Note
As a young man, he became a Quaker and accepted William Penn's invitation to come to America to be free from religious persecution. He traveled with his sister Isabella and her husband. They were at sea some fourteen weeks and endured the hardships of such a long journey. His sister and brother-in-law, as well as many others, died at sea. George wrote his mother a very detailed letter a few weeks after arriving in America.
The transcript of that letter is courtesy of a booklet put out by the Haworth Family Association at a reunion held in Plainfield, Indiana in September of 1899 by the Haworth Family Association.
Philadelphia, 26, of 8 Mo., 1699
To my Dear Mother, Brother and Sisters:
After my dear love to you all with my dear love to all my friends and neighbors, hoping that you are all in good health as I am at present, blessed be the Lord for the same; though I have been very weakly at sea in the latter end of our journey, but it pleased the Lord that I got on shore at a place 100 leagues short of Philadelphia, where I was informed that my Sister dwelt there at a place called "Hurbells", and so much in weakness I got to the place and quickly found her, and staid there one week and then set sail in a sloop for Philadelphia, for which I paid 5s. My Sister was in good health and she hath four children, two boys and two girls, and her husband being well also, and is in good health. He is a hatter to his trade. We were about 14 weeks at sea. After we left Liverpool a long and tedious journey we had, for we being thronged in the ship I believe hurt many, for we had many distempers amongst us as fevers, flux and jaundice and many died at sea about 56 and at shore there died about 20. Henry Mitchell died at sea about midway, his son John is dead also, and one Ellis Schofield and Robert Brewer are dead and he hath left his goods to be returned to his kinfolks at Liverpool.
My Brother-in-law is dead and the child died also about three days before my sister. She was indifferently well most of the way, but about 100 leagues of sight of land she bore a child and it died and then she died and left her household goods to my sister and one half of the clothes and the other half she left to me. As for my Sister here, she doth somewhat incline to come to meeting; but she liveth so far remote from any meeting that she seldom goeth, but as for her husband he doth not incline to go to Friends Meetings. If my Brother, or any of my neighbors do incline to come into this country, let them be careful that they do not come too many in the ship as we did, for being thronged and the smell of many, then many fainted away and died.
We wanted water and beer to drink, for having salt beef we were much a thirst and could not get enough to drink, for the seamen stowed the hold so full of goods that they had not enough room for water and beer, and then wanting such things as might have nourished us, we suffered hardships. But if any come let them buy for themselves over and besides the ship's allowance, spices, brandy and cheese, let the seamen pretend to what they will, or else victuals themselves and bargain for being carried over and goods and then bring for yourselves but a little beef and some bacon and what flour is very good, and cheese and butter and eggs and any other mild sort of food. And as for your goods you bring, let them be bedticks, very good, with all sorts of bedding.
Bring no hats except very good and hardwares; so be careful of being thronged in the ship or a summer's journey, lest you be hurt as we were. We had a very hard passage; we were brought to an allowance of water and beer and then for every four we had two cases of water and beer and then two. So no more, but very dear love to my Mother, Brother and Sisters, with the rest.
George Haworth wrote a second letter to his mother that was presented to the Haworth Gathering. This second letter was dated 13th of the 5th Month called May 1701. This date in itself is strange as in the old style calendar used up until 1753, the 5th month was July. Anyway it was two years later. The following are excerpts from this letter.
I have had my health reasonably ever since I came into the country, but at first being a little weakly I was with James Haworth, and then I hired myself for a year and I had about 10 pounds wages in the year ... So if any of my relation have a mind to come to this country I think it a very good one, and that they may do well, but be sure to come free. But if you come servants, they must be sold for four or five years work hard, so be sure to come free and bring such things as will suit plantation work, as horse chains and plough gears, and all things suitable to work with, as plough irons and things for selling.
He went on to describe the land, the game, the crops and other things in the new land. He again told his mother that he first stayed with his sister and then went north,
... then came into the county of Bucks, where my cousin James Haworth lives, and dwelleth near to him, being about 250 miles from my sister.
James Haworth and his wife are well and hath one daughter....Direct your letters for me to be left at Phineas Pembertons, in the county of Bucks, and so remain, Your loving Brother George Haworth
The Haworth Farm
In 1702 or 1703 George purchased two tracts of land, the first of 200 acres was for the consideration of twelve pounds. The second of 250 acres, joined the first tract and cost twenty-two pounds. George is listed in the deeds as a laborer in Bristol Township.
This land was largely primeval forest and was located four miles northeast of Doylestown in Buckingham Township of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. As there is little reference in Bucks County to the principal points of the compass, the land can be described as lying in a Southwest to Northeast direction for its greater length of about two miles. Bounding it on its Northeast side is the present Carversville road which meets the Durham road at a right angle. Within this angle and lying North and east of the intersection is the site of the Haworth farm.
George and Sarah did not live on this farm until 1722 which was shortly before his death.