Find your ancestors in Emigrant Ministers to America, 1690-1811

A compiled list of those who took advantage of a bounty offered by King William to defray travel costs to ministers and schoolmasters of the Church of England. Their journeys and time in the Colonies were often difficult and they were spread across North America and the islands of the Caribbean.

This list was compiled largely from records known as Money Books, King’s Warrant Books, Treasury Papers, and Exchequer of Receipt Papers, documenting the funds spent to send missionaries to the New World. However, most of the entries also include where the individual was intending to travel to, specific roles, such as clerk or lawyer, and frequently, additional genealogical information.

The amount of information listed varies, but the records usually include the following information about your ancestor:

  • Surname
  • Given name
  • Intended destination
  • Payment date
  • Source of information

In many cases, the individual was actually born in the colonies and returned to England for education and training. As a result, additional evidence of travel may be found.

Further information of their missionary work may be found in the reports of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel; held in a variety of historical archives across North America and in Britain.