Nicholas Cresswell (5 January 1750 – 26 July 1804) was an English diarist and explorer, best known for his detailed journal documenting his travels to America during the years 1774 to 1777.
[2] In early March 1774, Nicholas Cresswell documented his resolve to travel to America, specifically to Virginia, which he considered the most favorable colony.
Departing Liverpool, the ship initially enjoyed favorable winds but soon faced rough seas, damaging the fore top gallant yard on April 14.
The passengers included the Reverend John Baldwin and his brother Thomas, who traveled under false names, claiming to seek better health in Bermuda, and Captain Alexander Knox, a Scotsman bound for Maryland.
The Molly encountered several grampuses (large marine mammals) during its journey, which Cresswell described as impressive creatures capable of spouting water high into the air.
Following maritime tradition, the passengers provided the sailors with a bottle of rum to celebrate reaching land, leading to widespread drunkenness and rowdy behavior aboard the ship.
The next day, May 15, the weather cleared, and Cresswell marveled at the view from the masthead: a flat, pine-covered landscape with numerous rivers flowing into the bay.
The next day, Cresswell explored the surrounding countryside, noting the sandy, seemingly barren land that nonetheless produced excellent garden crops, including green peas.
On May 19, the Molly arrived, and Cresswell and Knox hired a boat to travel to Nanjemoy on the Potomac River, about 60 miles from Alexandria, Virginia.
After a failed attempt to receive a provincial commission from Lord Dunmore, Virginia's British governor, during the American Revolutionary War, Cresswell returned to Edale to resume farming.