London Lists, 1709

In the spring of 1709, some ten thousand people from the German Palatinate and surrounding states travelled down the Rhine River to Rotterdam and boarded ships bound for London, England, in the hopes of being transported to America at Queen Anne’s expense. Many of those Germans succeeded in their quest and were sent to America in 1710; a few were scattered throughout England. About 3000 of them were sent to Ireland in the fall of 1709.

The majority of the immigrants sailed from Rotterdam in six distinct shipments that were paid for by the British Crown, and were set up in refugee camps in various parts of London. Ministering to the Palatines’ needs in London—both physical and spiritual—were two German-speaking pastors, John Tribbeko, Chaplain to Queen Anne’s late consort, Prince George of Denmark, and George Andrew Ruperti, Minister of the German Lutheran Church in the Savoy. The two pastors distributed the Queen’s charity, helped to find lodgings, and began to make lists of the Palatine arrivals for submission to the Board of Trade whose responsibility it was for sustaining them and settling them in the Plantations.

The ministers recorded the name, age and occupation of each head of household, the presence of a wife and children, and religion. However, by late June, with so many Palatines needing assistance, the ministers were worn out, and they asked the Board to find additional resources to assist in dealing with the Palatines. As a result, we have lists of the 6553 people who arrived in London in the first four shipments, but no lists for the approximately 4000 people who arrived in the fifth and sixth shipments.

The four London Lists are preserved at The National Archives in London, UK, in the records of the Colonial Office, Board of Trade, Accounts and Establishments (reference CO 388/76):[i]

ArrivalNumber of IndividualsDate Compiled
Where Information TakenDate Received by Board of Trade
The National Archives (UK) Reference
First8526 May 1709St. Catherine’s12 May 1709CO 388/76, D.57
Second119327 May 1709Walworth1 June 1709CO 388/76, D.64
Third2763[not given]St. Catherine’s21 June 1709CO 388/76, D.68
Fourth174515 June 1709St. Catherine’s and Deptford21 June 1709CO 388/76, D.69

Early in the twentieth century, these lists were transcribed and published over several issues of the 1909 and 1910 volumes of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society’s publication called the The Record[ii] and this publication has been used for more than a century by Palatine researchers and genealogists. However, this early transcription is seriously flawed with errors such as incorrect ages, missing children, or a different religion. One entire page comprising twelve families is missing completely from the publication.

A new transcription has been prepared from the originals in London, and is being made available jointly by the Irish Palatine Association in print format in Journal 28 of the Irish Palatine Association Journal and by the Irish Palatine Special Interest Group of the Ontario Genealogical Society here in a searchable database.

[i] The National Archives makes its government records accessible per the Open Government Licence 3.0.

[ii] “Lists of Germans From the Palatinate who came to England in 1709,” The Record (New York:  New York Genealogical and Biographical Society), volume XL (1909) and XLI (1910).