It might seem to some that the life of the early Scotch-Irish in
America was one of misery, hardship, and persecution,
particularly if the lives of those in Maine or Worcester are our
only point of reference. In those places the pioneer had to deal
with harsh winters, hostile native Americans and an established
church which was almost as unfriendly as the Church of Ireland.
If we read the history of the 1718 emigrants in Londonderry or
Chester, Pennsylvania, on the other hand, we read of relative
peace, established farms, and religious freedom. What is
striking is that one group of people who shared a similar past
in Ireland, and experienced the mutual bond of sailing the
treacherous ocean, could experience lives in the new land that
were amazingly diverse. After four years of researching this
special group, I have come to realize that any limiting
description of this ethnic group would be false. They were
farmers, grocers, blacksmiths, servants, pastors, ship builders,
judges, linen merchants, sailors and fi