Person:Petheric McCurdy (1)

Alias: " The Refugee" Bute, an island in the firth of Clyde is about 12 miles long from north to south and averages five miles in breadth. The northern part is mountainous, but yields an abundance of good pasture. It is noted for the large amount of goats and cattle that abound there. One of the greatest industries, which has been carried on for centuries is cheese making. The air is healthy and the people are noted for their great ages. Rothsay is the chief town. Near this place is an ancient castle, which was once a royal palace, which gave title to the heir apparent of the Crown of Scotland, long before the union between Scotland and England. Before this time, and a a very early period, Bute belonged to the ancient McKirdy tribes and they were the sole possessors, and Lords of the Isles. For a long time, Bute, with the rest of the Western Lands, was under the Crown of Sweden, but ruled by the Lords of the Isles. Near the middle of the 17th Century, when religious persecutors prevailed throughout Scotland, the inhabitants of Bute, ( Presbyterians ) suffered from the English sectarians ( who had made in-roads, and settlements in the Island ) to such an extent that many were driven from their native island, while others sought refuge in the mountain hamlets. At last the Presbyterians arose in arms, but all were against them; they were undisciplined in the art of warfare, and they royal army so much more powerful, that those who failed to make their escape were massacred without regard to age or sex. It is supposed, and no doubt true, that the large McKirdy race became extinct, by these massacres, with the exception of Pethric McKirdy ( afterwards spelled McCurdy ) and his four brothers, David, John, Williams and Daniel. These brothers escaped in an open boat, and through a blinding snowstorm from Bute, in the latter part of November 1666, they sailed across the turbulent sea and landed on one of the rocky islands near the north coast of Ireland. It is claimed that they took refuge in this island and for two days and nights, tasted no food. On the morning of the third day, they sailed a short distance and landed near " Giant's Causeway", County Antrim, Ireland where they were recieved by the Presbyterians who had settled there from Scotland some years previous; but here too, they were persecuted by the Irish Catholics. In 1690, the McCurdys were amoung the first to take up arms to defend their religion. When William of Orange landed his army in Ireland, he was greatly reinforced by the uprising of the Presbyterians. Shortly afterwards, the great battle of Boyne was fought, which proved the complete downfall of James II and ended the reigning power of the Catholic line of the house of Stuart. At what time Petheric married Margaret is uncertain; yet they must have married shortly after reaching Ireland, as their grandson, David McCurdy was born in 1709. Petheric died near the close of the 17th Century.When Petheric and his four brothers, David, William, John, and Daniel, left Scotland in November 1666, they traveled by boat out the Clyde River to the sea and to Northern Ireland. The McCurdy's were Presbyterians and left Scotland because of religious persecution.

Facts about this person:

Fact 2 November 1666 Petheric and his four brothers escaped Scotland

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Ancestry.com. One World Tree (sm). (Name: Provo, UT, USA: MyFamily.com, Inc., n.d.;).

   Online publication - Ancestry.com. OneWorldTree [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: MyFamily.com, Inc.