .100
McKay, Samuel . . .450
McKee, William . . .250
McKnight, John . . .350 (Listed separately)
McKnight, Mary . . .100 * Listed together in this order
McKnight, Jane . . .100 *
McKnight, Margaret . . .100 *
McLeland, Thomas . . .100
McMachor, Arthur . . .100
Mullen, John . . .100
Nisbett, Jonathan . . .100 (Listed separately)
Nisbett, Robert . . .400 (Listed separately)
Paterson, Samuel . . .350 (able to pay for land)
Patterson, Mary . . .100 (unable to pay for land)
Presley, Mary . . .100
Pressley, John . . .300
Reynolds, William . . .450 (Listed "Wm.")
Richey, John . . .100
Riddle, John . . .300
Shane, William . . .100
Stevenson, Catherine . . .100 (Listed "Cath'n")
Stuart, Charles . . .100 (Listed "Chas.")
Taylor, Andrew . . .200
Thomson, Henry . . .200 * Listed together in this order
Thomson, William . . .100 *
Thomson, Robert . . .100 *
Thomson, John . . .100 *
Thursdale, John . . .250
Wilson, James . . .100”
"In the Province of South Carolina in 1773, land was granted under the Crown, as follows: Single man or woman (16 yrs. of age or older) - 100 acres Married man or widow - 100 acres for self and 50 acres for each child under 16 years Married woman - none."
"Prior to this time, the "Bounty Act" had expired and no bounty could be paid to the individuals. There was, therefore, no list of the passengers for the purpose of determining "family rights". Family members and other individual passengers who were not eligible (e.g., under 15) to petition for free land (still available under the eighth clause of the General Duty Act of June 14, 1751) are not listed."
