The Legend of James Alexander Morehead
Originally submitted by squeeky180 to Dalina Morehead Family Tree on 1 Feb 2007
According to some family memebers that still reside in NC, James A. was an apprentice to a weaver of linen and woolen cloths. The worked in the basement of the taskmasters home and the taskmaster was extremely harsh. The taskmaster's treatment of James A. became unbearable and he run away to work for someone else. The trainer found James A. at his new workplace, gave him a good flogging and put him back to work in the basement. The trainer was given great authority over the apprentice according to the laws of the time. James A. bided his time and got another chance to run away, this time he took his wife with him and a friend named Murray. The three made there way to London where James became seperated from his wife as the made their plans to leave the country. At this time in history men were known to sell their wife to survive or for money. We don't know what happened to the wife at this point but she is never heard from again.
James A. and Murray found a ship in port making preparations to sail and stowed away while it was still anchored in port. After a few days they were discovered and put to work as part of the crew. The ship was a pirate ship commissioned by England to prey on French and Spanish merchant ships. By the time land was spotted months later, James and Murray had violated the ships rules and were scheduled to walk the plank at the next sunrise. During the night James retrieved a small knifed that he had hidden in his shoe and the pair cut the bonds that tied them. They mad their way to the deck of the ship, removed their clothing and slipped overboard and started swimming in the direction of the land they had seen the previous day. After swimming and floating for eight hours they landed in the vicinity of Charleston South Carolina. After resting for a while they started walking and came across a church having a picnic and being in dire need of clothing they took some blankets and a couple of horses and continued their trip into the interior of the New World.
I do not know where the story came from. However, As I researched this story I found records where James A. boarded the Chichester (legally) as a passenger in Ireland and landed (without swimming) in Charleston South Carolina aboard the ship Chichester.
Additional information about this story
| Description | family legend, folklore |
| Date | 1768-1770??? |
| Location | Ireland, England, South Carolina |
| Attached to | |
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