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Scottish Prisoners

Transported Scottish Prisoners of the Civil Wars (1650s)
  • 218 members

About us

This Y-DNA Project aims to research and discover more about the fate and descendants of the Scottish prisoners taken in two battles of the English/Scottish Civil Wars - the Battles of Dunbar (1650) and Worcester (1651). Thousands of Scots were taken prisoner by Cromwell's New Model Army following these battles, and many of them were transported to the American colonies of New England and Virginia instead of being allowed to return home. There they were indentured into service for a number of years, though most survived to be released from this and settle to work their own land in time. Two ships known to have carried Scottish prisoners are the Unity - which carried about 150 prisoners from Dunbar to New England in late 1650 - and the John and Sarah - which carried around 300 prisoners from Worcester to New England a year later. The first goal of the project is to work on discovering more about the Prisoners transplanted to New England. The project is also open to those who believe they may have a Dunbar or Worcester ancestor who was transported to Virginia, Bermuda or other destinations in the New World in 1650-51. It is hoped that Y-DNA may help make connections to relatives of the prisoners in Scotland.