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Born in Boston; Buried in London: A Loyalist Named Coffin. Part Two of Two
copyright Stephen Davidson UE
After the British evacuated New York City, Thomas Aston Coffin was supposed to assume the role of paymaster general at the British naval port of Halifax, Nova Scotia. However, if the Boston Loyalist went there in November of 1783, it does not seem that he stayed long. By December of the following year, he was in England. From there he wrote to Edward Winslow, an old Massachusetts friend, who was based in Nova Scotia. Coffin had agreed to look after Winslow’s son Murray when the latter went to study in England.
Coffin reported that Murray had arrived safely and was attending school at Cheshurst, Hertfordshire. Murray stayed a week or ten days with the Geyer family. “After rigging him out with a new suit of clothes, with hat, stockings, etc., complete, he went to school…and tho’ going among perfect strangers, behaved very manfully.” Christmas was just weeks away, and Coffin assured his friend that Murray would once again stay with the Geyer family who had two sons at the same school. There, Murray would “receive every sort of attention and care”.
The Boston Loyalist was more candid in a letter to Ward Chipman, a mutual friend of both Winslow and Coffin. He confided that Murray was “so riotous” while with the large Geyer family that he was sent back to the school for the remainder of the holidays. “He is a fine spirited boy and will I dare say do well, but he must be looked after and kept within bounds.”
While looking after a young member of the Winslow family was a bit daunting for Thomas Coffin, entertaining young Murray’s aunt Sarah Winslow in London in early 1785 was not so burdensome. Edward Winslow’s sister had made the treacherous transatlantic journey to seek compensation from the British government for her family’s losses during the American Revolution. A letter of the era describes Coffin as Sarah’s “faithful friend” during her time in England.
Although Coffin attended the RCLSAL hearings with Sarah, he did not serve as a witness for her. Nevertheless, Sarah would later record “It was in his power and inclination to do more for me than the rest of my friends could. From the first hour of my getting to London until he saw me on board ship at Gravesend his every moment was employed in my business and pleasures.
A month later, Coffin provided testimony at the loyalist compensation hearing for William Bayard, a fellow Massachusetts Loyalist. The British command in New York City had hired Bayard’s boats and wagons during the war; as the former paymaster, Coffin was able to serve as an expert witness regarding Bayard’s claims.
Not all of Coffin’s time in England was spent assisting fellow Loyalists. The historian Mary Beth Norton has written about how Americans spent their time as refugees in Britain. On Christmas Day, 1785, Coffin attended the Sunday morning worship service at Newgate Prison. Among those in the congregation were 14 condemned prisoners, two of whom were not yet fifteen. The Loyalist later attended a public execution.
Norton also reports that Coffin and his refugee friends went to acrobatic exhibitions, magic shows, and lectures as well as Astley’s Amphitheatre, London’s first permanent circus. Later they went to France. (Clearly, they must have had sufficient means to indulge in so many diversions.)
Coffin’s impressions were that France was “a fine country”, but he felt that its governmental structure was flawed. He described King Louis XVI “as stupid a looking Gentleman as you would wish to see”. He considered Marie Antoinette as “bold looking” and “fond of show and expense, not caring for her Subjects, nor possessing their Affection or Esteem.”
As it seemed they would be staying in Britain for an undetermined amount of time, Coffin and his friends put a great deal of thought into where they establish their homes. Said one, unless “some American Friends live near you it is very difficult to form any society in this Country.” A number of Loyalists from Massachusetts settled in Shrewsbury near the Welsh border.
According to Norton, by 1786 the Loyalists were so scattered throughout Britain that Thomas Coffin reported that there was “scarce a Town that I passed in which I did not find some American Acquaintance.”
As it turned out, Coffin did not have long to worry about where to put down roots. Sir Guy Carleton — now Lord Dorchester— must have been impressed by all of Coffin’s work as a paymaster in the dying days of British control of New York City for he offered the Massachusetts Loyalist the positions of civil secretary and comptroller of accounts in Lower Canada. Dorchester had been made the governor general of British North America and would be based in Quebec City.
In the years that followed, Coffin also became the inspector-general of public works and a justice of the peace. He gradually acquired a large fortune by investing in property. Ten years after his arrival in Quebec, Coffin built himself “a handsome well built stone house”. A later auction of his goods revealed the opulence of his home. He had a library of 600 valuable books, “a quantity” of china, vases, high end household furniture, Brussels carpets, “about 20 superb paintings”, prints and several sets of chintz window curtains.
Coffin also had three illegitimate daughters while in Quebec, two of whom were the children of a French Canadian named Louise Benin. In 1791, he became the father of a son through an affair with a third woman. Robert Harris Coffin would later inherit over £10,000 and a house in London from his father.
There is no record to indicate whether Coffin ever returned to his native Boston to visit his family. However, he did remain in contact with the relatives that he left behind. His collected correspondence contains letters to his mother, his sister Margaret, and his brother Francis. To the dismay of historians, the letters concern themselves with family matters rather than containing reflections on the revolution or Coffin’s relationships to other Loyalists.
Coffin retired in 1794 at the age of fifty, but instead of remaining at his Rue Saint-Louis address in Quebec City, he moved to England where he was offered the position of commissary-general. He bought a house on Westminster’s fashionable Abingdon Street in 1808.
Coffin would only enjoy his new position and new home for two years. He died on May 31, 1810 and was buried among other notables at St. Margaret’s, the House of Commons’ parish church that is situated between the Parliament Buildings and Westminster Abbey. Only three other Loyalists are buried within St. Margaret’s walls: Barnardus LaGrange, his son James, and his daughter Frances Dongan.
Over time, a story grew that Thomas Aston Coffin had been made a baronet — a story that Lorenzo Sabine accepted as fact and included in his 1864 book of Loyalist biographical sketches. However, it was actually Thomas Coffin’s nephew, , who was made a baronet in 1804.
Though far from being the experience of the average Loyalist, the life of Thomas Aston Coffin provides a unique glimpse into a man from Boston’s upper class who weathered a revolution and –thanks to his ties to Sir Guy Carleton—enjoyed a remarkable degree of prosperity in the years following the American Revolution. Like Joseph in the book of Genesis, Coffin’s skills in managing limited resources eventually led to his assumption of power and influence in both Lower Canada and in Great Britain.
To secure permission to reprint this article contact the author at stephendavids@gmail.com.

The “Western Forts” of the 1783 Treaty of Paris
by Richard J. Werther 5 January 2023 Journal of the American Revolution
The Revolutionary War was formally ended by the Treaty of Paris in early 1783. Problems with compliance arose on both sides nearly immediately on several issues. One was the continued occupation by Great Britain of the so-called “Western Forts.” These forts should have reverted to American hands according to the terms of the Treaty. The breach this represented was a problem that lasted all the way until 1796, when the United States finally ratified the Jay Treaty of 1794 and Britain turned over the forts.
Identifying the forts included in “Western Forts” proved to be less straightforward than I expected. Counts of the number of forts involved vary depending on which sources you consult. Much contemporary correspondence suffered from the same problem that interested me in researching this in the first place: They simply refer to “Western Forts” (or Outposts, or Garrisons). They covered three general areas: The Northwest Territories, Upstate New York, and Lake Champlain (the latter a little more Northern than Western). The consensus among the various sources leads me to the following list: Read more…

Winning Hearts and Minds: Pardons and Oaths of Allegiance
by Joseph E. Wroblewski 3 January 2023 Journal of the American Revolution
“I, A. B.do promise and declare that I will remain in a peaceable Obedience to His Majesty, and will not take up Arms, nor encourage Others to take up Arms, in Opposition to His Authority, shall and may obtain a full and free Pardon of all Treason and misprisions of Treason, by him heretofore committed or done, and of all Forfeitures, attainers, and Penalties for the same; and upon producing to Us, or either of Us, a Certificate of such his appearance and Declaration, shall and may have and receive such Pardon made and passed to him in due Form.”
The above is a part of a Proclamation first issued on July 14, 1776, then again on November 30, 1776, by Adm. Richard Viscount Howe and his brother Gen. William Howe, who aside from being the military commanders of the British Expeditionary Force sent to put down the Rebellion in North America, were also accredited as “the King’s Commissioners for the restoring of Peace in His Majesty’s Colonies and Plantations in North America.” The pardons bore an influence upon the colonists in the early stages of the War of Independence, particularly in New Jersey and elicited a response from the Patriots. Read more…

Valley Forge: Surviving the Winter of 1778 (Podcast)
By Ricardo Herrera 3 January 2023 Ben Franklin’s World
On December 19, 1777, George Washington marched his Continental Army into its winter encampment at Valley Forge. Lore says this was a hard, cold winter that saw the soldiers so ill-supplied they chewed on the leather of their shoes. But is this what really happened at Valley Forge? Were soldiers idle, wallowing in their misery?
Ricardo Herrera, a historian of American military history and a visiting professor in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College, joins us to investigate the winter at Valley Forge with details form his book, Feeding Washington’s Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778. Listen in…

Early Settlers of Charlotte County, New Brunswick
By Cal Craig UE
My wife Barbara and I, with the help of others, have gathered brief details of various Charlotte County Biographies and Lineages for local Settlers.
A special thanks to Gerry GOSS, UE and Patricia (Pat) McKINNEY for their assistance.
Charlotte County (2016 population 25,428 is the southwest-most county of New Brunswick, Canada. It was formed in 1784 when New Brunswick was partitioned from Nova Scotia.
Located in the southwestern corner of the province, bordering the US state of Maine, Charlotte County is at the northern end of the Appalachian Mountains, which gives it a rugged terrain that includes Mount Pleasant. The St. Croix, Magaguadavic, and Digdegaush rivers drain into the Bay of Fundy. The county includes the large, populated islands of Grand Manan, White Head, Deer Island, and Campobello.
This document offers a few details about each of the following and some of the members of their families.

  • ACHESON, James Acheson
  • ACHESON: John Acheson
  • ANDREWS, John
  • ASH, Robert
  • ASH, Robert, Jr
  • BELL, John,
  • BENEY, Thomas
  • BONNEY, Joel William
  • BLISS, Samue
  • CRAIG, John
  • GOSS, John

Read the document…

Largest Loyalist Families: Entry for Benjamin Eastman
I recently came across the story of Benjamin Eastman, his two wives and their 23 children which originated with “The Largest Loyalist Families” section of your website. See also Benjamin’s entry in the Loyalist directory.
Under the “Children with Hannah Sherman” I found the following:

  1. Mary Eastman was born 16 October 1783 in Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada. Likely died in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada.

I believe this information to be incorrect. Mary was very likely born in Machiche, Loyalist Refugee Camp, Quebec. I believe that someone at some time has mistaken Miramichi for Machiche.
The evidence is as follows:

  1. Benjamin Eastman is noted in the War Office Records: Returns of Detachments and Companies of the Kings Rangers and Loyal Rangers as being stationed in Lower Canada (Quebec) in 1783.
  2. Machiche is very close to Trois-Rivieres, Quebec where Benjamin Eastman and Hannah Sherman were married in the Protestant Church on 24 May 1781. The record of this marriage is readily available through Ancestry.
  3. Historically, we know that Loyalists and refugees lived in the various refugee camps in Quebec for at least a year or two until the British government completed the purchase of land in what is now eastern Ontario from the Indigenous people, then surveyed the land into plots for which the Loyalists drew lots.
  4. Mary Eastman was baptized on 11 May 1784 in the Protestant church in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec (very likely the same church in which her parents were married in 1781). The record of this baptism is readily available through Ancestry. (No family would journey from New Brunswick to Quebec to have a child baptised; therefore, they must have been living near to Trois-Rivieres.)
  5. Benjamin Eastman appears on the 1784 Provisioning Lists, Return of Disbanded Troops and Loyalists Settled in Township No. 2 [Cornwall] – one man, one woman and one girl under 10; man on his land. (No date appears on this provisioning list; however, the provisioning list for to Township No. 1, Charlottenburgh, bears the date of 16 October 1784 so it is likely that the Cornwall Township provisioning list was prepared sometime in October 1784).
  6. No evidence has been found to indicate that Benjamin Eastman and his wife Hannah Sherman relocated from Machiche Quebec to Miramichi, New Brunswick at any time in their lives.

I respectfully request that this story of Benjamin Eastman, his two wives and their 23 children be updated to correctly indicate Mary Eastman’s birth information and add some additional details: “Mary Eastman was born 16 October 1783 in Machiche, Loyalist Refugee Camp, Quebec; baptised on 11 May 1784 Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. She married Henry Waggoner about 1800 and died on 10 May 1832 in Cornwall Twp., Stormont Co., Upper Canada (now Ontario).
Heather Latto

New OHS Podcast Available: The Crown in Canada
During the holidays something quietly excellent began when the first two episodes of a brand new podcast dropped on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. The Ontario Historical Society (OHS) is excited to announce the launch of its new podcast series, The Crown in Canada, hosted by Nathan Tidridge and produced by Leaking Ambience Studios. The series examines issues surrounding the Crown’s role in both Treaties and in our democratic institutions. The two-episode pilot was produced with assistance from the Government of Canada, Canadian Heritage Community Projects Program on behalf of the 2022 Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The OHS, founded in 1888, is a not-for-profit corporation and registered charity. The OHS is a non-government group bringing together people of all ages, all walks of life, and all cultural backgrounds interested in preserving and promoting some aspect of Ontario’s history. The OHS has a long association with the vice-regal family in Ontario, being granted patronage since 1888 by all 29 Lieutenant Governors, and is the longest continuous recipient of patronage from the office of the Lieutenant Governor.
The first episode of The Crown in Canada was launched on December 25, 2022 following His Majesty King Charles III’s inaugural Christmas message, and the second episode dropped a week later on New Year’s Eve. These two pilot episodes, called “Rooted in Treaty“, examine the Crown-Indigenous relationship that has existed across Turtle Island/North America, including what is now called Canada, for over 500 years. The podcast promises to take look at the role of the Crown in Canada in a thoughtful way, and examine what can be learned about this country—both its tensions and its promises.
The podcast can be found on the OHS website, at the Crown in Canada’s home, or indeed wherever good podcasts are distributed. Please help us by sharing these links with family, friends, colleagues, and anyone interested in learning about this important story of Canadian history, and keep an eye out for more episodes of The Crown in Canada’s first season coming in 2023. Rating and reviewing the show also helps enormously, and you can provide feedback and encouragement via the OHS at ohs@ontariohistoricalsociety.ca or at hello@crownincanadapodcast.ca.

Book: The Great New York Fire of 1776: A Lost Story of the American Revolution
By Benjamin L. Carp
Author James Kirby Martin states: “Benjamin Carp’s impressive new study represents a pathbreaking investigation of the role of fire in the American Revolution. Full of astonishing twists and turns, this beautifully crafted book will definitely fascinate and inform. . . . Highly recommended!”
New York City, the strategic center of the Revolutionary War, was the most important place in North America in 1776. That summer, an unruly rebel army under George Washington repeatedly threatened to burn the city rather than let the British take it. Shortly after the Crown’s forces took New York City, much of it mysteriously burned to the ground. This is the first book to fully explore the Great Fire of 1776 and why its origins remained a mystery even after the British investigated it in 1776 and 1783. Uncovering stories of espionage, terror, and radicalism, Benjamin L. Carp paints a vivid picture of the chaos, passions, and unresolved tragedies that define a historical moment we usually associate with “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

The Loyalist Society of Saint John, NB.
As referred to in an article (Read article…) appearing in the Dec. 31, 1897 issue of the Halifax Herald Newspaper (page 8 ), Dr. (William) Bayard was the second President of the Loyalist Society of Saint John, NB. He was the grandson of Lt. – Col. Samuel V. Bayard, who settled at Wilmot, Nova Scotia, a former Officer in the King’s Orange Rangers, during the American Revolution. Interesting the article mentions the first President of the Loyalist Society was Sir Leonard Tilley who also Premier of Province of New Brunswick and later Lieutenant-Governor. He was also one of the Fathers of Confederation and descended from United Empire Loyalists on both sides of his family. His paternal grandfather James Tilley was from Brooklyn, NY and his maternal grandfather William Peters also from NY.
by Brian McConnell UE @brianm564

Loyalist Directory: More about the Galloways

There are three Galloway’s listed in the Loyalist Directory
The following was contributed by Jon Bidwell JonCBidwell@protonmail.com
Regarding George. His father, John did come to the Colonies as an indentured apprentice to a rope maker in Manhattan. From what I can find he came as a young teen, possibly as early as 1712/13. And resided at what is now 66 Wall Street. There is now a coffee shop in the first floor that I used to visit when working at 55 Water Street. He was able to complete the indenture fairly quickly and married Hannah Lamb who was 1/2 Scot via her father Alexander Lamb. Her mother was Dutch, descended from the Konig (you will see it spelled variously as “Koenig” “Koeningk” who arrived in New Amsterdam circa 1663 aboard “The Spotted Cow (how Dutch) Dutch/Scot marriages were very common in New Amsterdam as these were seen as religiously “compatible”. There are likely records down at the old Marble Church, where they have been preserved. Just have not gotten access to them yet.
John, apparently then moved to the Setauket area on Long Island. Makes sense since this was then a major trade and fishing port—so his skills would have been in demand. From what I can surmise (partially conjecture) he became acquainted with the Woodhull family. A group from the area removed to the then frontier west of the Hudson, which became Orange County. His sons joined the local militia companies organized under Col. Jesse Woodhull. Sidebar—if you have ever seen the series “Turn” about the Washington spy ring. The father of the protagonist, Nathaniel was the brother of Jesse. Then we arrive at the Revolution…
As respects your two other Galloways. I have not seen Benjamin in anything on the Orange County Galloways. John was a common name, Alexander’s son was also John (one I’m descended from) but he fought in the Orange County Regiment, was discharged and moved west to collect his “land bounty” paid to veterans in the new “Northwest Territories” in lieu of hard money that the Congress didn’t have.
However, there are a lot of Galloways in the US. My gg-grandfather noted in his Civil War memoirs that there were five brothers that emigrated around the same time, but to NY, PA, MD, North Carolina and (oddly California, which I’ve never been able to substantiate) Joseph Galloway was a member of the First Continental Congress, and later a notable Tory, who left and died in Britain.) There are a lot of North Carolina Galloways, one works for my firm and it is a common name in South. Peter Galloway was a plantation owner on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Do you have any other clues as to residence prior to the Revolution? It’s an interesting problem, I’ve just never looked at, but do have a good idea where to look.

Added: the Benjamin you are looking for was born in Kent Count]y Delaware in 1755. Joined the First Regiment of Maryland Loyalists, wounded and discharged in 1778 at Monmouth, then removed to New York City and thence to Quebec. Sound like the right one?

Loyalist Quarterly Newsletter, December 2022, by Paul J. Bunnell UE
Published since 2004, the Sept 2022 issue is now available. At fourteen pages, it features:

  • Some Nova Scotia Loyalist Settlement Numbers of Interests
  • The Loyalists and Their First New Brunswick Winter
  • Iceland Volcano Eruption in 1783-84
  • The Loyalists in Quebec
  • Black Loyalists in British North America
  • White Loyalists and Enslaved Soldiers in the War of Independence
  • Settlement in Nova Scotia
  • Black Loyalists in Upper Canada
  • Legacy of Black Loyalists in British North America
  • Battle of Blue Licks – Kentucky

Vol. 19 Part 4 Dec 2022 Quarterly Issue “In Publication since 2004”
Editor: Paul J. Bunnell, UE, Author, Koasek Abenaki Chief; BunnellLoyalist@aol.com; 978-337-9085, 49 Pleasant St., #106, Alstead, NH 03602
The Only U.S. Newsletter Devoted to The study of The American Loyalists
Subscription Rate: $22 U.S. $24 Can. $5 each copy — (March, June, September, December issues)

The Colour Yellow – 18th Century Fashion
By Sarah Murden 13 December 2021, All Things Georgian
Gold always feels like such a luxurious colour, so today I thought I would take a quick look at some of the shades of yellow and gold used in Georgian fashion.
According to The Art of Dying of 1705, we know how fabric was dyed to create a wide variety of colours and it provides us with instructions about how to create the colour, gold. Read more…

Upcoming Events

Jan 10 Environmental Legacies: How the War of Independence Affected the Natural World in Predictable and Surprising Ways
January 10, 2023 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm The American Revolution Institute
The American Revolution, however, also had a major impact on the natural world in the eighteenth century. David C. Hsiung is professor of history at Juniata College in Pennsylvania. A hybrid meeting. More details and registration…

Jan 11@7:30 ET Gov Simcoe Branch. Fort Frontenac by Jean Rae Baxter
“Fort Frontenac: The Rise and Fall of New France’s Key to the West”
It all began with the beaver. It was competition for the fur trade that led to the construction of Fort Frontenac. The famous explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier de LaSalle chose the site where Fort Frontenac would be built. This presentation follows the fortunes of Fort Frontenac over the centuries. How it was knocked down, rebuilt, abandoned, rebuilt, blown up, rebuilt again, destroyed by the British in the last days of New France, and finally became the site for the Loyalist settlement at Cataraqui following the American Revolution.
Jean Rae Baxter UE is the descendant of settlers who arrived in New France in the 17th century, Loyalists who came here in the 1780s, and immigrants from Germany in the 19th century. There were many family stories to awaken her interest in Canada’s history. Baxter’s historical fiction has won wide recognition. More information and to register… (This is a zoom meeting)

UELAC Loyalist Directory: New Contributions
Entries which have been added, or revised, this week, with thanks:

  • Lynton “Bill” Stewart has contributed two more tranches of those who received Loyalist land grants in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia
  • From Jon Bidwell,
    • Benjamin Galloway born in Delaware, joined the First Regiment of Maryland Loyalists, wounded and discharged in 1778 at Monmouth, then removed to New York City and later to Quebec.
    • Lt. George Galloway (read a short family history) from Orange County NY, served in the Loyal Refugee Volunteers, married Catherine Aussem Galloway (2nd wife, m. 1784) and settled in Kingston ON.
  • From Jo Ann Tuskin
    • Jesse Purdy from Rye, Westchester, NY, joined Emmerich’s Chasseurs and settled in Elizabethtown, Upper Canada. Married Ruth Kennicot(t).
  • From Andrew Payzant
    • Lt. Donald McLeod settled in Port Mouton, Queens County, Nova Scotia. Born in Scotland, likely from likely New Jersey or New York, he married Elizabeth Waterman (widow of Michael Lee, married Samuel Mann after death of Donald)
    • Thomas Jones [‘James’] served in the British Legion and in 1784 received a 200 acre Loyalist Land Grant in Port Mouton, Queens County, Nova Scotia.
    • Allan McPherson probably (?) served in the British Legion, married Hannah and they had seven children. In 1784 received a 650 acre Loyalist Land Grant in Port Mouton, Queens County, Nova Scotia.
    • John Thomas from Plymouth MA in 1784 received a 500 acre Loyalist Land Grant in Little Port Joli, Queens County, Nova Scotia and in 1786 another 500 acre Loyalist Land Grant in Little Port Joli, Queens County, Nova Scotia. Married Anna Mayhew.
    • William Buchanan In 1785 received a 600 acre Loyalist Land Grant in Port Mouton, Queens County, Nova Scotia.
    • William Buchanan enlisted on August 25, 1781 as a Trumpeter in Captain Jacob James’ troop of Light Dragoons, part of the British Legion. He remained with the British Legion until it was disbanded in 24 Oct 1783. In 1784 received a 100 acre Loyalist Land Grant in Port Mouton, Queens County, Nova Scotia.
    • Sgt. David Buchanan In 1784 received a 200 acre Loyalist Land Grant in Port Mouton.
    • Benjamin Burrows received a 150 acre Loyalist Land Grant in Port Mouton. He enlisted 25 Sept 1780 in the British Legion when deployed in Charleston SC. He was recruited either from the Loyalists of South Carolina or from among the roughly 5,000 Patriot POWs captured at Charleston.
    • John Christy received a 100 acre Loyalist Land Grant in Port Mouton.
    • Angus Christy 250 acres, at Port Mouton. The size of the land grant is consistent with a married private soldier with two children, and records indicate he had a wife and three children at the time of the 1787 census.
    • Pvt. Patrick Connolly Passenger number 427 on HMS Clinton, picking up 14 Nov 1783 East River, NY, delivered to Port Roseway NS 13 Dec 1783. A 100 acre Loyalist Land Grant in Port Mouton, Queens County, NS. After the fire, he relocated to Prince Edward Island (then ‘Saint John Island’) late in 1784.

If you are willing to submit some information, send a note to loyalist.trails@uelac.org
All help is appreciated. …doug

From the Twittersphere and Beyond

  • Colonial newspapers contributed to perpetuation of slavery. Advertised 250 years ago today: “SLAVES. Any Persons who have healthy SlaVes to dispose of … may be informed of a Purchaser by applying to the Printer.” (Mass. Gazette & Boston Weekly News-Letter Supplement 1/7/1773)
  • This week in History
    • Jan 5, 1773, a Crown commission to investigate the attack on HMS Gaspee convened in Newport. Colonists protested the bypassing of the regular colonial courts and the threat to send defendants to Britain. Ultimately, the investigation fizzled.
    • 6 Jan 1776 SC Council of Safety warns Georgia that British ships leaving Charleston are headed to Savannah.
    • 2 Jan 1776 The Continental Congress publishes the “Tory Act” resolution. The resolution describes how colonies should handle Americans who remain loyal to Great Britain. In the face of hostility, many loyalists chose to leave the colonies.
    • 2 Jan 1777 Second Battle of Trenton, results in British withdrawal from New-Jersey for the winter.
    • 3 Jan 1777 Washington departs Trenton NJ under cover of darkness, engages British at Princeton in decisive victory.
    • 1 Jan 1781 1500 men of Pennsylvania Line kill officers in mutiny, march on Congress.
    • 4 Jan 1781 Virginia militia completes an expedition of eradication against the British-allied Cherokee.
    • 5 Jan 1781 British force led by turncoat Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia.
    • 1 Jan 1782 Loyalists begin widespread evacuation from America, heading to Nova-Scotia and New-Brunswick.
    • 5 Jan 1827, Frederick Duke of York, 2nd son of King George III, died. Much maligned, ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’ is actually credited as having done more for the British Army than anyone else! He also was the Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of England
  • Clothing and Related:
    • 18th Century dress, sleeve & flounce detail, showcasing floral silk embroidery and trimmings, 1775-1785
    • 18th Century dress, rear view bodice detail, Robe a l’anglaise of silk, 1750-1770 via Museum of London
    • A rare survivor – An 18th Century silk dress designed by Rose Bertin and supposedly worn by Marie Antoinette and passed to one of her Courtiers, 1780’s, altered in the 19th Century, but the quality of the silk & the embroidery is still clear.
    • 18th Century men’s suit and waistcoat, of fine purple silk, metallic embroidery and spangles with delicate buttons, c.1790’s
    • 18th Cent men’s waistcoat, Anna Maria Garthwaite’s original design of this is V and A & identifies not only the artist but also the weaver, Peter Lekeux, & date of sale – Oct 23, 1747. Both were important contributors to Spitalfields silk industry.
    • 18th Century men’s frock coat, green velvet with floral sprays of metallic threads, spangles, net and multicoloured paste gems, 1770-1780
  • Townsends:
  • Miscellaneous
    • I wouldn’t mind getting a bit of snow so we could enjoy some winter activities – like snowshoeing! What winter sport are you waiting on the weather for?
      John Williams, noted Mi’kmaq guide and hunter, and his wife, Magdalene, with typical Mi’kmaq snowshoes. Photographed ca. 1886.
    • 1 Jan 1752 the British Empire finally accepted the Gregorian calendar, skipping eleven dates to catch up.

Last Post: COKER UE, Ruth Marie 11 October, 1943 – 8 December, 2022
Ruth Marie Coker, age 79 of Smiths Cove passed away at Digby General Hospital. Born in North East Harbour, she was the Daughter of the late Walter and Myrtle Perry.
Ruth was a woman who was always helping others in need. Throughout her life she was a member of the United Empire Loyalists, the Rebecca’s (London, ON chapter), ladies auxiliary, Smiths Cove Fire Department and the Digby Hospital Auxiliary. She worked for OPP as a secretary for the Department of Child Identification. Later she moved to Almont, ON where she became a full time mom to her first child. The family moved to Digby, NS where Ruth went on to be a mom to two more children. For the next 20 years she worked in the community with the local optometrist.
Ruth is Survived by her loving husband Brian Coker; daughters, Colleen Coker ( Andy Gould) and Nicole Cogswell (Mike Kelly); son, Graham (Nancy) Coker; brother, Donald (Kendra) Perry. More details at Jayne’s Funeral Home.
Ruth was a proud descendant of Stephen Perry Sr UEL
Carol Harding UE

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