United Empire Loyalists: A Guide to Tracing Loyalist Ancestors in Upper Canada, by Brenda Dougall Merriman
Reviewed by Kathie Orr, UE
For many of us researching in Ontario we use the bible of Ontario genealogy Brenda Dougall Merriman’s Genealogy in Ontario: Searching the Records – well Brenda has now done the same for researching our Loyalist ancestry.
Brenda’s latest book is United Empire Loyalists, A Guide to Tracing Loyalist Ancestors in Upper Canada (Ontario) published by Global Genealogy – Campbellville, Ontario. The book is richly illustrated and is meant for both the novice and experienced researcher. The book deals with such subjects as misperceptions and Loyalists, research methodology, research sources and case examples. The chapters are broken down as follows.
- Who Is a Loyalist? – background, Lord Dorchester’s resolution, what “kind” of Loyalist
- What is The United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada?
- What is the Association, membership, and making an application
- How Do I Get to My Loyalist? – educating yourself, resource centers, the research process, and the basic sources
- Is My Ancestor a Loyalist? – the major instructions and proclamations that affected the Loyalists, contemporary original lists and other sources
- Case Examples – the petitions – examples of what can be described as model, tangled, confusing and unsuccessful petitions
- Reading and Reference
Brenda’s expertise and years of experience in researching the records of this period have given us a reference tool we have long needed; the book is a “must have” for the Loyalist searcher.
Author: Brenda Dougall Merriman
Title: United Empire Loyalists: A Guide to Tracing Loyalist Ancestors in Upper Canada
Publisher: Global Heritage Press Inc., Campbellville, Ontario
Pages: 192
ISBN: 1-897210-84-1
Year: 2006