As soon as news reached the Quakers living in the
village of Aynhoe of the establishment of the Friend’s settlements in West
Jersey, John Borton had begun planning and preparations to take his family
there.
2 “John is consumed with the America business,”
Richard Haines confided to his wife about his friend’s plans. “I have heard,
husband, that our people are not persecuted there,” Margaret responded.
3 “That may be, dearest, but I’m not convinced that it
is God’s will that we flee our present circumstances,” he continued. “But you
will sign his certificate of removal?” she persisted. “Yes, if that is truly
what he wants,” Richard conceded.
4 “We have the opportunity for a new life – a life
where we are free to follow the light which God has placed within us,” John
explained to his friend. “What about the hardships and suffering that almost
certainly await you in that wilderness?” Richard asked.
5 “I have faced those things in England,” John
persisted. “How do you know that God hasn’t prepared that place as a refuge for
his people?” he demanded. “That is possible,” Richard thought, but he was silent
for several minutes. “I do hope that you will find peace and happiness there,”
he finally told his friend.
6 John placed his right hand on Richard’s shoulder. “I
will miss our friendship and the affection which has always existed between our
families,” he told him. There was a lump in Richard’s throat the size of an
apple as he turned away from John. His mind was racing as he walked the short
distance to his own home.
7 He opened the door and slowly moved toward the
fireplace to warm his hands. “What do you think about going to America?”
Richard asked his wife without looking up. “Are you talking about our friends
or us?” Margaret asked. “Us,” he replied.
8 She studied the back of her husband’s head for a
minute before replying. “I want what is best for you and our children,” she
began slowly. “I worry about our future in this place.”
9 Richard turned around to face her. “I do too – I
think that we should go!” he blurted out. “Are you certain, husband?” she
asked. “I am not certain of anything but the Truth and my love for you and our
children,” he replied with an honesty that both shocked and touched her.
10 Margaret quickly crossed the space between them and
threw her arms around her husband. “I think that your next son should be born
in America,” she whispered softly into his ear. “You mean!” Richard gasped.
“Yes,” Margaret smiled.
11 The Haines and Borton families boarded The Amity in the spring of 1682 and set
sail for America. The ship’s master, Richard Diamond, was an experienced
navigator who had made the trip across the Atlantic several times before, and
they all felt like they were in capable hands.
12 Nevertheless, the two families gathered in a
circle, with some of the other Friends who had decided to try West Jersey and
said a prayer. “May God bless each and every one of the souls aboard this
vessel,” Richard said. “And bring us safely over the waves to our new home,” he
finished.
13 All went well for the first week, and they made
steady progress toward their new home. However, on the ninth day out from
England, Richard noticed a line of dark clouds rapidly approaching them from
the west. The wind picked up, and Captain Diamond’s sailors scrambled to pull
down the sails. Soon, they were inundated by a rain that seemed to come at them
from all directions, and the waves began splashing up over the sides of the
ship. As a consequence, the captain didn’t have to tell everyone to stay below
deck – they were more than happy to do so.
14 The tempest raged for days. At times, it seemed
like the ship would flounder, but it never did. Finally, on the fourth day, the
rain began to slacken. By the following day, there were moments of sunshine and
then clear blue skies again.
15 Nevertheless, the storm had blown the ship off
course, and the captain struggled to get them back on track. The following day,
Captain Diamond told his passengers the bad news. “I’m afraid that the storm
damaged some of our stores, and it may have added several weeks to our
passage,” he explained. “That means that we will have to be very careful with
our food and water for the remainder of our voyage,” he continued. “Are we
going to make it?” John asked. “Yes, but we are going to have to be careful,”
the captain repeated.
16 It was now high summer, and the ship was hot. Everything
and everyone aboard stank, and everyone was miserable. Richard had been sick
for a week, and Margaret was now great with child.
17 There was one bright spot, however. Richard’s and
Margaret’s oldest son, John, had obviously fallen in love with John and Anne
Borton’s daughter, Esther. “Maybe they will marry one day,” Richard almost
whispered and even managed a weak smile.
18 A few hours later, Richard began slipping in and
out of consciousness. When he was alert, he would look toward his wife (who was
lying in the berth next to his). “Jooossseph,” he managed to croak out before
he lost consciousness for the last time. Richard’s children (John, Richard,
William and Mary) gathered around his bed and prayed that God would spare their
father, but he slipped away a few minutes later.
19 Margaret was now crying and screaming as the ship
gently swayed back and forth among the waves. She was in labor, and the baby
could come at any time. Anne Borton dabbed a cloth in the fetid water beside
her and wiped the sweat from her friend’s brow. A little over an hour later,
Margaret was pushing, and Anne was pulling the baby out of her body.
20 “You have a son!” Anne told her as she placed the
baby in her arms. “His name is Joseph,” Margaret told her as the tears streamed
down her face. “The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be
the name of the Lord,” Anne whispered to herself.
21 Richard was buried at sea; but his wife, children
and friends made it to America. Within a few years, Margaret had remarried; and
the young romance which had blossomed aboard ship finally bore fruit. John
Haines married Esther Borton. Likewise, Richard’s other children eventually
married and had children of their own; and, through them, something of Richard
made it to America too.
22 Now these are the generations of two of the
passengers aboard The Amity:
23 Richard and Margaret Haines were the parents of
John, Richard, Thomas, William, Mary and Joseph.
24 John married Esther Borton, and they were the
ancestors of actors Kevin Bacon and Mark Hamill.
25 Richard Haines married Mary Carlisle, and they were
the parents of Carlisle Haines. Carlisle married Sarah Matlock, and they were
the ancestors of Allen Haines.
26 William Haines married Sarah Paine, and they had a
son named Joseph. Joseph was also the father of Allen Haines, who married Sarah
Ballinger.
27 John Borton married Anne Kinton, and they had a
daughter named Elizabeth.
28 Elizabeth married John Woolman, and they had
children: Samuel and Mary.
29 Samuel was the father of the abolitionist John
Woolman.
30 Mary Woolman married William Hunt; and they were
the ancestors of Delilah Wade, who married Thomas Miller.
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