In this issue:


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Another 250th Anniversary: Boston’s Evacuation Day. Part Three of Six
copyright Stephen Davidson UE
The 1,100 loyalists who fled Boston for sanctuary in Halifax 250 years ago were from all walks of life and from a variety of towns. In the months leading up to the March 17th evacuation, loyal Americans from communities surrounding Boston had been seeking sanctuary in the city due to persecution from their rebel neighbours.
Those Massachusetts towns included Berkley, Bridgewater, Charlestown, Dorchester, Freetown, Hardwick, Lancaster, Marblehead, Northborough, Northampton, Plymouth, Salem, Sunderland, Taunton, and Worcester. Loyalists from other colonies had also sought sanctuary in the Massachusetts capital, escaping violence or imprisonment in Kittery, Maine, Portsmouth and Cumberland County, New Hampshire, and Newport, Rhode Island.
As Boston was a centre of government and trade, it is not surprising that many of the Loyalists who joined the 1776 exodus were members of the customs service, judges, and lawyers. But among those who board ships bound for Halifax were a baker, milliners, a newspaper publisher, a blacksmith, physicians, a distiller, a professor, a printer and bookbinder, a sheriff, munitions suppliers, and clergymen.
One such clergyman who ultimately found refuge in England after spending a frosty spring in Nova Scotia was the Rev. Dr. Henry Caner. The rector had to abandon his books, furniture and “anything else” when his family had to flee Boston in March of 1776. However, he was able to take away the King’s Chapel church registers and plate, and a part of the vestry records. (After more than twenty-five years, the registers were obtained from Caner’s heirs and returned to the church.) Caner sailed from Halifax to England on board the Adamant, arriving on June 22, 1776.
The clergyman’s reputation had proceeded him as a fellow Loyalist told King George III that he was “a very worthy man, {who} frequently inculcated upon his hearers due subjection to government and condemned the riotous, violent opposition to it.”
Another correspondent wrote, in 1785: “I am informed that Dr. Caner had retired with his young wife to Cardiff, in Wales.” His Boston estate –which rebels later confiscated– was next to the Chapel burying-ground, and is now owned by the Massachusetts Historical Society. The historian Lorenzo Sabine noted Caner’s  “talents were good, his manners agreeable, and he was highly esteemed by his people.” He died at Long Ashton, England, in 1792, aged ninety-three.
John Chandler was known in England as “the honest refugee”.  Two years before he joined the evacuation to Halifax, he had to flee his home in Worcester, Massachusetts for the safety of Boston. He would later recall that “he with other Loyalists were taken up and carried about the streets. They forced him at different times to declare himself attached to their cause: it was for fear of losing his life. They did not tender any oath to him. If they had, he would … sooner have lost his life than take it.”
While in Boston, he was supported for a considerable time by the sale of silver plate sent him by his family. His adherence to the Crown, and his subsequent departure for England, seem to have been his only crimes; yet he was treated as harshly as though he had borne arms on the battlefield.
When Chandler appeared before the loyalist compensation board on March 31, 1785 he testified his losses of real and personal estate were £11,067 sterling. His statement was so moderate in comparison with many others of the same nature, that In Massachusetts, Chandler was remembered as “cheerful in temperament, engaging in manner, hospitable as a citizen, friendly and kind as a neighbour, industrious and enterprising as a merchant, and successful as a man of business.” He died in 1800 at age eighty in London.
Benjamin Gridley, a Boston lawyer, had the misfortune of being remembered as a bit of a joke by John Adams, the second president of the United States. Adams described Gridley as possessing “capacity, real sentiment, fancy, wit, humour, judgment, and observation; yet, that he had no business of any kind, was in bed till ten in the morning, laughed, drank, and frolicked, and neither studied nor practised his profession.”
However, when he was described for the commissioners of the loyalist compensation board in 1784, his conduct was remembered as “always that of a loyal Subject. From the time of the Troops arriving there He was the only Magistrate who would act and he has known Instances of his having acted when others would not.” Consequently, the commissioners recognized the Boston native as a “zealous and active Loyalist… in the spirited execution of his duty as magistrate“.
Although he was among the 1,100 loyalist refugees who sailed on one of 120 evacuation vessels bound for Halifax in March of 1776, Dr. John Jefferies would be remembered for being a passenger in a more novel form of travel –a hot air balloon (other sources say it was a hydrogen balloon). The 39 year-old Jefferies was both the co-pilot and financier for the French balloonist, Jean Pierre Blanchard, on a journey that marked one of the longest distances a balloon had ever flown.
However, it was not without its difficulties. After leaving Dover, England, on a winter’s afternoon, the two men soon discovered that the balloon was too heavy. Blanchard and Jefferies desperately began to toss any removable object out of the balloon’s basket – even their clothing. A providential gust of wind lifted the balloon just as it came in sight of Calais, France. It came to rest in a tree after a journey of just two hours.
Jefferies returned to Boston in 1790, but he would never have been in England to fly a balloon had he not been a Loyalist. From 1771 to 1774, he had served as the surgeon of a British ship-of-the-line, in Boston harbour. After the battle of Bunker’s Hill, he assisted in dressing the wounded of the Royal Army. Upon his arrival in Halifax in April of 1776, Jefferies was appointed chief of the surgical staff of Nova Scotia.
Three years later, he went to England, but returned to America to serve the British forces at Charleston and New York. Upon the death of his wife in 1780, he resigned; and returned to England to care for his three children. He entered private practice and made a comfortable living by providing obstetric and gynecological services to London’s loyalist refugees.  In 1790, Jefferies returned to Boston, dying there at age 75 in 1819.
Next week’s chapter in this series will spotlight a loyalist merchant who – in addition to being a Boston refugee — became a champion for the hearing impaired.
To secure permission to reprint this article contact the author at stephendavids@gmail.com.

The Loyal- List: Celebrating Opening Day of Major League Baseball
By Mike Woodcock UE, Victoria Branch
The United Empire Loyalists (UEL) left a lasting imprint on Canadian communities and culture. Many descendants carried that legacy into baseball. This short commemorative collection highlights notable UEL descendants who reached professional ranks or shaped the game—arranged chronologically by birth year—with brief summaries of their careers and interesting contributions. Their stories resonate today as Canadian baseball enjoys a renaissance: the Toronto Blue Jays’ 2025 World Series run energized a new generation of fans, and recent strong performances by Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic have showcased the nation’s growing depth and international competitiveness.
James Ralph “Spud” Johnson (1856–1928). A 19th-century major-leaguer, Johnson spent three seasons with the Columbus Solons and Cleveland Spiders. Primarily an outfielder, he hit .302 across 381 games with 400 hits, 246 runs, 238 RBI, and 93 stolen bases. Johnson’s strong batting and speed made him a notable offensive contributor during baseball’s formative professional decades.
Orrin Robinson Casey (1859–1936). Casey played third base for the 1882 Detroit Wolverines in the National League and was long rumored as the inspiration for the poem “Casey at the Bat.” After baseball, he served as superintendent for the SPCA in New York City. Casey’s varied life bridged early professional baseball and animal welfare administration in the United States.
Edward Ellsworth Springer (1867–1891). A Major League Baseball pitcher who briefly reached the majors with the Louisville Colonels of the American Association in 1889. Springer’s singular major-league appearance came July 12, 1889, when he pitched five innings. Though his big-league career was fleeting, his ascent to the Colonels reflects the era’s volatile rosters and the precarious careers of 19th-century pitchers.
Edward Robert “Rosie” Helmer (1890–1951). A Canadian coach and former outstanding baseball player, Helmer traveled in western Canada’s minor leagues and then turned to managing and organizing teams. He spent eight years coaching the Calgary Tigers, assembled a barnstorming provincial baseball team of top players, and later took over the Winnipeg Maroons. Helmer’s work helped develop and sustain regional baseball talent and competition.
Robert Wesley Steele (1894–1962). A Major League pitcher across four seasons, Steele played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1916–17), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1917–18) and the New York Giants (1918–19). His journeyman career during the World War I era illustrates the shifting rosters and opportunities for pitchers of the period, contributing serviceable innings for three National League clubs over a brief MLB tenure.
James Norman Riley (1895–1969). The only athlete to play in both the NHL and Major League Baseball, Riley skated nine NHL games (1926–27) and appeared in six MLB contests (1921–23). He starred eight seasons in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, chiefly with the Seattle Metropolitans, and won the Stanley Cup in 1917. Riley’s dual-sport professional career highlights early 20th-century athletic crossover and transnational Canadian sporting talent.
James Ivan Miller (1898–1967). A Canadian journalist and sportscaster, Miller worked for The Hamilton Spectator for 45 years as columnist, sports editor, and director. He covered the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, provided radio play-by-play for golf and hockey, founded the Ontario Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association, and organized charity celebrity dinners. A former amateur pitcher whose injury prevented pro progress, Miller was later honored in Canadian football and Hamilton sports halls.
Ralph Herbert “Mack” McCabe (1918–1974). A Major League Baseball pitcher born in Napanee, Ontario, McCabe appeared in one game on September 18, 1946, pitching four innings, allowing five runs on five hits, and taking the loss. McCabe’s brief big-league cameo exemplifies countless players whose momentary time in the majors belies lengthy careers in lower levels of professional baseball.
Harry Devereaux Fisher (1926–1981). A Canadian professional baseball player primarily known as a right-handed pitcher who also excelled as a hitter, Fisher could play outfield and pinch-hit at major- and minor-league levels. Standing 6 feet and batting left-handed, his twelve-season pro career (1947–54; 1956–59) featured remarkable batting lines with the New Orleans Pelicans—hitting .397 and .423 in consecutive Southern Association seasons despite limited at-bats.
James Beswick Ridley (1945–2008). A Canadian outfielder, coach, and longtime scout, Ridley played two seasons in Minor League Baseball before a distinguished scouting and coaching career. He coached the Canada national baseball team at the Olympics and Pan American Games and was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. Ridley’s decades-long influence on Canadian baseball development marks him as a pivotal builder of the sport nationally.

Invitation to Contribute
Help grow The Loyal-List! Know other United Empire Loyalists and descendants who should be recognized to baseball? Please contribute information about Loyalists or their descendants, suggest edits to existing profiles, or provide feedback via email at membership.vic.uelac@gmail.com or on the UELAC homepage.
The Loyal-List is a project of the United Empire Loyalists (UEL) Association of Canada, compiled from reputable sources, including the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Wikipedia, and various published works. Learn more about this inspiring project on the national UELAC website.

Blog: About UE Loyalist History by Brian McConnell UE at UE Loyalist History

Loyalists of Ridgefield Connecticut – 24 March 2026
Keith Marshall Jones III, founding President of the Ridgefield Historical Society, has authored a particularly interesting account of a Loyalist town in Connecticut. In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, in 2025, his book God Save the King describes the experience of the town of Ridgefield, Connecticut, including profiles of its Loyalist residents.
The book is 153 pages long and available in paperback format. It is very well researched and has a bibliography as well as end notes. Read more…

250 Years Ago: The American Invasion of Canada for the week around 29 March 1776
The stalemate in Quebec City continued with the British under Sir Guy Carleton safely inside the walls of Quebec City. The Americans worked to maintain a siege but with difficulty due to illness (smallpox was a major disease), a lack of supplies and armaments suitable for an effective siege.

The British 
During the ongoing siege, Carleton began commissioning reports into the loyalty of the local French-Canadian population (habitants). Envoys were sent to surrounding parishes to identify and punish those who had assisted the American “Congressionists”.
A small squadron under Captain Charles Douglas had recently departed England to break the ice and reach Quebec as early as possible.  The HMS Isis (50 guns) carrying a grenadier company of the 29th Regiment, and also HMS Surprise (28 guns) and the sloop HMS Martin were crossing the Atlantic.
Preparations were being finalized for a second, much larger wave of reinforcements under Major General John Burgoyne. This force included seven British regiments and a significant contingent of German (Hessian and Brunswick) troops who would eventually arrive in May to officially break the siege.

The Americans
While the American force around Quebec grew to roughly 2,000–3,000 men with the arrival of reinforcements (including troops from Pennsylvania and New England), the army was severely weakened by a rampant smallpox outbreak. Many soldiers were unfit for duty, and the effectiveness of the siege was diminished.
Brigadier General Benedict Arnold, who had commanded the siege since the death of General Montgomery, was ordered to Montreal and replaced by Brigadier General David Wooster, who arrived to take command of the army at Quebec.
General Wooster had previously managed Montreal with increasing unpopularity, alienating local residents by seizing supplies and using paper money, which damaged support for the American cause. General John Thomas was also traveling to take overall command of the army in Canada, scheduled to arrive in April.

Loyalist Health Care of the 18th and 19th Centuries
By Jayne Leake U.E. 2025/6, from two issues of the PEI Loyalist Beacon
I. Physicians, Apothecaries – Ills and Cures 
My interest in the work of early physicians and apothecaries stems from two sources. The first is a love of medieval mysteries, in which authors such as Candace Robb (Owen Archer series), Susanna Gregory (Matthew Bartholomew) and Ellis Peters (Brother Cadfael) explore the work of early physicians (Bartholomew) and apothecaries, early pharmacists, Brother Cadfael and Owen Archer’s wife, Lucy, before physician medical care became prominent. The second is a more compellingly motivated modern reason, as our primary healthcare systems frequently defer our care to pharmacists, our modern-day apothecaries. It is, in many ways, history repeating itself.
II. Potions, Lotions and Surgery
Further to our examination into Loyalist settlers’ health care during the Prince Edward Island Loyalist era, we must look at what was available to them at the time.
In “Physicians, Quacks and Opium Eaters: The Professionalization of Medicine in the 19th century by Douglas Baldwin and Nancy J. McNeill MacBeath (The Island Magazine, Number 26, Fall/Winter 1989), the authors detail the difficulties faced by the highly trained English and Scottish doctors choosing to practice here at this time. There was widespread belief that imbalance of bodily fluids caused disease. The visual states of blood, urine, skin color, temperature, pulse, and breathing were regarded as the disease itself rather than symptoms. Restoration of these imbalances was standard treatments. Read more…


American Warships Attacked PEI in 1775
By Andrew MacLean 24 March 2026 Backyard History
In November 1775, two American warships showed up in Charlottetown and stole everything that wasn’t nailed down … right down to the curtains and cutlery, and even their bacon!
It was the earliest days of the American Revolution, and the whole operation had already gone sideways before the ships even arrived. Two American ships, the Franklin and the Hancock, had been sent to intercept a British weapons shipment headed for Quebec.
However, a storm knocked one of their ship’s masts clear off. By the time they’d stopped to cut down a tree and fix it, the British convoy was long gone.
So they improvised.
They attacked Charlottetown.
Prince Edward Island’s Acting Governor Phillip Callbeck described what happened when the Americans landed:  Read more…  (on Facebook)

Halifax Gazette – Canada’s First Newspaper Published 23 March 1752
On 23 March 1752, the history of printing began in Canada. On that Monday, from a small print shop on Grafton Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia, John Bushell sold copies of the Halifax Gazette — Canada’s first newspaper.
Printed on just half of a single foolscap sheet, the two-page tabloid featured news from Britain, Europe, New England and the other British colonies to the south — items that would be of interest to local government officials, military personnel and business leaders. Although Halifax was the provincial capital, it had been settled only three years’ previously and had less than 4000 inhabitants — accordingly, community news did not require much space in the paper’s two columns of text. Indeed, the only local content came from advertisements and notices for Halifax businesses: Leigh and Wragg advertised their school at the ‘Sign of the Hand and Pen’ on Granville Street; Proctor and Scutt sold butter by the firkin at their store near the North Gate; and legal documents were drawn up at the corner of Sackville Street from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., six days a week. Read more… and an images of its two pages.

Podcast: Civilian Life in Revolutionary War Occupied Cities
By Lauren Duval, March 2026 at Ben Franklin’s World
For thousands of civilians living in cities occupied during the American War for Independence — Boston, New York, Newport, Philadelphia, Charleston, and Savannah — that question wasn’t hypothetical. It was a reality that reshaped daily life, upended household hierarchies, and revealed a side of the Revolution that battlefields alone can never show us. Listen in…

Hunting Shirts: Rediscovering the Forgotten Uniform of the American Revolution
By Curtis Hermann 8 August 2025
When we think of the American Revolution, images of powdered wigs, tricorn hats and regimental coats often come to mind—but one of the most distinctive symbols of the Revolutionary era was a garment both functional and iconic – the American hunting shirt.
In his thesis, “A Kind of Armour, Being Peculiar to America: The American Hunting Shirt,” historian Neal Thomas Hurst explores the evolution, symbolism, and material history of this uniquely American form of dress. Read more, watch video (44 min), access theses (96 pages) …

Surprise Attack at Great Savannah
by Drew Palmer 26 March 2026 Journal of the American Revolution
Francis Marion has long been celebrated as one of America’s best partisan guerrilla commanders. The nature of Marion’s tactics, such as hit and run raids, speed and surprise, and the use of violence of action, continues to captivate people. His nighttime surprise attack against Loyalist militia at Black Mingo Creek on September 17, 1780, along with a daring pre-dawn raid against a British encampment at Tearcoat Swamp that October, offer some notable examples. Marion’s first venture as a partisan commander occurred at Thomas Sumter’s abandoned Great Savannah plantation on August 25, 1780, when Marion ambushed a small British force and freed a substantial number of American prisoners. It was here that Marion carried out his first major guerrilla operation and embarked on a career that would turn him into an American legend.
After the fall of Charlestown, South Carolina, to British forces in May 1780, Francis Marion’s regiment was destroyed, leaving him without a command. He had departed Charlestown to recuperate from an ankle injury sustained while at a party in March 1780, only months before the full capitulation of the city. Once the British began moving further into South Carolina, Marion joined the re-formed Continental Army under Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates in North Carolina. Gates sent Marion to raise a militia and destroy boats along the Santee River to prevent a British escape to Charlestown in the event of a Patriot victory at Camden, South Carolina. Read more…

The New Dominion: Virginia’s Land in The Northwest
by Gabriel Neville 24 March 2026 Journal of the American Revolution
Major Abraham Kirkpatrick was not one to mince words. “There is a few of them Damned Cherokees,” he reported in July 1784, “near 40 men, settled on Siota about the old Chillicoffee Towns . . . These is the Villains that killed the family at the blue licks,” he continued, “as is still doing mischeif on some parts of the settlements.”
Kirkpatrick was one of Lt. Col. Richard Clough Anderson’s deputy surveyors and had just returned home to Pittsburgh after more than three months in the wilderness. While surveys for Virginia veterans continued in Kentucky’s Green River District, Kirkpatrick had been tasked with assessing things in the still off-limits Ohio Military District on his way home. “Tis absolutely necessary that they should quit that country before we attempt to Survey,” the one-eyed soldier insisted. “Them and us can’t both reside there at the same time. We came near them (perhaps within 10 miles) but avoided going to the old Towns for fear of them and was verry carefull that they would not even hear of us.”
Near Philadelphia, Gen. Peter Muhlenberg, also just back from Kentucky, worried about bigger threats than the forty Cherokee camped near old Chillicothe (Westfall, Ohio). He advised Congress: “This is the critical time . . . to establish peace or to prevent them from forming a combination against us.”
The Six Nations Confederacy had shown a century before what Native unity could achieve, and Ottawa war chief Pontiac helped form a powerful multi-tribe offensive in the 1760s.  Read more…

Book Review: Lineage: Genealogy and the Power of Connection in Early America
Author: Karin Wulf (Oxford University Press, 2025)
Review by Kelly Mielke  22 March 2026 Journal of the American Revolution
Karin Wulf explores the ways in which people of the foundational era represented their family histories and what we can learn about the era through these genealogical presentations. Viewing genealogy as a historically specific cultural phenomenon, Wulf contends that family drove colonial practice and policy. Although the American Revolution is often perceived as having ushered in a new era of individualism, Wulf challenges this by showing that the founding generation had a significant interest in genealogical matters for reasons both personal and political. Wulf points to the extensive evidence of the founders’ genealogical research and family history practices as demonstrative of the continuities of the practice across the long eighteenth century and the ability of genealogy as a cultural practice to adapt and persevere. While historians often interpret the American Revolution as ushering in an era of a more liberal society, Wulf emphasizes the practice of genealogy as an avenue for persistence of older forms of access and authority. Read more…

Advertised on 26 Mar.  “please to stop the above mentioned Watch”

“All Watch and Clock Maker’s please to stop the above mentioned Watch.”

What happened to Alexander Shaw’s watch?  In an advertisement in Dunlap’s Maryland Gazette, he reported that it had been “STOLEN out of the house of James Carson, in Gay-street” in Baltimore on March 12, 1776.  He did not give other details about the circumstances, instead focusing on a description of the “SILVER WATCH.”  It could be identified as “No. 178, the make’s name Daniel Hubert, White Frier’s, London,” though Shaw did not indicate whether those details had been engraved on the watch or appeared on a watch paper that protected the face of the watch when stored.  Other identifying characteristics included: “siler faced, with a pinchbeck chain, and a seal stamped King George’s head.”  Shaw offered a reward of forty shillings to anyone who returned the watch to him.
He also took an opportunity to enlist the aid of watchmakers and clockmakers in recovering his stolen watch.  In a nota bene, he requested that they “stop the above mentioned Watch, if given to be cleaned or offered for sale.”  Artisans and shopkeepers sometimes placed advertisements to alert readers that they “stopped” or confiscated items that they suspected had been stolen and presented to them for repairs, for sale, or to barter.  Read more…

In the News: Black Loyalist in Canada archives added to UNESCO project
By Jeremy Hull 21 March 2026 CTV News
The Canada Memory of the World Register will add the Black Loyalists in Canada archival collection as part of its mission to recognize “documentary heritage of national significance.”
The Black Loyalist Heritage Centre, the Nova Scotia Archives, the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, the Shelburne County Museum, and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO announced the addition on Saturday to align with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, said a news release from the commission.
“We see the perseverance and dedication that the Black Loyalists brought to building communities despite the immense challenges,” said David Schimpky, Director of Secretariat, Canadian Commission for UNESCO. “Archival holdings such as these are central to building understanding of the experiences and impacts of the Black Loyalists in Canada, a story that is important to recognize through inscription on the Canada Memory of the World Register.”   Read more…

UELAC Loyalist Directory: New Contributions
Entries which have been added, or revised, this week – much appreciation to those contributing:

By Nolan Waterhouse UE

  • Edward Savage  b. 1745, Stratford, Connecticut, before the war in Columbia County, NY, resettled in Caldwell Manor, later Shefford, in Quebec, d. 23 June 1825 in Shefford, Richelieu, Lower Canada. With Mary Church, b. ca. 1752, d. 16 Dec 1832, they had eight children. NOTE: Edward Savage moved to Caldwell Manor around 1783-4, but he lived below the province line of 45th parallel where it is now Alburgh, Vermont. This was where he was living when his earliest land petitions took place. He probably moved to Caldwell Manor in Lower Canada around 1791-2.

By Kevin Wisener UE:

  • Cpl. John Condon b. c.1750, before the war most likely in the area of Orange County, New York, enlisted 1776 in Kings Orange Rangers, Bayard’s Company d. Nova Scotia. Resettled in Halifax County, NS. Married 1. (unknown) and 2. 1799 to Anne Clement (widow) (3 children). He also received 300 acres of land near the Pinette River, in Lot 58, Queens County, PEI, but he appears to have chosen Nova Scotia
  • Dennis Gleason As a Loyalist refugee, he Received a 300 acre land grant near the Pinette River, Lot 58, Queens County, Prince Edward Island

By Lynton (Bill) Stewart

  • Capt. John Hatfield  b. ca. 1740, England, to Elizabeth Town, Union County, New Jersey, enlisted Nov 1776 in 3rd Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers, resettled Initially Parrsborough Township, Kings County, Nova Scotia; then Fox River, Cumberland Co., NS, buried Hatfield Burying Ground, Fox River, Cumberland County, NS
  • Pvt. James Hatfield b. 24 Aug 1753 – Elizabeth Town, Mercer County, New Jersey (Now Elizabeth, Union County) where he lived before enlisting in the New Jersey Volunteers, d. 1806 – Tusket Falls, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. With Mary van Norden (1755-1838) four children
  • Pvt. Job Hatfield  b. 1754 Elizabeth Town, Union County, New Jersey where he was living when in  Nov. 1775 he joined the 3rd Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers,   resettled at Tusket River South (Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia), d. 1825 – Richmond County, Nova Scotia. With Jane van Norden (1784-?) had eleven choldren.
  • Sgt. Maj. Daniel Jenkins  b. 1754, Hopewell, Cumberland County, New Jersey where he lived when he enlisted November 1776 in the 1st Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers resettled at     Belleisle, Kings County, New Brunswick (Kingston area) buried at Orange Cemetery, Kars, Kings County,  NB. With Mary Drew (1767-1853), married 1791, a dozen children.
  • Pvt. Nathaniel Jenkins  b. ca. 1756, Hopewell, Cumberland County, New Jersey, enlisted Nov. 1776 1st Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers, resettled     Belleisle, King’s County, New Brunswick. Brother of Daniel Jenkins
  • Capt. Joseph Lee  b. 23 May 1738, Lyme, New London County, Connecticut, before the war at Hunterdon, New Jersey, enlisted Nov. 1776 in 6th Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers, resettled at Frederickton, York County, New Brunswick where he died 12 October 1812. With Elizabeth Cyphers (1750-1818), married 29 November 1766, four children.

If you are willing to submit some information, send a note to  loyalist.trails@uelac.org All help is appreciated.                           …doug

UELAC Volunteer Recognition Committee, National Volunteer Recognition Update March 2026
The UELAC Volunteer Recognition Committee recently convened the selection process for the recipients of the Association’s two national volunteer recognition honours for 2026: The UELAC Dorchester Award, and The UELAC Suzanne Morse-Hines Genealogy and Family History Award.
Background on the Awards
The UELAC Dorchester Award is one of the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada’s highest distinctions. Named in honour of Sir Guy Carleton, Lord Dorchester, the award recognizes individuals or organizations whose outstanding service has significantly advanced the mission, visibility, and objectives of the Association at the national level. Recipients are typically recognized for sustained leadership, exceptional volunteerism, or contributions that have had a lasting impact on the preservation and promotion of Loyalist history and heritage.
The UELAC Suzanne Morse-Hines Genealogy and Family History Award commemorates the legacy of UELAC’s Past National President, Suzanne Morse-Hines, whose dedication to genealogical research and family history set a standard for excellence within the Loyalist community. This award honours individuals who have demonstrated notable achievement in Loyalist genealogy, research, publication, mentorship, or the advancement of family history knowledge within the Association and the broader historical community.
2026 Presentation and Announcement
Traditionally, both Awards are presented during the Gala Banquet at the Association’s Annual Conference. As there will be no national conference in 2026, the Volunteer Recognition Committee will instead announce the recipients during the UELAC Annual General Meeting, to be held via Zoom on Saturday, May 23, 2026. Presentations will be made at the Gala Banquet during the 2027 UELAC Annual Conference in Kingston, Ontario- 17-20 June.
The Committee extends its appreciation to all members and branches who continue to support the recognition of volunteer excellence within UELAC. These Awards remain an important expression of our collective gratitude for those whose dedication strengthens our shared heritage and institutional vitality.
Carl Stymiest UE Chair, Volunteer Recognition Committee, UELAC

Events Upcoming

Col. John Butler Branch:  A Question of Loyalty by David Moore.  Sat 4 April 11:45

Why did our Loyalist ancestors decide to remain loyal to the King rather than join the rebellion 250 years ago?  This is the question David Moore will examine.  He will consider 9 key factors that influenced the decision to remain loyal.
David Moore, a lecturer on Canadian history, commands the King’s Royal Yorkers, a re-enactment group dedicated to the history of the King’s Royal Regiment of New York.
The Colonel John Butler (Niagara) Branch meets at Betty’s Restaurant, 8921 Sodom Road, Chippawa (Niagara Falls), at 11:45 for a lunch meeting.  This meeting will be both in person and by ZOOM.
For those attending in person, the cost of the lunch is $35 for UELAC members and $40 for guests.  Cash only, payable at the meeting.    No credit cards.
If you plan to attend either in person or by ZOOM, please let us know in advance. RSVP to 283corvette@gmail.com

American Revolution Institute: “Destruction and Wanton Waste” Thurs 9 April 6:30

“The Impact of War on a Peaceful Valley”
Andrew Outten, historical programs manager for the American Revolution Institute, reexamines the Battle of Brandywine from the perspective of the civilian population that experienced the engagement, especially the predominant Quaker community. Drawing from the experiences of a several Quakers living on and around the battlefield, this talk demonstrates the devastating effect of war on a local population by exploring British logistical challenges against the backdrop of the social, economic and religious history of eighteenth-century… Register

Gov. Simcoe Branch: Potluck Luncheon, Prizes, Auction, Fun. Sat 11 Apr 11:30 – 3:30 

The potlucks are special occasions and lots of fun with Good food, Loyalist commentary, items for sale, and live auction, fixed price items and freebies. Plenty of camaraderie. Near Donlands subway stattion. Guests welcome. Registration required. Details and registration

Nova Scotia Genealogy Virtual Conference 2026, 2-3 May

Presented by the Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia – Registration is now open for this two day conference. This is one of the most affordable – only $69 Cdn – virtual genealogy conferences with a focus on Nova Scotia genealogy. Register by March 18 you can enter into our Brick Wall Buster Session. More information, list of speakers/topics and registration at www.nsgenconference.ca  Recordings will be available for on-demand viewing up to 60 days afterwards!

Fort Plain: American Revolutionary War Conference 250 on 28-31 May 2026

This annual conference will be held in Johnstown NY from  noon Friday until 1:00 pm Sunday
It is preceded by a bus tour on Thurs 28 May “A Day on the Lines: The 250th Anniversary of the Continental Army’s Siege of Boston – Led by Alexander Cain” visiting visit sites such as Prospect Hill, Washington’s Headquarters, Bunker Hill, and Fort Washington and more
Registration to open in early March. See Conference details for presentations, speakers, accommodations etc at
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From the Social Media and Beyond

  • Fort Stanwix in Rome, New York, is one of the older forts in American history, seeing action as early as the French & Indian War and into the American Revolution. (2:38 min video)  Watch…
  • Food and Related: Townsends
  • Things including apparel, but more
    • In March 1774, British Parliament passed the Coercive Acts, or Intolerable Acts, as part of punishment for the Boston Tea Party. Inscribed “Success to ye city of Boston, Liberty For Ever,” this mug may date to the time of the Coercive Acts. Inscribed “Success to ye city of Boston, Liberty For Ever” and depicting a fantastical townscape, this English ceramic mug (circa 1770s) evokes the early years of the American Revolution. More…
    • Waistcoat , 1733/4, probably French, silk with metallic thread
    • Man’s suit, c1780, linen, silk and cotton
    • Calash c1800, American, silk and cane
    • Mitt, late 17th century, European. Knitted in the round with no seams, this mitt is among a finite number of extant 17th century silk and metallic knit objects. Fine workmanship was required to incorporate the rigid metallic yarns into the silk stockinette without distorting the pattern. The brocade lining at top of this piece adds both beauty and stability to the knitted extension.
  • This week in History
    • 22 March 1765. London. King George III gave royal approval to the Stamp Act, which imposed direct taxes on the American colonies for the first time in over 150 years. The act required colonists to buy special revenue stamps for legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, almanacs, playing cards, dice, and other printed materials to help cover the costs of defending the colonies after the Seven Years’ War.  Read more…
    • 24 March 1765.  London. Parliament passed the Quartering Act, requiring American colonies to provide barracks, and if necessary, inns, stables, alehouses, and supplies—including food, fuel, candles, and bedding—for British soldiers sent to enforce order after the French and Indian War. Banning private homes, it asserted imperial authority, caused outrage over unpaid burdens, and increased tensions that led toward revolution. image
    • 28 March 1774,  London. The Journal of the House of Lords recorded that the Boston Port Bill— introduced on March 18 in the Commons as punishment for the Boston Tea Party—was committed to a committee of the whole House for debate and amendments. The Lords unanimously approved it; royal assent was granted on March 31, closing Boston Harbor from June 1 until restitution for the destroyed tea. This first Coercive Act escalated colonial outrage. image
    • 22 March 1775, London. In the House of Commons, Edmund Burke delivered his famous “Speech on Conciliation with the Colonies,” proposing resolutions for peace by acknowledging colonial grievances. While he strongly criticized coercive measures—including the upcoming New England Restraining Act (passed on March 30, 1775, restricting New England’s trade to Britain and banning North Atlantic fishing)—he did not solely focus on that bill. Burke passionately opposed taxation without representation, defended the authority and rights of colonial assemblies, praised American liberty as grounded in English principles, and called for reconciliation through concession rather than force to prevent war. His compelling appeal highlighted the colonies’ growth, commerce, and resilient spirit of freedom. image
    • 23 March 1775, Richmond, Virginia. At St. John’s Church, Patrick Henry addressed the Second Virginia Convention, urging military readiness amid increasing tensions with Britain. Ignoring calls for peace, he famously declared: “Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Read more…
    • 22 March 1776.  Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The Patriot brig Comet, under Captain Joseph Turpin, decisively overtook and captured the British sloop HMS General Clinton. This inaugural triumph for the nascent South Carolina Navy boosted morale, deprived the enemy of vital local pilots, disrupted reconnaissance efforts, and demonstrated early American naval capability. image
    • 23 March 1776. Philadelphia. The Second Continental Congress officially authorized privateering against British ships. Delegates agreed to let colonists outfit armed vessels to patrol against enemies, issuing commissions (including Letters of Marque and Reprisal) to seize British ships, cargo, and goods as lawful prizes. Read more…
    • 25 March 1776, Saint-Pierre, Quebec.  Following the failed Battle of Quebec, a detachment of 80–150 American troops and pro-Patriot Canadiens under Capt. John Dubois—sent by the wounded Gen. Benedict Arnold—attacked Loyalist militia (46 men) barricaded in Michel Blais’s house, their headquarters. Using muskets and cannon, they defeated the defenders, killing at least 3, capturing over 30, and securing the area to support the ongoing siege of Quebec City. image
    • 25 March 1776, Philadelphia. The Continental Congress resolved to strike a gold medal honoring Gen. George Washington for his leadership in forcing the British evacuation of Boston on March 17. The resolution thanked Washington and his forces for their “wise and spirited conduct” in the siege and acquisition of the city, marking the first Congressional Gold Medal and a major early Revolutionary victory. image
    • 26 March 1776. Charleston, South Carolina.  The Provincial Congress adopted a new constitution, dissolved itself, and reconvened as the General Assembly to create a government separate from royal charters. This important step toward self-rule, one of the first among colonies, boosted revolutionary momentum and strengthened defenses against British threats.  image
    • 27 March 1776.  Nantasket Roads (about 5 miles south of Boston in the outer harbor), the last major group of the British fleet—transports carrying most of General William Howe’s 9,000+ troops and 1,000 Loyalists—finally left for Halifax, Nova Scotia, after winds delayed sailing since the main evacuation from Boston on March 17. A small flotilla of Royal Navy warships stayed to keep a loose blockade and harass American shipping until they were later withdrawn. Halifax served as the British North American naval base and staging point for General Howe’s next summer invasion and capture of New York City. image
    • 23–24 March 1777, Peekskill, New York. British raiders (~500 men) landed, seized Fort Hill, and burned barracks along with supplies. Gen. Alexander McDougall withdrew uphill, calling for reinforcements. Lt. Col. Marinus Willett arrived with troops and led a bayonet charge on March 24, causing light casualties and forcing the redcoats to retreat to their ships, thus protecting key American depots. image
    • 26 March1777, London.  Lord George Germain, the Secretary of State for the American Colonies, issued final instructions to Governor Guy Carleton in Quebec. These directives removed Carleton’s overall command of the northern campaign, appointing Lieutenant General John Burgoyne as the leader of the main expedition. Germain ordered Carleton to provide logistical support and direct most of the available Canadian forces to help Burgoyne’s southward push from Lake Champlain toward Albany via the Hudson Valley. A smaller detachment was assigned to Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger for a diversionary western campaign along the Mohawk River to threaten Albany from the west and distract American forces. This three-pronged plan—Burgoyne’s main effort, St. Leger’s western maneuver, and Howe’s expected move south—aimed to cut off New England but ultimately failed because of poor coordination and Howe’s independent focus on Philadelphia. image
    • 27 March 1778, Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The continental frigate Providence, commanded by Commodore Abraham Whipple, deftly slipped past a British blockade consisting of about 11 warships during a dark, stormy night, avoiding capture. Meanwhile, the frigate Columbus, commanded by Captain Hoysted Hacker (not Holstead), was chased by a British squadron, run aground off Point Judith, abandoned after salvage, and later destroyed by the enemy. image
    • 28 March 1778,  York, Pennsylvania’s Courthouse. The Continental Congress authorized Brigadier General Kazimierz Pulaski to form Pulaski’s Legion: an independent unit consisting of 68 lancers (cavalry armed with lances) and 200 light infantry, all under his command. Recruitment mainly took place in Baltimore, Maryland. Known as the “Father of the American Cavalry” for his expertise and innovations, Pulaski led this unit until he was killed at Savannah in 1779. image
    • 22–23 March 1780, New York City. Hessian Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen—commanding British defenses in Clinton’s absence—authorized a small raid targeting Hackensack and Paramus, NJ, for supplies and to punish Patriots. Led by subordinates, troops briefly captured Hackensack, plundered, and withdrew without major losses, preserving garrison strength for New York’s security amid the ongoing northern stalemate. image
    • 23 March 1780,  Pon Pon (Bee’s Plantation), South Carolina. Lt. Col. William Washington’s Continental dragoons and allied militia engaged with Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton’s British Legion cavalry. Tarleton’s surprise charge drove back the Patriots, killing several, wounding one, capturing four, and seizing valuable horses with no British losses reported. This small British victory restored mounts and highlighted Tarleton’s aggressive tactics during the siege of Charleston. image
    • 27 March  1780,  Rantowles Bridge, South Carolina. Lt. Col. William Washington’s roughly 300 American cavalry ambushed and defeated a British force that included Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton’s British Legion. This small Patriot victory took place during the British siege of Charleston. Read more…
    • 26 March 1781. Williamsburg, Virginia. The Marquis de Lafayette, learning of British naval dominance in the Chesapeake after the March 16 Battle of Cape Henry and the failure of French support, ordered his 1,200-man light infantry detachment—stationed at Annapolis, Maryland—to march northward back to Head of Elk (Elkton, MD) for a possible return to New York, in accordance with Washington’s original instructions to withdraw if naval superiority was lost. Lafayette himself soon rejoined them at Head of Elk, abandoning the initial plan to reinforce against British forces (then under Arnold/Phillips) in Virginia, but the rapidly changing situation would have Washington redirect him south in April. image
    • March 1782. As the Revolutionary War wound down, a British-backed Loyalist force stormed the privateering hub of Toms River, New Jersey. Captain Joshua Huddy, a battle-hardened Patriot born in 1735 in Salem County, commanded the small Blockhouse with just 25 men. After a fierce fight that exhausted their ammunition, the defenders surrendered. The raiders burned the village, saltworks, and mills, capturing Huddy.
      Huddy’s life had been turbulent: a former militia raider, he later captained the gunboat Black Snake, striking British targets along the Jersey shore. Earlier captured at his home, he had boldly escaped. This time there was no flight. On April 12, Loyalists hanged him near Sandy Hook in retaliation for a comrade’s death. The brutal act ignited a diplomatic firestorm, sparking the Huddy-Asgill Affair and briefly stalling peace negotiations. image
    • 27 March 1782, London. Pro-American Whig leader Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, formed a government as Prime Minister after Lord North’s resignation following defeat at Yorktown. His brief administration (96 days) began peace negotiations, accepting American independence to end the Revolutionary War. Rockingham died of influenza on July 1, 1782; his successor, Lord Shelburne, continued the talks, leading to the 1783 Treaty of Paris. image
    • 23 March 1786.  London. Patience Wright—the pioneering American-born sculptor and Revolutionary spy—died at age 60 or 61 from injuries sustained in a fall. Known for her wax portraits and secretly smuggling intelligence to the Continental Army through hidden messages in busts, she received no official recognition. Congress rejected her sister Rachel’s plea for burial funds, leaving Wright buried anonymously in London despite her patriotic service. image

 

 

Published by the UELAC
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