“Loyalist Trails” 2005-21 June 14, 2005

In this issue:
Loyalist Days in Saskatchewan and Ontario June 19
Loyalist Cairn Unveiled at UEL Conference in Regina
Saint John Takes Time to Celebrate Its History
Postage Stamp Honouring The Right Honourable Ellen L. Fairclough
County of Peterborough Awards Recognition 2005 to David Kemlo
“Little Hyatt One-Room Schoolhouse” and Little Forks Branch Activities
A Loyalist in the Garden (Part 2)
Future Conferences
Queries
      + Loyalist Action for Compensation
      + Wickwares (continued)

Articles

Loyalist Days in Saskatchewan and Ontario June 19

Saskatchewan: Regina Branch plans a celebration of Loyalist Day at the Cairn recently unveiled during our Conference.

Ontario: Many branches have a variety of activities. Some have arranged for the Loyalist Flag to be flown for the day, or even a week, at prominent locations such as City Hall. Others have special events including St. Lawrence Branch’s celebrations around Jeremy French. Hamilton Branch has a special guest:

Plans for celebrating Loyalist Day are going ahead well, and we are proud to announce that our keynote speaker this year will be the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, The Honourable James K. Bartleman. Please mark your calendar now – June 18 (Saturday) at the Loyalist Monument in Prince’s Square, 50 Main Street, East, Hamilton at 11 a.m.

Once again the Hamilton All Star Jazz Band Quintet will lead us in the anthems and dignitaries will be our honoured guests.

We count on our local members and friends to be present to make this a gala event, and especially this year, we urge you to be with us and show support as we remember our ancestors who settled this area and other regions of our country.

HONOURED GUEST: – Larry Di Ianni, Mayor of Hamilton

Reception to follow. RSVP Gloria M. Oakes U.E. 905-648-6519, {g DOT oakes AT sympatico DOT ca}

Supported by the 2005 City of Hamilton Community Partnership Program

Loyalist Cairn Unveiled at UEL Conference in Regina

Many many thanks to the members of the Regina Branch who did an outstanding job of organizing and running the annual conference in Regina from June 1 to 5. With conference chair Pat and Gerry Adair and President Logan and Shirley Bjarnason leading the team, the balance of activities was just right. From banquet to bus, from meetings to displays, from seminars to the RCMP drill, from Church to casino, from presentation to (too much) good food, everything went very well indeed.

All of that before mentioning the unveiling of the Cairn constructed in memory of Loyalists and Loyalist descendants who explored and settled Saskatchewan. Unveiled by the Lieutenant Governor, the funding for the cairn was raised from Settler descendants, UELAC members ands friends. The cairn itself was built from stones contributed from farms in Saskatchewan settled by our Loyalist ancestors, with the exception of one stone which came from an Ontario farm, originally settled by a Loyalist whose descendants moved west and helped settle Saskatchewan. This unveiling made the conference a once-in-a-decade event. Everyone present would not have missed it.

Carl Stymiest, Pacific Region Councillor, had his digital camera and has posted some 150 pictures on the Internet. If you were there, relive some of the events. If you didn’t make it, see what you missed. Follow the link United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada– Part G and Be sure to check Part F [1-100] as well as Part G [1-63].

Saint John Takes Time to Celebrate Its History

Thanks to Laura Mercer of the Saint John Telegraph-Journal, UELAC got good press on May 19. Laura and David Nickerson, photographer, covered both the celebration at the Saint John City Hall Plaza and Loyalist Plaza as well as the 21-gun salute at Fort Howe. Accompanied by photographs on both page one and three, the three column article included descriptions of the period clothing worn by many of the participants. Comments from Jim McKenzie, president of the New Brunswick Branch, Doug Grant, “the national president of the UELAC (who) came down from Toronto for a two-day Loyalist conference and to help celebrate Loyalist Day” and Fred Hayward, the chairman of the education and outreach committee for the UELAC were also included. Special mention was made of a grade five class from Glen Falls Elementary School which came dressed in Loyalist clothing as well and gave a presentation about Loyalists during the ceremony at Loyalist Plaza. In recognition of their participation, the New Brunswick Branch presented the class with a $200. cheque to help fund a school trip to King’s Landing.

Mayor Norm McFarlane and MLA Trevor Holder UE joined other dignitaries in placing potted red geraniums around Loyalist Rock in honour of the Loyalists. The Rodney Sea Cadets Band provided the music at both ceremonies.

The 21 guns salute is truly unique to Saint John. Normally only capital cities can perform the 21 gun salute, but King George III, in a Royal Charter, granted Saint John permission. Reservist soldiers of the 3rd Field Regiment from Saint John and Woodstock fired three 105 mm C3 howitzers at twelve noon to celebrate Loyalist Day.

Omitted from the article was any mention of our modest Regional Vice President Frances Morrisey and her committee who organized the celebration as well as the Atlantic Region Colloquium. However, they can be pleased with the coverage by the press. It was truly a front page event.

Subsequent to this report, Frances Morrisey notified me that Ted Jones of The Community Lens has posted his review of the United Empire Loyalist Day in Saint John complete with five pages of pictures in the Photo Galleries. Go to CommunityLens.com for the article “Remembering the Loyalists.” – at the bottom of the article, click on “Photo Galleries” to see several pages of pictures.

…Fred H. Hayward UE

Postage Stamp Honouring The Right Honourable Ellen L. Fairclough

I am pleased to share with the friends of Hamilton Branch UELAC the kind invitation we received today to attend the unveiling of the postage stamp honouring The Right Honourable Ellen L. Fairclough, taking place at McMaster University on June 20.

Ellen Fairclough’s accomplishments are written up in detail in the Spring issue of THE LOYALIST GAZETTE. Her friendship with the Oakes family, through music and masonic connections, has given us much pleasure over the years and we are delighted to have been invited.

…Gloria and Lloyd Oakes, Hamilton Branch

County of Peterborough Awards Recognition 2005 to David Kemlo

Recipients will be honoured at a Recognition Awards Ceremony on June 10, 2005 at 7:00 p.m., at the Warsaw Community Centre, 93 Ford Street, Warsaw.

For Heritage Preservation:

David Kemlo, of Galway-Cavendish & Harvey for composing travel guides for the annual fall historical bus tours, assisting Canadians in search of their ancestors and for his work as Director of the Greater Harvey Historical Society.

David is Treasurer of Kawartha Branch, UELAC.

…Charles Geo.Ross, UE

“Little Hyatt One-Room Schoolhouse” and Little Forks Branch Activities

Little Forks Branch had a display table recently during the activities at Friendship Day in Lennoxville.There was constant activity around our booth and we were quite pleased even though it was extremely warm.

We are busy preparing for our fund-raising Garage Sale which is planned for this Saturday to be held on the grounds at our restored “Little Hyatt One-Room Schoolhouse”. This will bring many visitors to see our school while they purchase a “trinket or two” to support our cause.

We have been granted a High school summer student to act as a tour guide at the school beginning July 4th. and will be with us for six weeks through the HRDC Summer Career Placement Program.She is allowed thirty hours per week and so will be present at the school Wednesday to Sunday, six hours daily, possibly 11:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. This will certainly alleviate some of the pressures off of some of us members!

We are starting to take bookings for the use of our school during the summer as a nearby historical society has asked to hold their August meeting on Saturday, the 6th.. New faces will help to advertise our treasure!

…Bev Loomis, Little Forks Branch President

A Loyalist in the Garden (Part 2)

Back in Spring 2003, the Loyalist Gazette ran my article called “A Loyalist in the Garden”. Using the two manuals, Branch President’s Manual and Handbook for Branch Education Committees as well as the Ontario teachers resource ” U.E.L. Day June 19th” as my sources, I referred to the Loyalist Rose or Maiden’s Blush as being from the rosa acra family. However, the websites for Col. Jessup and Hamilton Branches both place it in the rosa alba family as does the American Rose Society. In fact the picture here is very similar to the one here which is what Google places first on its list for “The Loyalist Rose.” Thanks to an avid re-reader of older Gazettes this error is noted. Those in possession of either the manual or handbook should make the changes to the text.

For those gardeners interested in hosta with historical references, “Pilgrim” is more generally available this year. It has light green heart-shaped leaves with lightly wavy creamy white margins and will grow eight inches tall and mature at 21″ wide. Some of our members can claim both Loyalist and Mayflower ancestors.

The third in the series of Loyalist daylilies was released by The Potting Shed this spring. “Thayendanegea” is a rich red with a darker red eye and a yellow green throat. It will have scapes of 28″ and the blooms will be 5.75″ across. Jack Kent is quite pleased with this development. Happy gardening!

…Fred H. Hayward UE

Future Conferences

For those who book their calendars in advance, Conference 2006 will be hosted by Gov. Simcoe Branch, supported by Toronto Branch, at the Holiday Inn, Yorkdale. The conference will run from Thursday June 1 through Sunday June 4. The guest speaker at the banquet on Saturday evening will be Gavin Watt, one of hour Honorary Vice-Presidents and a frequent contributor to this newsletter, and to so much of our military history.

If you like to plan further afield, the Atlantic Region is planning to host Conference 2008 to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the landing of the Loyalists there. The following year, 2009, Bay of Quinte has plans underway to host celebrations for the 225th of the arrival of the Loyalists into what is now Ontario.

Queries

Loyalist Action for Compensation

Manitoba UEL: My grandfather, a UEL descendant who was living in Brandon at the time, was involved in the 1920’s or 1930’s in some sort of group claim for compensation for the confiscation of Loyalist lands during the American Revolution. I assume the action was organized by the UEL Society. Do you know what became of this action? If you don’t know, do you know where I might find out?

…John Batho {gerbato AT shaw DOT ca}

Wickwares (continued)

I finally put aside the book for a half day, and found this reference. The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies then clicked on court martial. The sheet I printed off says:

Still Water, August 5th 1777

Proceedings of a general Court Martial ordered by the Honorable Major Gen. Schuyler Commander of the Army in the Northern Department.

Major Furnald – m – Capt. Fry

Major Hull – e – Capt. Lieut. Voree

Capt. Huchins – m – Lieut. Bowler

Capt. Burbank – b – Lieut. Worthing

Capt. Cleveland – e – Lieut. Howe

Capt. Donells – r – Lieut. Foot

Capt. Brown – s

Philip Wickwire and Robert Dunbar brought before the court and accused of holding a correspondence with and giving intelllligence to the enemy, and of lurking aobut our encampments ans spies, on bing asked whether guilty of the charges both pled not guilty.

Lieut. Thomas Simson on oath deposeth that on the 4th instat, as he was coming from Col. Warner’s Camp, with a aprty of men about ten miles from this place, he discovered tow men with arms, who sculked and endeavoured to escape but they were soon taken. These persons were the above Philip Wickwire and Robert Dunbnar who at first pretended they belonged to the Militia and were going home. But being closely examined, they confessed they had been to the enemy at Ticonderoga and Fort Edward and had taken protection under General Burgoyne. And searching behind the root where thy sculked, two of General Burgoyne’s manifestos were found and the two following passes verbatim

Permit the bearer Philip Wlickware to pass and repass on his Majesties SErvice, he has taken the benefit of his Excelleny Genl. Burgoyne’s Maniforest, and the oathe of allegiance, Head Quarters, 3d of August 1777 at Fort Edward. Philip Skene

Robert Dunbar the same

The court being cleared, and after carefully examing into the charges exhibited against Philip Wickware and Robert Dunbar were of opinion that they were both guilty and sentenced them to suffer death for sd. offences.

Saml. Carlton Presidt.

New Yourk Public Library, Schuyler Papers, Box 46.

…Jan

It’s just as I supposed. They were out scouting the enemy in civilian clothes and got caught. I wonder how Philip escaped the sentence. No man named Dunbar settled in western Quebec (modern Ontario) before 1793, so perhaps he didn’t.

…Gavin Watt