“Loyalist Trails” 2005-36 October 29, 2005

In this issue:
Response to Legalities after the Revolution
Hay Bay Church Founders Book To Be Launched
Anniversary of Persons Case
Red Ensign as an Official Ensign for Canada
Bus Tour Booklets for Sale
Loyalist Images Online
Loyalist Rose, Cameron Connection
Queries
      + List of Loyalists from North Jersey

Articles

Response to Legalities after the Revolution

Regarding your question, at least after the war Congress forbid the confiscation of Loyalist real property, although some of it did occur. It is addressed in a US Supreme Court decision called Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee. This is obviously a generalization, but you should likely read the Supreme Court decision as part of your research. I can send you a copy of it by email if you cannot locate it.

…Pat Holscher

Hay Bay Church Founders Book To Be Launched

An important new book, of interest to the public and especially historians and family-tree researchers in the Bay of Quinte area, entitled The Founders: The Twenty-two Persons Who Established Old Hay Bay Church in 1792 will be launched at the regular meeting of the Bay of Quinte Branch UEL to be held on Saturday Nov. 12, 2005 at 1:30PM at the Quinte Harvest Church, Elmwood Drive, Belleville. This book is written by J. William Lamb, past president of the Canadian Methodist Historical Society, who has done extensive research on the history of Ontario’s oldest Methodist Church and its founders, and also publishes the Hay Bay Guardian. Hay Bay Church is designated as a National Historic Site of Canada.

The new book gathers the well-researched biographies of the twenty two people who signed the subscription list for the establishment of the church in Adolphustown. Many early Quinte family surnames will be easily recognized: Joseph Allison, John Bininger, William Casey, Joseph Clapp, Daniel Dafoe, Henry Davis, Andrew Embury, Arra Ferguson, Peter Frederick, Christopher German, John & William Green, Henry Hover, Paul & Solomon Huff, William Ketcheson, Elizabeth Roblin, Peter & William Ruttan, Daniel Steel, and Casper & Conrad Vandusen. The work covers a few generations of descendants from each, as well as each individual’s personal story; their origins, war service, religious life, families and final resting place. Not all were Loyalists; not all remained as Methodists.

The book is approximately 140 pages for an estimated cost of $20, and will be available from Mr. Lamb who is guest speaker at the meeting in Belleville on Nov. 12th. Any interested person is welcome to come out to hear his talk on the subject of the Founders of Hay Bay Church, or in fact come to any future talks at the meetings of the Bay of Quinte Branch UEL. The Bay of Quinte Branch UEL has members from throughout the Quinte area and beyond, and will be celebrating its 50th year in keeping alive the memory of the Loyalist Founders of our Quinte area during 2006.

…Brian Tackaberry President, Bay of Quinte Branch

Anniversary of Persons Case

Oct. 18 marked an anniversary of the Person’s Case being settled by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Women were deemed as persons under this decision in the 1929. Prior to this in Canada women were not considered as people under the law. In fact,”A ruling in British common law in 1876 emphasized the problem for Canadian women by saying “Women are persons in matters of pains and penalties, but are not persons in matters of rights and privileges.”

Isn’t that interesting considering Lord Dorchester’s Proclamation concerning the hereditary rights of the UE designation through both the maternal and paternal lines and also the fact that the daughters of a UEL could apply for and receive land grants in her own name and I believe own the said land.

…Carol Goddard UE, President, St. Lawrence Branch

Red Ensign as an Official Ensign for Canada

Sixty years have passed since Canada officially recognized the Red Ensign as Canada’s official flag. This only lasted for twenty years until our current flag was adopted. Many Canadians feel the Red Ensign, which Canadian troops served under should be recognized as an official emblem of Canada. I believe we owe a great debt to those who fought for this flag and I feel it is appropriate for the UELAC to work with the government to pass legislation to make the Red Ensign the official ensign of Canada. There are several countries who have a national flag as well as an official ensign. I encourage you make this request possible.

…Ron Starkie, Surrey, BC

Bus Tour Booklets for Sale

From Bus Tours which Ed Kipp has helped to organize, a couple of the prepared booklets which describe sites, often with both text and picture, along the route.

– A Tour of Loyalist and Eastern Ontario Historical Sites, 2004 (1 copy) Cost: $15.00 including S&H

– A Tour of Historic Sites in the Hudson Valley, From Albany to West Point, 2004 (2 Copies) Cost: $15.00 each including S&H

Edward Kipp

Loyalist Images Online

Adelaide Lanktree, President of the Sir John Johnson Branch, recently submitted an article by Debbie Parkes from the August 29, 2005 Gazette. Debbie reported that “in an ongoing effort to share its riches, the Montreal Archives has posted online more than 3300 photographs, drawings and prints from one of its most consulted private collection. The online exhibition, Canadian Historical Portraits, compiles research by Aegidius Fauteaux covering more than 1500 people from prime ministers to judges to marquises and missionaries. Fauteaux (1876-1941) was a journalist and director of the city’s Central Library in the 1930s until his death. He was also a Canadian history enthusiast.”

UELAC members may be interested in viewing images of William Johnson, in the Western Canada 16-18th C section, and Joseph Brant, in the Ontario section.

To consult the exhibition, or for more information on the Montreal Archives, click here.

…Fred Hayward, UE

Loyalist Rose, Cameron Connection

It is amazing to notice the connections that are made with the Loyalist rose. In her research, Kelly Bennett, 2005 Bernice Wood Flett Scholarship winner, discovered that ‘in the National Archives in Ottawa there is a (copy of) a very interesting letter from “Nancy Jean Cameron” to Margaret MacPherson, describing her feelings about leaving the Mohawk Valley and telling her cousin that she will soon be “following the march of the Cameron men” and “treading the hard road”. The letter is dated 1785 and it is attributed to “Nancy Jean Cameron, Mrs. John Cameron” ‘. I put her in touch with Mabel MacLean, one of our rich resources for things Cameron.

Within 24 hours, Kelly replied, “I just spoke with Mabel and confirmed that Nancy Jean Grant married Alexander Cameron (John Cameron of Lancaster’s son). She was not familiar with the 1785 letter that Kelly mentioned, but Mabel had two other letters in her private collection” which she has kindly offered to let Kelly read. Kelly is most appreciative of the assistance given by so many members of UELAC.

…Fred Hayward, Education and Outreach Committee

Queries

List of Loyalists from North Jersey

I had a request for information from one of members concerning the list of Loyalist (Torries) from North Jersey, ie, Essex, Bergen Counties and also of Freehold or Monmouth County, New Jersey, as he has ancestors in both camps. If anyone could supply him with any information on this list he can be reached at Email address fp71@concast.net or Mr. Fritz Phillips 2800 Monmouth Road, Jobstown, NJ 08041

…Al Button, Genealogist N. B. Branch