“Loyalist Trails” 2006-22 May 28, 2006
In this issue:
– Conference Update: Promotions at Conference
– The Bicentennial Branch Goes Back to School
– Bicentennial’s Loyalist Program Makes the Big Time
– Loyalist Day in Saint John May 18: Pictures
– The Life and Times of Sir William Johnson: Book on Microfilm
– Ontario’s Loyalist Day plans: Hamilton Branch
– Moose Creek GRANT Reunion
– A Movie on Early George Washington
– The Revolution (Boston, Bloody Boston)
– New Production of Molly Brant
– Last Post: Hazel May (Wagar) McKay, UE
– Queries
+ Response re: Thomas Dowe
+ Johnson’s Bush
Articles
Conference Update: Promotions at Conference
PROMOTIONS UELAC at the Conference: Promotions will have sale items from the Costume Branch inventory for sale at the Conference. Items included are: Silk rose boutonnieres and corsages; Colouring books – “Everyday Dress of the American Colonial Period” and “Uniforms of the American Revolution”; Cook Book – “Serve it Forth”; “Loyalist Clothing Guide”. Many other items are available as well. Check out the sales table – Thursday afternoon and evening and Saturday at the AGM. All sales final, cash or cheque.
The Bicentennial Branch Goes Back to School
The group from Bicentennial and Kingsville Historical Park took the Loyalist Program on the road. This time there were too many students to have the Program at the Charlie Campbell Museum so we packed up our things and took them to General Isaac Brock Public School in Olde Sandwich Town (Windsor). Over 70 students,5 teachers, the Vice Principal and Principal attended an afternoon of fun. The gym was filled with excitement as the Loyalist Story unfolded before their eyes on the big screen in front of them. Thanks to the new Power Point Presentation the kids were captivated and that was a big success.
Then off they went to the 6 interactive stations to see first hand just how hard life was for these ancestors of ours. They ground corn into flour with Linda Lynch, learned how to write with a quill at Susan Hutchins’ station. Made rope with Bob McCracken, learned all about the two man saw and how to use it with Kimberly Hurst, were taught about the musket and how to use it safely with Black Powder expert Stewart Cruickshank, and last but not least got their hands in the wash tub to take on some dirty laundry with Sarah Hurst and Linda Iler.
A great big thanks goes out to all the volunteers and to the school for supplying us with a great group of kids to teach. Three more school tours will be coming up in June at the Charlie Campbell Museum. Stay tuned for a link to see the pictures.
Bicentennial’s Loyalist Program Makes the Big Time
The Duval Publishing Company in Alberta contacted us at the Bicentennial Branch this month to get permission to publish pictures taken during one of our school tours at The Charlie Campbell Museum in Kingsville Ontario. A new History Textbook is being published for the Grade Seven students in Ontario and it is a great honour for us to be included in the Loyalist chapter of this book.
Keep your eyes open for a link to the pages in this exciting new textbook in September.
…Kimberly Hurst UE
Loyalist Day in Saint John May 18: Pictures
View pictures of the event described in last week’s Loyalist Trails at www.communitylens.com ; the only thing they missed was the 21 gun salute.
…Jim McKenzie UE
The Life and Times of Sir William Johnson: Book on Microfilm
William Johnson emigrated from Ireland to the American colonies in 1738 settling in the Mohawk Valley about 25 miles west of Schenectady, New York, where he established a trading post. Johnson is noted for establishing strong relations with the natives, in particular the Mohawks. He learned their languages, dressed in their clothing, welcomed them into his home and labored to preserve their lands from encroachment.. In 1744, Johnson was appointed Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Six Nations by the governor of New York.
Johnson accumulated huge land holdings, much of which came as gifts from thankful Mohawks, and he became one of the wealthiest men in the colonies.
Johnson enlisted Iroquois warriors in the war against France. In 1754, he led the negotiations with the Native Americans at the Albany Congress. During the French and Indian wars (1754- 1763), Johnson’s military assault against Crown Point was a failure, but he successfully defeated the French at Lake George where he erected Fort William Henry. For his efforts he was rewarded with a baronetcy. In 1756, Johnson was appointed the superintendent of all of the northern native nations, a position he held until his death. In 1759, Johnson’s forces seized Fort Niagara and in the following year he served under Amherst at Montreal. Johnson was rewarded by the king with a grant of 100,000 additional acres in New York.
In 1762, Johnson founded a community that became Johnstown, New York Johnson lived out his life on his massive estate, raising sheep and racehorses built a beautiful home called Johnson Hall, After his wife’s death, he married two successive Native American women. The latter was Molly Brant, sister of the famed chief Joseph Brant.
Microfilm Available! The Life and Times of Sir William Johnson by William L. Stone Vol I & II. (on same film) of the books originally published in 1865 by J.Munsell, 78 State Street, Albany New York. Filmed By Preston Microfilming Services – Toronto. From original books owned by Donna Magee, Member, Ontario Genealogical Society # 17312 Retired Educational Curriculum Consultant
Pricing: 1 film = $30.00; 2 films = $50.00; 5 films = $100.00; Prices in Canadian dollars.
Shipping Costs: CAD$7.00 in Canada; USD$9.98 to US
For further information contact {donnajmagee AT hotmail DOT com}
All orders must be prepaid by cheque or money order. Make cheques payable to “DJM Consulting.”
Send to 736A The Queensway P.O. Box 57052 Etobicoke, ON; M8Y 3Y2
Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery
Ontario’s Loyalist Day plans: Hamilton Branch
Once again we are pleased to invite you to attend the annual ceremony in Prince’s Square, 50 Main Street, East, Hamilton to recognize and celebrate the United Empire Loyalists who were the early settlers of our area.
We look forward to your presence once again to welcome our invited guests and distinguished keynote speaker, H. V. Nelles, the L. R. Wilson Professor of Canadian History at McMaster University.
…Gloria Oakes
There is a GRANT family reunion occurring during the Glengarry Highland Games in MAXVILLE, Glengarry August 4th, 5th & 6th, 2006 and all related to the Grant Families of Moose Creek, Roxborough, Glengarry, New Liskeard, North Bay, etc) are invited to register for this get-together. These families are descended from Duncan Grant son of Angus Grant, UEL & Ellen Macdonell of Leek, UEL. Send an email to ev.scullion@sympatico.ca who will confirm your descent and will forward your contact info to registration committee.
…Evelyn Scullion {ev DOT scullion AT sympatico DOT ca}
A Movie on Early George Washington
This is a trailer (preview) of the movie which will be on the History Channel on Monday, May 29, 2006, check your TV listings for your area. It is from 1750 when Washington was a British Officer through to the battle of Yorktown.
http://assets.electricartists.com/assets/wash/01_INTWA1536.wmv [You may wish to right-click on the link and select “Save Target As…” to save it to your computer]
…Charles Ross
The Revolution (Boston, Bloody Boston)
Click here for the HistoryChannel.com page about the series.
From the website: “They were everyday men and women — farmers and shopkeepers, sailors and tradesmen, seamstresses and silversmiths, brewers and printers — who came of age in a new world amid a flood of intoxicating new ideas and dared to take on the mightiest empire in the world. THE REVOLUTION, a new 13-part series on THE HISTORY CHANNEL, tells the story of a remarkable group of ordinary individuals who transformed themselves into architects of the future and built a new nation unlike any that had come before.
“The Revolution airs Sundays at 10pm ET/PT beginning June 4th on THE HISTORY CHANNEL. Check your local listings.”
…Charles Ross
What is the connection between Molly Brant and the current news stories from the Six Nations near Caledonia? Eileen Strempel, Matthew Zadow and Peter Aston present forgotten Canadian history in a revised “MOLLY BRANT: a Two Act Musical Drama”.
Composer Augusta Cecconi-Bates has developed the work, which premiered in 2003, to include the role of Molly’s life partner, Irish merchant and landowner William Johnson. Molly Brant was a Mohawk Clan Mother and orator who lived her final years by the Cataraqui River and is buried in St. Paul’s churchyard on Queen Street in downtown Kingston. Molly and William managed an international merchant business along the Mohawk River in colonial New York, and were canny political strategists, seeking by their own example to find a way to regulate the conflicting interests of the diverse inhabitants of the Great Lakes basin – Iroquois, American colonists and British Loyalists- during the tumultuous years before and during the American Revolution. Immediately following the revolution she worked tirelessly to resettle the Iroquois in what is now the Six Nations Reserve near Caledonia and Tyendinaga near Deseronto. This largely unknown yet momentous part of Canadian history is brought to life by the passionate singing voices of Eileen Strempel and Matthew Zadow, and the speaking skills of actor Peter Aston. Accompanying the singers are pianist Clare Gordon, and violinist, Joan Sutherland.
Local musicians Rhona Gale and Bev Coles will be standing in for Strempel and Aston in the first two performances.
The musical drama is scheduled for four performances at Memorial Hall at Kingston City Hall: June 18, 21, 25, 26. These four events are sponsored by THE FIRST CAPITAL DAYS COMMITTEE. Tickets may be procured through:
Our Box Office Hours – 10:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday through Friday, Saturday 12 noon until 4:00 pm The Box Office phone number (ONLY) 530-2050 Box Office Location – 185 Sydenham Street, Kingston ON K7K 3M1 (Click here for the website, with online ordering)
Last Post: Hazel May (Wagar) McKay U.E.
Hazel May (Wagar) McKay, UE, passed away 28 May 2006 in Calgary, at the age of 104 years, 3 months, 8 days.
Queries
Joyce. I should first introduce myself as an individual who has researched in the King’s Royal Regiment of New York for the last 30 years. I have just had published a revised Master Roll of the KRR, so the information I’m sending is from that study.
I should emphasize that there were over 1500 names in the roll, so dead accuracy on single persons has been a difficult goal to attain.
My information on Thomas Dowe is that he was American born in 1757. He was 5’9″. He enlisted on 12Nov 1781 and ranked as a Private soldier throughout his service. On 05May 1782, he was shown as serving in lower Quebec with Reverend James Stuart, the Second Battalion’s Anglican chaplain. All of this data was from military sources.
I was unable to find any settlement or marriage information for Dowe.
Gavin Watt, HVP UELAC
Does anyone have information on where Johnson’s Bush was located in the Mohawk Valley? I am a relative of Alex (Bush) Ferguson 1783-1875. Perhaps he was born there thus the addition of Bush to his name. Any info on Johnson’s Bush would be appreciated.
…Gordon Ferguson {eferg AT glen-net DOT ca}