Only 59 days until we leave for Scotland. I continue to research daily. Today, my husband and I are heading to Ephrata, Pennsylvania to Ephrata Cloisters (https://ephratacloister.org). Today is a special tour day that focuses on the Revolutionary times at Ephrata Cloister where a hospital was established after the Battle of Brandywine. I can clearly hear my dad’s voice saying, “Sharon, they traveled by buckboard from Chadds Ford to Ephrata to care for wounded soldiers.” I am so looking forward to the tour today and hoping it will answer questions I have for the end of the book.
Below is Elen’s tentative journey through Scotland and America in search of her daughter:
Elen’s Path in Scotland:
- April 16th – Battle of Culloden. Tess gives birth. Elen stops by Elspeth’s house on the way home.
- April 17th – Returns home near Nairn, 13 miles.
- April 17th – Finds Flora and Helen gone. Kidnapped by Redcoats.
- April 18th – Decisions to be made. Readies for her journey and begins.
- April 18th/19th – Nairn to Forres (10.1 miles) -Witch Trial
- Forres to Elgin (12.5 mi.)
- Elgin to Keith (17.1 mi.)
- Keith to Huntly (10.9 mi.)
- Huntly to Inverurie (22.7 mi.) – may need to stop between
- Inverurie to Kintore (4.1 mi.)
- Kintore to Aberdeen (12.7 mi.)
- Stays in Aberdeen and works in a hospital. A decision needs to be made whether she leaves Aberdeen to head to America or makes her way to Dundee.
- Aberdeen to Findon (8 mi.)
- Findon to Stonehaven (10.3 mi.)
- Stonehaven to St. Cyrus (17.5 mi.)
- St. Cyrus to Arbroath (18.2 mi.)
- Arbroath to Carnoustie (7.1 mi.)
- Carnoustie to Dundee (12.8 mi.)
- Leaves for America.
- Voyage I need to decide where to enter America: Philadelphia or New Castle, DE. I am leaning towards New Castle.
- Flora and Helen arrived in Oxford, MD. Indentured to plantations nearby (1746).
- Elen arrives in 1747
- New Castle, DE to Charlestown, MD is 30 miles. Stops in Christiana, DE?
- Christiana, DE to Elkton, MD is 13.9 mi.
- Elkton, MD to Charlestown, MD – 11.5 mi.
The search…
- 1777 – Potentially a second book in the series.
- Charlestown, MD to North East, MD (3.6 mi.)
- North East, MD to Fair Hill, MD (15 mi) – avoids General Howe. Potentially meets with the Continental Army.
- Lewisville, PA to Kennett Square, PA (17.6 mi)
- Kennett Square, PA to Chadds Ford, PA (7.7 mi.)
- Chadds Ford, PA to Ephrata, PA [by wagon] (50.6 mi.)
Thanks to Photo by Bjorn Snelders on Unsplash
