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The Loyalist Gazette, Spring 2021 Issue
The Spring 2021 issue of the Loyalist Gazette has been completed. It is available for members who tale the digital version by logging into uelac.ca. It along with the Fall 2020 issue are in the Member’s Section and available to all member’s who log in. The issue is now at the print shop for those receiving the paper version; it will most likely be mailed sometime the week of June 21.
The latest issue features articles:

  • What impact did the United Empire Loyalists have on the United Kingdom? by John Cass
  • Behind the Scenes with Greg Childs
  • The UELAC Dominion President’s Bagpipe Banner
  • Timothy Munro and his Rebellion Boxes by Jo Ann Munro Tuskin UELAC
  • Shelburne NS in her Heyday by Darlene Rennehan
  • They Had a Dream: Birchtown NS
  • Amendment to the Weaver Families of the Mohawk and St. Lawrence River Valleys Book by Bob Weaver UE
  • Revisiting Sleepy Hollow by Peter Johnson UE
  • Finding her Loyalist Roots: A Toronto High School Student’s Duke of Edinburgh International Award – Canada Project
  • Adam Papst: Loyalist by Ken Vance UE
  • and more…

Butler’s Rangers and The Road Trip of 1787, Part Three of Four
copyright Stephen Davidson UE
Although it only managed to hear petitions from three members of Butler’s Rangers on the preceding Saturday, the Royal Commission on the Losses and Services of American Loyalists (RCLSAL) listened to the testimony of seven veterans on Monday, August 27, 1787. As we cannot be sure of the order in which the men made their petitions for compensation, we will first consider those who spoke on one another’s behalf.
Frederick Auger emigrated from the German states to the British colonies in 1757, settling on the banks of the Susquehanna River by 1772. Four years later, he and his family had cleared 20 acres of land, were growing wheat and corn, and had a good number of cattle, sheep and hogs. When Butler’s Rangers required provisions, Auger allowed the Loyalist corps and its Indigenous allies to take his stock. Auger joined the Rangers with his two sons in 1778, serving as a private for the duration of the revolution.
Joining Auger when he enlisted with the Rangers was his neighbor, Michael Thomas. Thomas was American born and quite a bit older than Auger. He had cleared a tenth of the 300-acre grant he had on the Susquehanna. Thomas also gave his livestock to help feed the Rangers. The RCLSAL commissioners considered him a fair man, especially as he thought that Col. Butler or the British commander-in-chief should pay for his confiscated cattle rather than the British government. Thomas was discharged from the Rangers in the last year of the revolution owing to his age and “having a large family”. His friend Auger verified all that Thomas said in his testimony.
Like the other veterans of Butler’s Rangers, Michael Showers had made the 660 km “road trip” from Niagara to Montreal to appear before the RCLSAL. But although he spoke on behalf of Frederick Auger, Philip Buck, and John Wintermute, Showers did not seek compensation for his own losses. He was one of about half a dozen veterans who appeared before the RCLSAL for the benefit of his comrades in arms.
Philip Buck was another German immigrant who had settled on the Susquehanna. However, he came to America “while an infant”. After coming to the aid of the British during the siege of Fort Stanwix in 1777, Buck joined the Rangers. During one battle with the rebels, Buck became a prisoner of war. After being taken to New York, he returned to service following a prisoner exchange, fighting with his corps until the war’s end. Michael Showers affirmed that Buck had lost stock to Patriots, Natives, and the Rangers, testifying that “he has suffered very much {in} this war by imprisonment.”
A second veteran benefited from Michael Showers testimony on that Monday — and from a certificate that Col. John Butler had sent to the RCLSAL that “strongly” vouched for the loyalty of John Wintermute and “all his family”. A Susquehanna Valley settler, Wintermute had joined the Rangers in 1778, serving as a corporal. Like other Loyalists in the valley, he had allowed the Rangers and their Indigenous allies to take his livestock to feed the Loyalist corps. Wintermute’s greatest regret seems to have been the loss of his “furniture, tools and utensils”.
The last German settler of the Susquehanna to stand before the RCLSAL on that Monday was Frederick Smith. Serving as a private in the Rangers in 1777, Smith had his two sons fight alongside him in the same regiment. He, too, lost a house, barn, livestock and hundreds of acres of land. Like his fellow veterans, he decided to settle in the Niagara region after the war.
Although he was also a German immigrant, John Claus had made his home in Cobus Kill in New York’s Albany County. Following his efforts to help the British at Fort Stanwix, he joined the Rangers, serving Butler as a corporal for seven years. His testimony included the fact that he was wounded in service and that the local rebels had confiscated his clothes as well as his livestock, furniture and utensils. A neighbor named John Stevens, who did not seek compensation for himself, testified on Claus’ behalf.
Jacob Walker had come to America half a century earlier and was a settler on the Delaware River at the outbreak of the American Revolution. Where other Ranger veterans did not share stories of their wartime experiences, Walker recalled an incident from the winter of 1778.
Walker and three Loyalist friends were travelling in Northampton County when they encountered a Patriot scouting party. Things quickly escalated, and the Patriots killed two of the Loyalists and imprisoned Walker and the fourth man. The Patriots also seized the two horses, 20 hogs, 7 deerskins, furniture and utensils that the four Loyalists had been transporting. Walker was later able to make his escape. He joined the Rangers as a private before the year was over, and served until 1783. Joel Westbrook who had travelled to Montreal to serve as Walker’s witness, verified his comrade’s testimony.
James Clendenning was the only veteran of Butler’s Rangers to seek compensation on Tuesday, August 28th. Before the outbreak of the revolution, he had lived in Sussex County, New Jersey. He testified that he “was always a friend to {the} British government” and “never served in {the} American militia” although he did sign one “association” of allegiance to the new republic. However, his neighbours clearly knew his true political convictions because Clendenning was “so persecuted he could stay no longer”. He and his two sons joined the Rangers as privates in the fall of 1778. At the end of the war, the entire Clendenning family settled in the Niagara region.
On the day following Clendenning’s appearance before the RCLSAL, Rebecca Field made her case for compensation as the widow of George Field. She was the first wife of a Rangers veteran to appear before the commissioners. Back in 1778, Rebecca and her three sons (Daniel, Gilbert and Nathan) followed her husband from their farm to Rangers’ headquarters in Niagara since “they could not live at home, they were so persecuted”. The Fields had to come away “in a great hurry or they would have been sent to gaol”.
All four Field men served in Rangers, but Rebecca’s husband only lived for two more years after hostilities ceased. On his deathbed George gave everything to his wife, no doubt hoping that she would one day re-acquire all that they had lost along the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. (The river runs through both New York and Pennsylvania.)
In addition to a large amount of livestock, 300 acres of land, a house, furniture, and an orchard that had been confiscated after their departure, the Field family had watched rebel neighbours take away two sets of blacksmith tools, three rifles, and two horses while they were still in their home. By the time of Rebecca’s appearance before the RCLSAL, her husband’s land had been sold. Given that the board’s commissioners wrote liner notes saying the Fields were “very good people”, it seems most likely that they received some sort of financial compensation for their wartime losses. All three of George and Rebecca’s sons agreed that their mother should receive their share of the compensation.
This series on the Butler’s Rangers concludes in next week’s Loyalist Trails.
To secure permission to reprint this article contact the author at stephendavids@gmail.com.

History Remembered at United Empire Loyalist Convention
Carol Goddard 9 June 2021 Seaway News
CORNWALL, Ontario — The Bridge Annex Branch of the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada (UELAC) decided pre-pandemic to host the 2021 convention in this city and when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the decision to pivot to a virtual convention was made. The event was held May 27 to 30 and featured key note speakers, presentations from local historical societies and museum as well as the UELAC Annual General Meeting.
Jennifer DeBruin, former Cornwall resident and convention co-chair, explained the decision to hold the convention in Cornwall was an easy one to make. Read more…

What’s in a name? Egerton Ryerson UE
The Expositor 11 June 2021
One of the most distinguished citizens Norfolk County has produced has taken a beating in recent days in the court of public opinion.
Last weekend, protesters in Toronto destroyed a statue of Egerton Ryerson after repeatedly marking the base with the words “dig them up” — an apparent reference to the 215 suspected graves identified in a radar survey at the former site of Kamloops, B.C., Indian Residential School.
An early educational reformer who laid the groundwork for much of Canada’s system of public education, Ryerson’s role in the creation of residential schools is less direct. He drafted an influential 1847 report calling for religious-run “industrial” boarding schools in order to instil “civilization” in the “North American Indian,” but was long-dead before mandatory schools on this model began opening up across the country.
Defenders of Ryerson’s legacy have often pointed out that he does not carry the markers of an anti-Indigenous historical figure. Ryerson spoke Ojibwe, he developed a close relationship with the Mississauga people outside of modern-day Toronto and even delivered the eulogy at the funeral of Peter Jones, a converted Ojibwe Methodist minister who had become one of Ryerson’s closest friends. And he was fervently against one of the most defining horrors of the Indian Residential School system: strict and ever-present corporal punishment.
Ryerson was born in the former Charlotteville Township. He was one of six children of United Empire Loyalist Joseph Ryerson and the former Sarah Stickney. Read more…

Jar: French Adventurers, Patriots, and Pretentious Imposters in the Fight for American Independence
by Arthur S. Lefkowitz 8 June 2021
France was defeated in the Seven Years War. The defeat resulted in France losing valuable colonies, and prestige and influence in Europe. Desperate to regain her past glory, France began to modernize and rearm its army and navy. Realizing that its defeat in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763) was mainly the result of a weak navy, France undertook an ambitious program of building new and modern warships to rival Britain’s Royal Navy.
Tension in America suited France’s aims. The French became interested in the Americans and sent spies to report back on the growing unrest. Once the rebellion began, the French wanted to keep the war going and they supplied the rebels with war materials. Everything the French did was kept secret to avoid a war with Britain until they were ready.
The French rearmament program included purging the army of mediocre officers.
Europe was at peace at the time and these jobless officers were hard pressed to find employment as mercenaries. Other French officers were frustrated by their inability to advance in rank or gain valuable experience. Thus, these often-unemployed and destitute officers turned to the war in America as their salvation. Read more…

JAR: Loyalist “Banditti” of Monmouth County, New Jersey: Jacob Fagan and Lewis Fenton
by Joseph E. Wroblewski 10 June 2021
While brutal internecine warfare was waged in various sections of New Jersey, nowhere in the state were the effects both in length and degree felt as harshly than in the central coastal county of Monmouth. The guiding principle of the war here was lextalionis, that is, the law of retaliation, whereby a punishment resembled the offense committed in kind and degree (the biblical “an eye for an eye”). As one historian stated: “It is ironic that this small, rural, conservative colony was destined to experience some of the bitterest civil war in all the Provinces.”
Playing an important part in this irregular warfare was New Jersey’s nearly 130-mile Atlantic coastline with numerous barrier beaches, inlets and bays. Adding to this was the fact that the British, from 1776 until they departed New York City in 1783, controlled Sandy Hook at the northern end of New Jersey’s coastline. Aside from protecting New York Harbor, it served as a refuge for Loyalist irregular forces and a place where they could sell plunder from their raids. Another geographical factor that contributed to the extended operations of Loyalist raiders in this region was the adjacent one-million-acre section of coastal plain known as the Pinelands (also referred to as the Pine Barrens) that make up approximately 22 percent of New Jersey’s area.
The Loyalist Refugee raiders in this region became collectively known as “Pine Robbers” or “Pine Banditti” because they used the extensive Pine Barrens as either their base of operation or a place to evade capture. According to historian David Fowler: “Pine Robbers were mostly poor, un-propertied elements in society who saw the war as a chance to improve their lot.” An interesting aspect of these Loyalist raiders was that they included a number of runaway slaves, operating in mixed race units. Read more…

Ben Franklin’s World: On Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a state holiday that commemorates June 19, 1865, the day slavery ended in Texas.
Annette Gordon-Reed, is the Carl M. Loeb University Professor and a Professor of History at Harvard University and Harvard Law School. Her books have won sixteen major awards including the Pulitzer Prize in History and the National Book Award. She’s known for her expertise on the Hemings Family and Thomas Jefferson, but in this episode, she joins us as a native Texan to discuss the early history of Texas and the origins of the Juneteenth holiday.
Using details from her book, On Juneteenth, Annette reveals information about Texas’ early history as a colony and as an independent republic; Details about Texas’ history with and use of slavery; And, the origins of the Juneteenth holiday and why there is a push to make this Texas-state holiday a commemorative day throughout the United States. Listen in…

Hyde Park: Interesting Incidents in the 1700s
By Geri Walton 7 June 2021
Hyde Park was established by Henry VIII in 1536 and opened to the public in 1637 where it quickly became popular. Major improvements to the park happened in the early eighteenth century under the direction of Queen Caroline. It was also during the eighteenth century that several noteworthy things happened at the park, among which were several robberies pulled off by highwaymen, duels, and suicides, along with several positive events, such as a walking match, muster of the cavalry, a review of the military by George III, and of course, the addition of the recreational lake called the Serpentine that changed the look of Hyde Park forever. Read more…

Events:

Kawartha Branch Celebrates Loyalist Day Friday 18 June @10:00

Kawartha Branch will celebrate Loyalist Day by raising a flag at Peterborough City Hall on Friday 18 June 2021 @10:00. Master of Ceremonies, Graham Hart UE, will welcome you followed by the Royal Anthem, greetings from Kawartha Branch President Bill Russell UE, an indigenous land acknowledgement, description of the significance of the flag raising ceremony, the Loyalist prayer, read by Kawartha Branch Immediate Past President, Grietje McBride UE, a series of slides of past flag raising ceremonies and our national anthem, O Canada.
https://zoom.us/j/96403309014?pwd=VTlVU2hiejlGdlZkWUdwNnFOQkJVUT09
Meeting ID: 964 0330 9014 Passcode: 538583

Toronto and Gov. Simcoe Branches – “Loyalist Day” Sat. 19 June @1:00

This celebration of our Loyalist ancestors on Loyalist Day in Ontario will review the evolution of Ontario from purely lands of the Indigenous Nations through the province of Ontario, the Loyalist Associations from the 1884 centenary to 1997 and then Loyalist Day itself. Some will discuss “My Loyalist Ancestor”.
June 19, at 1:00pm, on Zoom; Register here

Grand River Branch: “Wolford Chapel” Saturday, June 19th @ 2:00 EST

Hear guest Speaker, Dena Doroszenko, from the Ontario Heritage Trust present, Wolford Chapel: the burial place of Sir John Graves Simcoe.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/99997680759?pwd=ekREZE5PL2ZUaE05KzJhc2VMUzlkdz09
Meeting ID: 999 9768 0759
Passcode: 669627

Bay of Quinte Branch Commemorations June 19 & 20 War of 1812 and Loyalist Day

Unveiling of the UEL Burial Ground Plaque and the marking of eleven War of 1812 Veterans at the Lutheran Union Cemetery. Hosted by the Canadian Fencibles, Bay of Quinte Branch of the UELAC and Loyalist Township.
Saturday 19 June 2021 at 11:00 AM
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86982008334
Meeting ID: 869 8200 8334

The Canadian Fencibles and the UEL Heritage Centre & Park are hosting the marking of eight War of 1812 Veterans at the St. Alban’s and UEL Memorial Cemeteries at 10am on Sunday June 20th.
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84708746009
Meeting ID: 847 0874 6009

UEL Flag Raising at the UEL Memorial Cemetery in Adolphustown hosted by the Bay of Quinte Branch of the UELAC, Canadian Fencibles and King’s Royal Yorkers.
UEL Flag Raising Sunday 20 June 2021 at 1:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82887081100
Meeting ID: 828 8708 1100

US Army Museum” Revolutionary War Soldier’s Load” Wed 16 and 23 June

US Army Museum offers virtual field trips on “The Revolutionary War Soldier’s Load: Profiles of An Army,” examining the uniforms, equipment & weapons of Revolutionary War soldiers, Wednesday, June 16 and 23. Free, but optional donation. https://tickets.thenmusa.org/SelectDate.aspx

Congratulations Herb Norry
A long-time member of London and Western Ontario Branch UELAC and a nonagenerian, Herb Norry will be inducted into the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame today Sunday 11 June at 1:00 p.m. You are welcome to attend this free virtual ceremony by registering here.
Herbert Norry, BSA ’52 and M.Sc. ’66, was a widely-known agricultural extension specialist and a catalyst for agricultural innovation. He helped to establish 4-H clubs and was a charter member of the Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario. Herb had a 32-year career with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. He was a key organizer and presenter at annual farm tax and business seminars; established an advisory review committee for an initiative designed to reduce the amount of phosphorous going from farmland into the Great Lakes basin and helped to develop a course for farm women on accounting, tax filing, insurance and record keeping. See Four Alumni Named as 2021 Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame Inductees.

From the Twittersphere and Beyond

Last Post: FLAGLER, Howard John
Colonel John Butler (Niagara) Branch members are saddened to report that Branch Past President Dale Flagler’s brother Howard John Flagler passed away in Orange Park, FL. on May 27, 2021. We extend our deepest sympathy to Dale and his family.
Howard was a descendant of UE Loyalist Philip Roblin, who served in the Barrack Master’s Department during the American Revolution. Philip and his wife Elizabeth joined Peter Ruttan’s Company in New York and settled in Adolphustown.
Howard was born in Niagara Falls, NY and held dual US and Canadian citizenship. He
was a veteran, having served as a US Army Airborne Ranger in 1952-55. He worked for New York Telephone Company before moving to Florida in 1974.Howard was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Jeanette; and his oldest daughter, Rhonda. He is survived by his daughter, Kim (Doug) Moon; and his son, Gary Flagler. As mentioned Howard was the brother of Dale M. Flagler, Niagara Falls, NY; and the uncle of Michael Flagler of Spotsylvania, VA, Kathleen Flagler of Ransomville, NY, Brian Flagler and Karen Flagler. He is also lovingly remembered by eight grandchildren and many great-grandchildren, as well as cousins throughout Canada and the United Kingdom. See the Niagara Gazette.
Bev Craig UE

Last Post: HAYWARD UE, George Hatfield 1927-2021
George Hatfield Hayward of Fredericton passed away on June 10, 2021 at the age of 93. Husband of Maxine (Shaw) Hayward for 73 years, George was born June 25, 1927 at Middle Simonds, Carleton County, N.B. to the late William and Dora (Hatfield) Hayward.
His 30-year career with CMHC took him and his family to several communities across three provinces, finally settling in Fredericton in 1981. George was well known in the genealogy community as a tireless and meticulous researcher publishing more than twenty New Brunswick family histories and contributing to numerous genealogical journals. He was a George of all trades and master of most – including, but not limited to, farmer, woodsman, soldier, mechanic, carpenter, draughtsman, cabinet maker, finance manager, genealogist, editor, author, and computer wizard.
In addition to his wife, Maxine, he is survived by his daughters Suzanne (Alan) Whitehorn of Kingston, ON and Beverly (Harold) Andrews of Fredericton. One sister, Jane Hovey of Woodstock, NB. Sister-in-law Muriel Shaw of New Minus, N.S. Predeceased by his brother Ivan Hayward and sisters Mary Hayward and Sharon Cheney.
In keeping with George’s wishes, there will be no visitation or service. Interment of his ashes will take place at Greenwood Cemetery, Hartland, NB at a later date. Arrangements by Britton Funeral Home, Hartland, NB. Remembrances to Greenwood Cemetery, Hartland, NB. Personal condolences through www.brittonfh.ca
Daniel Hayward

Last Post: McLEOD UE, Elizabeth Marion (nee Staples)
On Friday, May 28, 2021 at the age of ninety. Dearly loved wife of the late Wallace, mother of Betsy (Daniel), John (Mary), James (Fay) and Angus (Andrea), grandmother of Aubrey and Arthur McLeod, Kimberley Favron, Zara and Nuria McLeod, great-grandmother of Percy McLeod. A celebration of life will take place when feasible. The family wishes to thank the management and staff of Donway Place, who made Mom’s life comfortable in her final years. Charitable donations would be welcomed to the Class of 1953 Scholarship Fund, Victoria College, 71 Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1K7.
A member of Toronto Branch, Elizabeth only recently received her Loyalist Certificate as a descendant of Loyalist Alexander Rose which was noted in the Spring issue of the Fidelity, Toronto Branch’s newsletter. She became a nonagenarian only a month ago. Son John and daughter Betsy are also members of Toronto Branch as was husband Wallace.
Martha Hemphill UE

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