Re: Way Book on CD Disk: Correct Date of the Way Arrival in SC

[DaneBowen@aol.com]

In the discussion as to when the Ways and their fellow Congregationalists migrated from Mass. to SC, my contention has been that the trip of a small number of men representing churches in about four towns around Boston in the winter of 1695-6 was an advance party to "scout," "reconnoiter," or whatever label one might put on it, basically to check out the overall situation.  Incidentally, when the group swarmed a half a century later to go to Midway, GA, these prudent Puritans did the same thing, first sending a party to check it out. 

In addition to that previous material transmitted I find in my Way book on p. 132 a statement of Elder Pratt, "The first day of February [1696] being the first day of the week, and the sacrament to be administered, and many of us to come away on second morning to Charleston to come [i.e., return] to New England." (Stacy, p. 7).

I also find on p. 130 of my Way book the quote, "Elder Pratt left Charles Town to return to New England on 8th February, 1696." This quote is from Henry A.M. Smith, "The Town of Dorchester, in South Carolina---A Sketch of Its History," The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Charleston, SC, vol. 6, p. 70.

>From this last source I also find a footnote on the same page of my Way book indicating that the Ways, Sumners, and others migrated with the group of 126 to SC early in 1697.  That is on p. 74-5.

Dane Bowen in Alexandria, Va., researching Bowen, Bacon, Carlton (Carleton), Luker, Sanders (Saunders), Chaudoin (Chaudoins), Maverick, Richey (Ritchie, Richie, Ritchey), Spence, Sumner, Way, and Wells families.