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2022 UELAC Conference Invitation

The Planning Committee of the 2022 Dominion Conference would like to invite you to our virtual conference, “From Heartbreak to Hope in the Heart of the Continent“.

“Magnates, Mavens, and Miracle Workers: Loyalist Descendants in Manitoba”
It had long been the dream of the Manitoba Branch UEL to celebrate a government-proclaimed Loyalist Day in Manitoba. This dream had proven elusive until a chance encounter in 2012: at a gala dinner commemorating the Bicentennial of the arrival of the Selkirk Settlers in Red River members of the Manitoba Branch were seated with an MLA who happened to be the Minister of Culture and Heritage. It was a eureka moment: perhaps this minister might be more favourable to a proclamation of Loyalist Day. Before a letter could be drafted, research would have to be done to demonstrate the importance of loyalist descendants in Manitoba.
In 2014 the first Loyalist Day in Manitoba was proclaimed in the Manitoba Legislature. That same year the Manitoba Branch was seeking projects to celebrate the centenary of the founding of the United Empire Loyalists’ Association in Canada. One of the projects was to mark Manitoba cemeteries where loyalist descendants were buried. Branch members were canvassed for the names and locations of cemeteries where their loyalist forebears were interred. At the same time it was decided to broaden the scope of the project to include the burial sites of prominent Manitobans of loyalist descent. This research led to a series of articles published in the Branch newsletter,” Loyalist Lines”. These articles will be reprised here over the next several weeks as part of our conference, “From Heartbreak to Hope in the Heart of the Continent”.

Margaret Ruttan Boucher Scott UE: “The Angel of Poverty Row”
United Empire Loyalist forebear: Lt. William Ruttan, UE. He served in the Third Battalion New Jersey Volunteers, for which service he was granted 1200 acres at Adolphustown, Midland District, Bay of Quinte.
Margaret Scott was born Margaret Ruttan Boucher in Colborne, Ontario on July 28th’ 1855 to Judge Robert G. Boucher and Mary Ruttan. In her early twenties she married William Hepburn Scott, a Peterborough lawyer and Ontario MLA. His sudden death left her a widow at 25, faced with the necessity of earning her own living. She mastered the typewriter and obtained office work.
In the 1880’s she relocated to Winnipeg and obtained work at the Dominion Land Office. There she met a friend of the Reverend C.C.Owen, Assistant Rector at Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Reverend Owen was much involved in charity work and Mrs. Scott volunteered to help him with his correspondence. So began her path to urban sainthood.
By 1898 Margaret Scott had left her office position to work as an urban missionary. She visited female prisoners, supervised the Winnipeg Lodging and Coffee House, which gave support to indigent and unemployed men, and began visiting the poor in their homes. She came to believe that a permanent mission to provide medical care for poor women and children was a pressing need.
Thus was born the Margaret Scott Nursing Mission. With the help of volunteer fundraisers, prominent businessmen and their wives, and most of the large protestant churches, funds were obtained for the purchase of a house at 99 George Avenue. In 1904 Margaret Scott was persuaded to move there from her room at the Lodging House on Lombard. It would be her home for the rest of her life.
Medical treatment at the Mission was on a “pay what you can “basis. Often payment was in kind: garden produce, poultry, a bucket of coal. No one was turned away. Margaret Scott never took a salary.
When she died August 1, 1931, MLA Edith Rogers launched a subscription for a memorial for “the Angel of Poverty Row”. It stands in St. John’s Cemetery marking the resting place of a woman who held the people of her community first in her heart.
Source: “Margaret Scott: A Tribute -The Margaret Scott Nursing Mission” by Helena Macvicar. www.accessgenealogy.com
Cemetery: St. John’s Cathedral.

Conference Registration is Now Open
Visit https://uelmanitoba.ca/conference2022 for more details and registration.
Mary Steinhoff, Chair, On behalf of the 2022 Conference Planning Committee of the Manitoba Branch

Liberty of Conscience in a Loyalist Colony
copyright Stephen Davidson UE
When the first session of the New Brunswick House of Assembly convened in January of 1786, it debated 61 pieces of legislation. The fourth act that the legislators considered was the degree of religious freedom that the new Loyalist colony would allow.
Granting “liberty of conscience” was a brave move for the newly elected members. Many attributed the success of the Patriot cause to the preponderance of “dissenting churches” in the rebellious thirteen colonies. Their original settlers had fled England to practice their religion far from the control or interference of the Church of England. Since the monarch was the titular head of the Anglican Church, shouldn’t a colony of Loyalists who had been devastated by the American Revolution adopt that denomination as its state church? Didn’t freedom of religion contain the inherent danger of disunity and therefore future revolutions?
Although New Brunswick’s Loyalist founders had suffered a great deal at the hands of those professing “liberty” during the course of the American Revolution, it did not stop them from guaranteeing certain basic freedoms in their new society. Many of the colony’s settlers attended the Church of England, but there was a great deal of diversity within the refugee community, so much so that “liberty of conscience in matters of religion” was regarded as a fundamental right.
During the first sitting of the New Brunswick House of Assembly, the colony’s American refugees considered the merits of “an act for preserving the Church of England, as by law established in this province, and for securing Liberty of Conscience in matters of religion“.
Note the wording. Although the Church of England was “established in this province“, nevertheless, no one was compelled to attend its services. Jews, Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Lutherans were all part of the religious mosaic of the colony from its very beginning. Almost 250 Baptists and Quakers had made their homes in Beaver Harbour, a Loyalist settlement along the northern shore of the Bay of Fundy. Quakers were also among the Planter settlers who had settled along the lower St. John River Valley 20 years before the arrival of the Loyalists. Many of New Brunswick’s Black Loyalists were Baptists.
The Rev. John Michael Kern was the pastor of three Lutheran congregations in and around Wallkill, New York. A minister who encouraged his congregations to keep “steady to their Loyalty”, Kern refused to ally himself with the rebels, and so in 1778, local Patriots banished the Lutheran pastor. After finding refuge in New York City, Kern, his wife and their five children joined other Loyalists who set sail for New Brunswick. Records of the day indicate that he associated with other German refugees who lived along the St. John River.
New Brunswick’s first Loyalist assembly enshrined into law the freedom for “all dissenters from the Church of England within this province” to choose their denomination, build meeting houses, chose ministers “for the decent and orderly celebration of Divine Service…according to their several and respective opinions“.
The preachers for the various denominations had to receive a license from the governor before they could give sermons, lectures or conduct worship services. A condition for this license was taking an oath of “fidelity and allegiance to his Majesty”. Failure to comply would result in a fine ranging from £50 to £100 or imprisonment for three to six months. The act made special mention of the “people called Quakers”; it allowed them to worship “in the manner they are accustomed”. This was done to make allowance for the fact that Quakers do not make oaths or swear on the Bible to substantiate their given statements.
While “liberty of conscience” was the fourth act passed by the New Brunswick legislature, its 19th act returned to the matter of a Quaker presence in the colony. This act permitted members of the Society of Friends “to make an affirmation instead of an oath“. In situations where an oath was normally required, a Quaker would say, “I do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm…” (This affirmation is recorded in the petitions that Quakers made to the loyalist compensation board when it visited the colony in the fall and winter of 1786-87.)
However, Quakers were not allowed to give evidence in any “criminal cause extending to life or limb“. Any Quaker who made a false statement after using this formula would be subject to the same penalties as persons convicted of “willful and corrupt perjury”. Persons appearing in court could not simply claim to be Quakers and thus avoid making an oath. They had to have been practicing members of the denomination for a least a year.
As it turned out, the right to “liberty of conscience” did not deliver all that it promised for those who were not Anglicans. Five years after freedom of worship was made the law of the land, the New Brunswick House of Assembly passed a law restricting who had the power to conduct a wedding.
An engaged couple could arrange their marriage with either a justice of the peace or a “parson, vicar, curate or other person in Holy Orders in the Church of England“. No other authorities within New Brunswick were given the authority to solemnize marriages. This legislation certainly did not reflect the will of the people, rather it demonstrated the governing elite’s intentions to strengthen the authority Church of England as New Brunswick’s established church.
The only exceptions that the colonial legislature allowed were for the clergy of the Kirk of Scotland, the Roman Catholic Church and the Society of Friends (the Quakers) — and then only if the couple planning to wed were members of those denominations. Despite the fact that New Brunswick had Loyalists who were Jews, Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Lutherans, their spiritual leaders had absolutely no right to perform weddings.
Any non-Anglican clergman who performed a wedding would be fined anywhere from £50 to £100 for every marriage that he performed — and would be put in jail for twelve months. It would take the passage of many years, but eventually Loyalists and their children were allowed to be married by the clergyman of their choosing. The “first marriage celebrated under the new marriage act” was reported by the New Brunswick Royal Gazette. A Methodist minister married a couple in Fredericton during the first week of 1835.
Almost half a century after promising “liberty of conscience” and religious freedom, New Brunswick finally put other denominations on an equal footing with the Church of England.
To secure permission to reprint this article contact the author at stephendavids@gmail.com.

THE KING’S COLOUR: Faithful, Diligent and Determined
by Stuart Manson Mar. 2022
The March 2022 issue of The King’s Colour has been published, featuring the life and times of loyalist and War of 1812 veteran Allan McDonell UEL. It is titled “‘Faithful, Diligent and Determined’ Allan McDonell in the Defence of British North America,” and can be accessed on The King’s Colour page.
Visit Stuart’s website for more details about Stuart and his services.

Early Church History of Kings County, NB by Barbara Pearson
Much has happened between the time when the “Baptist Preacher” was tied on his horse backwards and driven out of town or settlement. The Pioneers of the early Church beginnings were not always welcomed in the towns and settlements of Kings County or elsewhere in the province. They had to convince the people of their intentions to help them deal with the problems of the times, spiritually and psychologically. These preachers and their families often suffered hardships of their own in their zeal to help others.
Some Preachers were of Loyalist descent; Rev. Wesley Stackhouse, Barbara (Scovil) Stackhouse, Sophia (Mercer) Kelly, Rev. Edward Weyman, Rev. Oliver Arnold, Almira Jane Robertson and Elizabeth Edith Gaunce. Others were Scotch and Irish who had emigrated to Kings County; Rev Lewis Jack, Rev. Ezekiel McLeod, Walter Murray, Elizabeth Heine, Elder Jacob Norton, Rev. Edward Byrne, and Rev. James Gray.
I have profiled each with their stories.
I had the privilege of working with Linda Grunder (sadly deceased) and Scott Weyman, on the Weyman family of Lower Millstream. Linda and Scott had found 28 letters in an old desk on a farm by sheer good fortune, written by the Weyman family when their father, Rev. Edward Weyman was on the road looking after those in spiritual need, while the neighbors in the settlement looked after his family.
One such letter is entitled “A Day In The Life Of A Minister’s Wife” written by Rachel (Weyman) Knollin, Rev. Edward’s daughter. She tells us how hard life was for the wife of a minister on Sable Island in 1871 while her husband helped the people there.
Michael Christie and Roland McCormick (Ret. Baptist Ministers) who were working on “The Early Years of New Brunswick’s Free Baptists” shared their research of new information about early ministers from Nova Scotia and New England long since forgotten. From Michael Christie I have the story of “Elder Jacob Norton and the Bonnie Doon.”
Greg Haley and I researched 200 years of early history of English Settlement, Kings and Queens. From this we have the story of Emily Beavan whose husband was the local doctor in the settlement until 1845. Emily was school teacher there and when she retired to have her family, a new teacher, Grace, filled the position.
It is Grace whom Emily takes to “A Calvinist Baptist Meeting at Belleisle Bay in Springfield, July 9th, 1838 “. They bravely walked through the woods following a blazed trail from English Settlement to Belleisle Bay, while some of the residents went by canoe. Her story is in the first person as she is telling it. It is a long trek but Emily didn’t tell us how long it took. Emily gives us an eyewitness account of the settlers, the ministers attending, the customs of the time, including the ladies’ fashions, and the baptisms. She writes in the old English style of the era, so I did not change it. Emily published a book when back in England, “Life In The Backwoods of New Brunswick, North America, in 1845.” Only those who lived or knew this settlement would know the location of her story and the settlers of the time.
I included a description of the book, “The Early Years of Barrington’s Free Baptists” written by Michael Christie and Rev. Roland McCormick (Ret.)
Two of our Kings County Baptist Ministers, Loyalist descendants, are featured in this book. Charles and David Oram, born Long Reach, Kingston, were brothers who ministered in Kings County and Nova Scotia. Both had exceptional musical abilities. David Oram stayed in Yarmouth County with his family and church. Charles James Oram returned to Saint John in 1871. He often filled the pulpit in the Methodist and Baptist churches in retirement .
Read the short profiles of ministers and anecdotes or short stories as noted above in Early Church History of Kings County, NB
Barbara Pearson UE

BOOK Review- Shadows in the Tree, by Jennifer DeBruin, U.E.
Have you tried to imagine the plight of our Loyalist ancestors during and following the American Revolution? The blunt impact on community life, as neighbours betrayed neighbours; friends became foes, and life as you knew it vanishes. Jennifer DeBruin uses her skill to paint a vivid portrayal of her great-grandparents’ crushing loss of their once peaceful existence. Based on facts of her ancestors’ experience, combined with other loyalist tales, Jennifer builds a plausible story of their flight from the Mohawk Valley to the safety of the refugee camps in Quebec. Based on extensive research of similar circumstances, DeBruin uses the fiction genre to bring her characters to life.
Philip Eamer leaves his wife to join forces, loyal to the British monarch, under the leadership of Sir John Johnson. Maria Catrina Eamer must heed her husband’s direction to bring her children to safety upon his instruction. She leans into her resolve to conquer her fear and protect her family. She must follow unknown guides into the wilderness with the small group of fleeing families. The tale brings the sacrifice and courage of these loyalists into focus. Their story will resonate with anyone who shares the history of refugees rebuilding their homes.

Jennifer DeBruin, U.E., shows the ‘humanity in history’ as she shares her stories, based on true events. Shadows in the Tree is her second book; others by Jennifer include A Walk with Mary, a story of a family growing up in Moulinette, one of the Lost Villages along the St. Lawrence River. Her latest book, Daughter of Conflict, describes a harrowing experience of religious tension between the English and French in Colonial America in the 1700s. Visit www.JenniferDeBruin.com to learn more about Jennifer’s work and books.
Cynthia Young, U.E.

JAR: Hearty in the Cause: Defending Delaware Bay, Spring 1776
by Andrew Lyter 24 March 2022
On June 30, 1775, the Pennsylvania General Assembly recognized the direct threat Philadelphia faced should the Royal Navy take control of the Delaware and acted to further strengthen their defenses with the creation of the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety. By September this new committee implemented preliminary resolutions to inhibit the Royal Navy’s ability to reach Philadelphia while preparing for the inevitable arrival of enemy naval forces on the Delaware Bay.
All Pilots of the Bay and River Delaware were ordered by the committee on September 16, to “lay up their Boats on or before the 20th day of September inst. and cautiously avoid going on any navigable water or other place on Land or Water, where they may probably fall within the Power of British Men of War, armed Vessells or Boats.”
The difficult navigability of the Delaware served as a natural defense for Philadelphia and without the aid of local pilots, the Royal Navy would face grave difficulties in reaching the city. Lewistown, Delaware, sitting prominently at the mouth of the Delaware River and Bay, would serve a critical role in relaying the actions of enemy vessels on the Delaware directly to the Committee of Safety in Philadelphia. Read more…

JAR: John Greenwood: Adroit Multi-talented Patriot
by Louis Arthur Norton 22 March 2022
This historical chronical is about an unusual multifaceted patriot: a musician, soldier, privateer, author, and dentist.
On May 17, 1760, John Greenwood was born to Boston ivory artisan Isaac and Mary Greenwood. Before the lad turned thirteen years old, John was a witness to the so called “Boston Massacre” that killed eighteen-year-old Samuel Maverick, his roommate and apprentice in his father’s business. He also witnessed the Boston Tea Party as well as several colonial bureaucrats being tarred and feathered. “Nothing was talked about but war, liberty, or death; persons of all descriptions were embodying themselves into military companies.” These momentous events and divisive sentiments greatly impacted Greenwood’s early life. Read more… (editor: rather fascinating)

The Story of Bathsheba Spooner
By Sarah Murden 21 March 2022
I am delighted to welcome, author, Andrew Noone, whose book, ‘Bathsheba Spooner, A Revolutionary Murder Conspiracy‘ makes for a fascinating read. Bathsheba was was the first woman in American history to be executed following the Declaration of Independence. Today Andrew is going to share with us a little about Bathsheba, followed by some questions and answers.
Bathsheba Spooner was the next-to-last of seven children born to Timothy Ruggles and Bathsheba Bourne Newcomb; Mrs. Ruggles had birthed eight children from her first marriage. Her mother’s roots were firmly planted in one of Cape Cod’s oldest families, her father’s from Roxbury. Timothy was born in 1711, descendant of a family long involved in Massachusetts politics, but none enjoyed the status to which he would rise.
A Brigadier General in the French and Indian War, he had also served as Speaker of the House for two years. His reputation suffered dramatically when, as delegate to the Stamp Act Congress of 1765 in New York, he refused to join those protesting the actions of Parliament and King George III. Now firmly placed in the camp of those loyal to the king, he freely accepted the position of mandamus councillor, one of the men who were appointed by the king’s governor to the upper Massachusetts house, to do the king’s bidding.
Few men were as loathed in Massachusetts in the year 1774. That year, he was banished from his new hometown of Hardwick, a town his ancestors had founded and he himself nurtured. He remained in British controlled Boston until Evacuation Day, March 17, 1776, when he was removed with most Tories to Staten Island. Read more…

Where in the World is Rick Wood UE?

“The Big House“ … Where in the world is Rick Wood of Edmonton Branch? Note: Rick spends his winters “away”…

To participate, submit a photo of yourself in UELAC promotional gear at a place of some note and tell us where it is (if you are a member of a branch, please indicate that as well). Send your submission to the editor at loyalist.trails@uelac.org.

Who are the People In The Picture? A New Photo

Go to Who’s In The Picture (WitP). Mar. 24, 2022. This photo (Ref. Code 2-17-21), taken May 20, 1989, at the banquet at the Royal Convention at Bishop’s University in Lennoxville QC, was labelled by Gerald Rogers as “Ted & Alison Irwin, Sylvia & Jim Fairlie, Ruby & Paul Bunnell, Benny Charter.” It’s not stated but presumed that Gerry identified the couples from left to right and Benny is on the far right, leaving two women unidentified: the 2nd and 3rd from the right.

Can you help resolve the questions?
If so, please send an email to Carl Stymiest, Leader of the Library and Archives Committee at communications@uelac.org — please note the date and reference number of the photo. Any additional relevant comments are welcome, and appreciated.
Carl Stymiest

Additional Comment About Nelson and Dorrine Macnab
In Reference to the photo (Ref. Code 2-13-11) of Nelson and Dorrine Macnab at the 1989 Royal Convention (May 18-22 at Bishop’s University in Lennoxville QC), I would just note that Nelson is wearing his medals earned during the Second World War where he served with the Canadian Navy. With the name “Nelson” what other branch could he have served in?
He was present on D-day (June 6th, 1944) in command of a small vessel with a damage control party at Juno Beach which had the task of aiding damaged ships. He once told me that on that day the ships either had sunk or handled the damage themselves, so there was nothing for him and his party to do. Consequently they went ashore to see what was happening, saw some German prisoners, lots of troops moving inland and then returned to their small boat and returned to England.
Doreen was a great public speaker about UEL history and first got me going into schools to speak, something that I still do 40 years later.
David Moore UE

New Branch Presidents

  • Rev. Dr Marc Smith, UE at New Brunswick Branch
  • Judy deKorte, UE at Grand River Branch

UELAC Loyalist Directory: New Entries
The reworked version of the Loyalist Directory is now active and people looking for it are directed there. The data brought over from the older version is the same. So what is new?
Entries which have been added, or revised, this week, with thanks:

NOTE: Six of the above submissions were submitted on the new template which we are testing; the remainder were submitted previously. We would welcome a few more people to help test – just send a note to me at loyalist.trails@uelac.org – do please include the name of the Loyalist about whom you would like to contribute information and if that person is in the Loyalist Directory already (send ID number too), or is a new entry. …doug

Upcoming Events:

Toronto Branch: Showcasing Your Research. Thurs. 31 March @7:30 ET

“Beyond the Book: Fun Ideas for Showcasing Your Research” with Janice Nickerson. Janice has developed an assortment of creative ways to give your family the gift of genealogy without the slog of writing a 500-page tome. From quick and easy ‘teasers’ to complex projects that really showcase your findings.
Janice is a professional genealogist based in Toronto. Her expertise includes Upper Canadian history, criminal justice records, turning bare bones genealogies into shareable family stories, and using genealogy gifts and games to create a legacy.
To register, contact Sally Gustin, Programme Coordinator at torontouel@gmail.com indicating if you are a UELAC member (which branch) or not. She will send the link prior to the meeting.

Fort Plain: Councils of War and the Cabinet Mon. 28 March 2022 @7:00 ET

How the Revolutionary War Shaped the Presidency. The Councils of Wars that were held by General Washington and his Officers set precedence with how President Washington interacted with his fellow political leaders and more specifically, his Cabinet. The US Constitution never established a presidential cabinet. By Lindsay M. Chervinsky, historian. Details and registration

Gov. Simcoe Br. “My Notorious Ancestors: The Doan Gang” Wed 6 Apr. 7:30

Presentation by Janet Hodgkins UE. A band of brothers, known as the Doan Gang, became notorious in Pennsylvania during the American Revolution. One of the gang, Aaron Doan, was my 4th great-grandfather and my first Loyalist ancestor.
Janet is proud to be descended from seven United Empire Loyalists. She belongs to the Colonel John Butler (Niagara) Branch where she is a Director and the Programme Chair.
More details and registration, or Register directly

Nova Scotia Br. “Birchtown: Its People and their Stories”. Sat. 9 April @2:00 AT (1:00 ET)

Stephen Davidson UE, Authour, Columnist, Historian will give the background to the formation of the Black settlement, and then zoom in on stories of some of its first inhabitants: a middle class couple, a group of coopers, a blind minister, as well as the more “typical” folks who made Birchtown their home.
Questions, or to register, email novascotia@uelac.org

Victoria Br. “Genealogy of Black Loyalists” Sat. 9 Apr. @10:00 PT (1:00 ET)

Allister Barton returns to present ‘Genealogy of Black Loyalists’, part two of his presentation in which he tells the story about his family research. How does Allister connect to the Town of Barton, Nova Scotia; or does he?
To register, email membership.vic.uelac@gmail.com – please indicate if you are a member (which branch) or not.

From the Twittersphere and Beyond

  • Tablet on wall in historic St. Paul’s Church at Halifax to Margaret (Inglis) Haliburton, daughter of UE Loyalist & Bishop Charles Inglis, who Margaretsville, Nova Scotia. is named after. Her father gave her land there adjacent to his Clermont Estate.
  • Van Norden Rd. in Tusket, Nova Scotia is named after members of a family of United Empire Loyalists. Cornelius Van Norden (1764 – 1844) & brother David (1776 – 1852) were native of Bergen County, New Jersey who came as refugees after American Revolution in 1784.
  • Beside headstone for Orangeman Angus Dunbrack & wife Jane in historic Union Cemetery at Mount Uniacke, NS. His grandfather was a native of Scotland who settled in North Carolina & came to Nova Scotia as Loyalist during American Revolution.
  • This week in History
  • Clothing and Related:
    • Bodice ornament in the form of a bow, two intermediate units & a cross. Rock crystal & pastes (glass) imitating rose-cut diamonds, set in silver. Probably made in England ca 1760
    • 18th Century wedding dress, with what looks like a stunning two-tone silk, 1774
    • 18th Century Robe à la Française, detail of the narrow ruching edged with a fringe of white silk gimp & coloured floss silk knots. A wide pleated strip of silk, edged with fringe & flowers, is arranged in a serpentine line. Spitalfields silk, 1760s
    • 18th Century men’s 3 piece suit, made of embroidered shot silk, dressed with accessories, 1770-1780
  • Townsends:
  • Miscellaneous
    • Mudlarking find on recent Thames Tide: a mid 17th century trade token (1648-1672 but prob 1660s) for “ye whit horse Tavran” HPE (Henry Pettitt and his wife Elizabeth, both wine merchants) and on the reverse on fridaye street (cheapside) round a faded running horse.

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