In this issue:

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Loyalist: A Six-Fold Definition – Part One of Two
copyright Stephen Davidson UE
During the American Revolution, Patriots had no difficulty in defining who was on their side.  Local committees based in towns and villages throughout the rebellious thirteen colonies invited (or compelled) their countrymen to sign allegiances to the new republic. Those who wished to remain neutral –or who maintained their loyalty to the crown– did not sign the allegiance documents and so were considered to be enemies of the state. In the eyes of American rebels, one was either a Patriot or a traitor.
Loyalists, however, did not engage in any form of formal documentation of those on their side in the revolution. Following the war, those who evacuated the colonies with British troops considered themselves to be loyal refugees. But were they truly Loyalists or just colonists who found themselves on the losing side of the revolution? Could one simply self-identify as a Loyalist or was there a post-war definition for a person who merited support and compensation from a grateful British Empire?
The Royal Commission on the Losses and Services of American Loyalists (RCLSAL) was formed in 1783, the year in which a victorious United States of America and a defeated Great Britain signed the treaty to end the revolution.  As it received petitions and heard the testimonies of colonists who identified themselves as Loyalists, the commissioners granted compensation to some, but not to others. In the eyes of the commissioners, a true Loyalist was someone who fell into one of six classes.  So if an historian or loyalist descendant in the 21st century needs to determine if a particular American colonist was indeed a Loyalist, that researcher need only consider if the colonist fell into one of the six classes. As long as the colonist fits into one of the six definitions of a loyal American as set out by the British government in 1783, then that person was truly a Loyalist.
Let us, then, consider each of the six categories of Loyalists.

Number one: A Loyalist was someone who had performed exceptional services on behalf of Great Britain. More than a colonist who was a Loyalist by conviction or one who had taken up arms to fight for the king, this person would have put himself in jeopardy to save others’ lives or performed some outstanding act of bravery.
William Caldwell of Union Township, Pennsylvania, is a good illustration of the people in the first loyalist category. On June 15, 1775 a rebel committee sentenced the Loyalist to a severe punishment. Two hundred of the town’s militia stood on guard to insure that Caldwell was duly tarred and feathered.
The Loyalist moved to Philadelphia where he entered the British army, becoming a secret agent. At the end of one recognizance mission, rebels captured him.
Found guilty of espionage, Caldwell was condemned to be hanged. The loyalist spy bribed his jail guard to let him go, and he escaped back to Philadelphia. Caldwell later served the British army as a guide in Virginia until the end of the revolution. The former spy and his family came to New Brunswick with the last of the loyalist refugees who sailed in the Fall Fleet.

Number two: A Loyalist was someone who had borne arms against the Revolution. Such a person would have been in a loyalist militia or “provincial” regiment. William Fortune is a case in point. He was described as a man who “bore arms and rendered service“. He was made a captain of the militia in Camden, New Jersey in 1781. Fortune was remembered as having “exerted himself much” at the Battle of Eutaw and that his “mare was killed under him“.  In the transcripts of claims made to the RCLSAL, the phrase “bore arms” is repeated again and again.

Number three: A Loyalist who was “uniform”. This word occurs hundreds of times in the transcripts of the compensation board hearings. It described a person who never wavered in their commitment to the crown throughout the revolution. They were consistently (or uniformly) loyal. As there were many colonists who changed sides during the revolution in response to which side they thought was winning, this category of “uniform loyalty” needed to have more than just the petitioner’s word. Witnesses were called to testify at the compensation hearing to validate the claimant’s assertions of being “uniformly loyal” throughout the revolution.
When Joshua Upham appeared before the compensation board, three character witnesses affirmed that he was “a true and uniform Loyalist“, that he “always opposed the measures of congress“, and asserted his “loyalty was uniform from the first“.
The notes that the commissioners made concerning Samuel Shoemaker of Philadelphia include their evaluation that he was “a zealous and meritorious Loyalist; and by his early and uniform conduct rendered services to government” even though he “did not bear arms“.

Number four: A Loyalist was someone who had sought refuge in Great Britain. This category favoured the colonists who were wealthy enough to afford a transatlantic journey to sanctuary in the United Kingdom during the course of the revolution. It would include those who were part of the colonial civil service, those persecuted by Patriots, and those who were had royalist political convictions.

Number five: A Loyalist was someone who had taken an oath of allegiance to the American states, but afterwards joined the British. It is worth noting that the compensation board did not require an American colonist to have been consistently loyal to the crown throughout the revolution. Given that many colonists were compelled to take an oath of allegiance against their will (only doing so to avoid tarring and feathering, the destruction of their homes, or imprisonment), this definition of a Loyalist shows that the British government had an understanding of what their faithful subjects had to endure during the war.
Ellis Barron of Woodbridge, New Jersey is a good example. When the War broke out he served in the American Militia and was with them until the British Army came to Woodbridge, when he joined them. He testified that  he had “no inclination to be in the American army. He served against the British because it was not easy to avoid it.”
After he joined the British army,  Barron entered into a contract to supply the Navy with provisions, which he did for one year. After that he bought a sloop and was employed in bringing wood to the barrack office. He acted as guide to the British army under Sir William Howe in 1777. Later, he was called upon to serve as a guide.

Number six: A Loyalist was someone who had those who taken arms with the Americans and later joined the English army and navy. This final class of Loyalist demonstrates that the British government could forgive and forget earlier service with the rebel forces if the colonist demonstrated his loyalty through active service in the royal navy or army before the end of the revolution. (To date, I have not been able to find an account of a Loyalist who fit this category and who received compensation from the British government.)
These categories did not address issues of race, gender, or religion when it came to defining a Loyalist. As the Royal Commission on the Losses and Services of American Loyalists held its hearings, it became evident how they handled each of these distinctions – the subject of the second part of this series in next week’s Loyalist Trails.
To secure permission to reprint this article contact the author at stephendavids@gmail.com.

The King’s Speech to Parliament 30 Nov 1774

To both Houses of Parliament, on the 30th of November, 1774,

Together with their ADDRESSES to his Majesty.

LONDON, December 1.

Yesterday his Majesty went in state to the House of Lords, and after the house of Commons had presented their Speaker, of whom his Majesty approved, his Majesty made the following most gracious Speech from the Throne.

” My Lords and Gentlemen,

” IT gives me much concern, that I am obliged, at the opening of this Parliament, to inform you, that a most daring spirit of resistance, and disobedience to the law still unhappily prevails in the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, and has in divers parts of it broke forth in violences of a very criminal nature. These proceedings have been countenanced and encouraged in other of My Colonies and unwarrantable attempts have been made to obstruct the commerce of this kingdom by unlawful combinations. I have taken such measures, and given such orders, as I judged most proper and effectual for carrying into execution the laws which were passed in the last session of the late Parliaments the protection and security of the commerce of Subjects, and for the restoring and preserving order and good government, in the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay; and you may depend upon my firm and stedfast resolution to withstand every attempt to weaken or impair the supreme authority of this Legislature over all the dominions of my Crown; The maintenance of which consider as essential to the dignity, the safety, and the welfare of the British empire; assuring Myself, that, while I act upon these principles, I shall never fail to receive your assistance and support.  Read more…

James Easton vs. Benedict Arnold: Anatomy of a Feud
by Paul B. Elmore 26 Nov 2024 on Journal of the American Revolution
The adjectives leveled Benedict Arnold’s way by contemporaries and historians leave little room for doubt. Though he inspired devotion among those serving under him, the man rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Prickly, heavy-handed and arrogant, he seemed to thrive on personal confrontation with those who differed with him. The famous clash between Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold over command of the Patriots’ mixed force of volunteer militiamen and Green Mountain Boys in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in May 1775 provides the most prominent example.
A detente between the two was reached prior to the attack itself. Alas, this uneasy truce was not to last beyond the first rush of victory. It ruptured completely when Arnold attempted to stop the Boys from an outbreak of raucous looting and celebration. He was answered with a firelock pointed at his breast. Ethan Allen intervened but defended his frontiersmen and allowed them to continue. The ensuing power struggle for command of the southern end of Lake Champlain lasted six weeks, until June 24 when Arnold resigned his commission at the behest of a delegation sent from Massachusetts’ Provincial Congress. Allen’s subsequent capture at Montreal and long-term imprisonment by the British precluded any further wartime contact between the two antagonists.
A second, long-running personal vendetta also launched in the immediate aftermath of the attack on Fort Ticonderoga. It has received much less attention. Benedict Arnold and James Easton of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, also faced off following the strike. Perhaps colored by Arnold’s later treason, historians have tended to portray Easton as an aggrieved victim. A closer look at the record suggests otherwise. Read more…

Saint John:  Nothing Happened Here. … Except for Benedict Arnold (Podcast)
By Greg Marquis – History Professor, Mark Allan Greene – History Author 25 Nov 2024 at Saint John: Nothing Happened Here https:// www.nothinghappenedhere.ca/
Little remains to show that the controversial American military leader, Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), lived in Saint John for several years after the American Revolution, except for a plaque on a building in the uptown area of the city. His name became synonymous with treason because of his involvement in an unsuccessful plot to turn over the Continental army’s fortifications at West Point on the Hudson River to the British in 1780, and his later appointment as an officer in the British army. In that capacity, he led successful expeditions against Charleton, South Carolina and New London, Connecticut before leaving American for London. In addition to remaining the worst example of a traitor in American history for United States citizens, Arnold continues to fascinate historians and recently was portrayed in the AMC historical drama Turn, a fictional account of espionage during the American War of Independence.
In this episode, we discuss how historians have portrayed Benedict Arnold and how his early life may have shaped his character and approach to life, which combined a strong sense of personal honour, self-confidence, stubbornness and bravery with a lack of diplomacy and an inability to appreciate politics. The Connecticut-born entrepreneur was an early convert to the protests that led the Thirteen colonies to resist British economic policies in the 1760s and 1770s and eventually take up arms in the quest for independence. Despite only limited militia experience, Arnold emerged as a high-profile combat leader with superb tactical and strategic sense. His role in the capture of Ticonderoga, the invasion of Quebec and the retreat from Quebec early in the war placed him in the centre of the action. His leadership of a small flotilla on Lake Champlain in 1776 was instrumental in delaying a British counter offensive and his aggressive role in the Saratoga campaign the following year not only helped destroy that counter offensive, but also contributed to France joining the war as an ally of the American Patriots. Despite his considerable military contributions, Arnold had enemies in Congress and the Continental army. He was also suffering from battlefield wounds and financial problems. His appointment as military governor of Philadelphia led to his marriage to 18-year-old Peggy Shippen and sent in motion his positive response to British overtures to switch sides. We conclude this Part by exploring why Arnold chose to betray the cause of America independence and what resulted from this fateful decision.  Listen in…

Hessian Soldiers Travelling to America: Chesapeake Bay – A Soldier’s Life September 1781
From a Hessian Diary of the American Revolution.
This excerpt from the diary of Johan Conrad Dohla (170 pages).

Major Moves during Johan’s deployment:

  • March 1777:   Depart Germany
  • 3 June 1777:   Arrive New York, then Amboy NJ
  • November 1777:  To Philadelphia
  • June 1778: to Long Island
  • July 1778: To Newport RI
  • October 1779: to New York
  • May 1781: to Chesapeake Bay.

September, 1781: At Chesapeake Bay. (page 102)

Continuation of Occurences in North America During the Fifth Year, 1781

IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER [1781]

24 September. I went on watch at our field hospital as  lance corporal. Early this morning the  enemy  attacked  a  picket  of  our  troops,  on  our  right  wing,  fired  a  few  shots,  and  again hurriedly retreated back into the woods.
26 September. This evening Private [Friedrich] Vogel, of the Major’s Company, and, on
27 September in the  morning, Private  [Johann]  Ober,  of Quesnoy’s company, died  in  the regimental hospital. In the afternoon I worked on the defenses.
28 September.  There  was  an  alarm  at  noon  in  our  camp  because  the  enemy  approached from all sides and fired on our outer pickets. We struck our tents and took all our equipment back  into  the  city.  At  night  I  went  on  command  at  the  defenses.  Today  also,  a  grenadier [Johann Georg] Keess, of Molitor’s company, died.
29 September.  At  ten  o’clock  in  the  morning  Private  [Egide]  Zeilmann,  of  Quesnoy’s Company,  was  fatally  wounded  by  a  small  weapon’s  ball  while  on  picket  duty  and  died  a short while later. I helped bury him. Following this, at twelve o’clock noon, Private [Martin] H‡mmerlein, also of Quesnoy’s Company, was wounded while on duty at the same post. The ball was cut out later from between the two shoulder blades as I watched and held him. Also at this post, a Private [Johann Georg] Gr†nbeck, of Eyb’s Company, and three other men of the Ansbach Regiment were severely wounded. Today more than thirty English and Hessians on duty at the outposts were killed or wounded. About one o’clock at night, all the troops, in the greatest silence, moved back to the newly finished line before the city. During our march back,  three  men  of  our  regiment,  namely  [Johann  Adam]  Gechter,  [Erhard]  Amsler,  and Klein, all of the Major’s Company, and five men of the Ansbach Regiment, deserted.
30 September. This morning the English Light Horse brought a wounded rebel colonel  in as  a  captive.  The  enemy  probed  our  right  wing  today  and  stormed  the  outermost  redoubt. However, he was chased back into the forest, with losses, by the grape shot from our batteries, as  well  as  from  one  of  the  frigates  standing  in  the  river.  The  French  Grenadiers  appeared among those making the attack.
(to be continued)

Moses Stacey diary as POW in Old Mill Prison in Plymouth, England
Moses Stacey embarked on Marblehead privateer in November 1776. His diary of that short voyage and long captivity in Plymouth, England, through January 1779 has been digitized by the American Revolution Institute.
The Moses Stacey diary 1776 November 15 to 1779 January 4 recounts his time as a prisoner of war at Old Mill Prison in Plymouth, England. Moses Stacey (-1789) was an American privateer from Marblehead, Massachusetts who was captured by the British on the HMS Raisonnable in 1776 and held as a prisoner in Old Mill Prison. In 1775 Stacey served as a private in Capt. John Glover, Jr’s company, and later in Col. John Glover’s 21st Regiment. Stacey joined the crew of the brigantine Dolton, commanded by Eleazer Johnson, in 1776. Stacey has also been recorded as having served on the schooner Hawke instead.
The three volumes describe the conditions and treatment of prisoners of war including their bedding, clothing, and medical care onboard ships and in Old Mill Prison, the escape attempts from prisoners, illness and disease, rations and allowances, relationships with other prisoners and guards, and news of the events of the war in America and the political climate in England as he learned it from newspapers, correspondence, and conversation. Punishment at Old Mill Prison included half rations and confinement in what is referred to by Stacey and other prisoners as “the Black Hole.” Stacey recorded personal correspondence, including learning of the death of his mother. Read more…

Advertised on 26 November 1774: “Names indebted to the Library Company”
What was advertised in a colonial American newspaper 250 years ago today?

26 November

“Names indebted to the Library Company”

“Names of those Gentlemen who are now indebted to the Library Company
should be inserted … in the Providence Gazette.”

The Providence Library Company, a private subscription library, conducted some of its business in the public prints in the eighteenth century.  Early in the fall of 1774, Theodore Foster, the librarian, ran an advertisement in the Providence Gazette, requesting that “All Persons … who have any Books belonging to the Library … return the same immediately” so they could be “examined and numbered.”  In addition to conducting an inventory of the collection, the librarian was “ready to settle with the delinquent Proprietors” who had not paid their subscriptions.
At the end of November, Foster published a new advertisement in the wake of a vote at a recent “Meeting of the Proprietors.”  They had decided that “the Names of those Gentlemen who are now indebted to the Library Company should we inserted three Weeks successively in the Providence Gazette, with the Sums respectively due from each.”  Read more…

18th Century Stationery Trade Cards
By Sarah Murden 25 Nov 2024 at All Things Georgian
Not only did he advise potential clients of a long list of the products he sold, but also the price of them, which is always of interest to me, such as paper which was sold in quantities of a quire, which today would be 25 sheets, including:

  • Superfine large gilt paper at 1 shilling
  • Superfine small gilt paper at 10 pence
  • Superfine large black edged, 1 shilling
  • Superfine foolscap 1 shilling
  • Blue mazarine, marble paper various sorts and prices
  • A variety of coloured paper for ladies work
  • Superfine Hudson-bay quills 10 shillings per hundred
  • Superfine Hamburgh quills, 6 shilling per hundred
  • Office quills, 4 shilling per hundred
  • Common quills 2 shillings per hundred
  • Superfine neat Salisbury penknives of all prices.

Next we have Hannah Nicholson, whose trade card confirmed that she was ‘stationer [sic]  to her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.’ Despite her credentials, the spelling of the word ‘stationery’ seems to have either gone unnoticed or was, at that time, interchangeable with the spelling ‘stationary’ which seems to have appeared in numerous trade cards and newspaper adverts, and always mildly amuses me.
Amongst the royal accounts book we also have sight of some of the items purchased by the then late Frederick, Prince of Wales, who died 1751.  Read more…

Book: Quebec and Acadia’s French Pioneers: The Best of France to New France
by Lucille H Campey. Available at Amazon.ca and Amazon.com
Quebec and Acadia’s French Pioneers tells the story of the French immigrants who came to Canada in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and founded their settlements.
This book concentrates on the pioneer couples. It describes their progress in establishing farms in the St. Lawrence Valley and in Atlantic Canada. Farming was their major pursuit, despite their seeming unsuitability for such work. They originated mainly from the cities and towns of France or their hinterlands. Success in these circumstances required incredible resourcefulness, courage and strength.
The Acadian Settlements
Immigrants from France founded Acadia, located on the Bay of Fundy marshlands in the Atlantic region, in the seventeenth century. Some men came with their French wives while others married the indigenous Mi’kmaq women living in the area. By 1700 the population of Acadia reached 1,500 and they had become a distinct people.
However, because of ongoing wars, France lost control of most of Acadia to the British by 1713, only retaining Ile Royale (Cape Breton) and Ile-St-Jean (Prince Edward Island). The British then went on to eject the Acadians from their lands in 1755 and 1758. Despite being scattered far and wide, most Acadians returned to Canada.
Acadians spread themselves along the western and eastern coastlines of Nova Scotia, the northwest coast of Cape Breton, various coastal areas in Prince Edward Island, and across the northern and eastern coastal regions of what is now New Brunswick. They also settled along Chaleur Bay in the Gaspé region and along the St. Lawrence River, establishing communities in the Quebec, Montreal and Trois-Rivières regions.
LUCILLE H.CAMPEY is the author of fourteen books on early Scottish, English and Irish emigration to Canada. See Lucille Campey website

Brady Crytzer on the Life and Legacy of Guyasuta (Podcast)
At Dispatches by Journal of the American Revolution
This week on Dispatches, we share Brady Crytzer’s lecture on Seneca Chief Guyasuta. A lifelong advocate of Native rights, Guyasuta served as a warrior, Sachem, and diplomat during the Seven Years War and American Revolution. Listen in…

Flattened History (Generative AI and Historical Reasoning)
Mack Penner, Nov 2024, at Borealia
This post is the first in a series of essays derived from The Future of Knowledge Mobilization and Public History Online workshop which was held in late August 2024 at Huron College, London, Ontario. Borealia will cross-post the essays as they appear on Active History.
The opening session of Active History’s late-August workshop on knowledge mobilization and public history confronted the changing digital environment and its consequences. Among the digital topics discussed, artificial intelligence (AI) stood out not just for the quantity of discussion it produced, but for the nature of that conversation. Historians are thinking about AI, that much is clear, but they are not necessarily of one mind.
A range of historian opinion about AI is displayed also in the Active History archives. Since the release of ChatGPT made AI technology readily available and easily accessible in November 2022, Active History has published a number of pieces on the topic, with various opinions and perspectives on display. In short essays published last year, Sara Wilmshurst reminded us that “there are questions machines can’t answer” and Carly Ciufo was impressed, but not too impressed, by the utility of ChatGPT for prompting research.
Among the Active History essays on AI, certainly the most bullish is one from Mark Humphries, who also writes a regular blog on AI and history, and Eric Story. They argued in March 2023 that Large Language Models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, are useful tools for writing, editing, teaching, and research (in other words, for the vast majority of the work that historians do). Like it or not, Humphries and Story insist, LLMs are here to stay. They conclude their article by agreeing with the Bing (Microsoft) chatbot, Sydney, that “historians and AI can work effectively together.”
In the most bearish essay of the bunch, Edward Dunsworth argued in September 2023 that AI is boring, most of all because it is, by definition (or by operation), unoriginal. For Dunsworth, writing mainly about the unauthorized use of AI in the classroom, ChatGPT is good for a “ho-hum encyclopaedia entry with a twist of textbook authority and a dash of generic, corporate blog-style prose,” but not too much else. Read more…

Loyalist Gazette Status:
The Loyalist Gazette was delivered to to Canada Post a week before the strike by workers at Canada Post, Some subscribers whop requested a paper copy may have received their copy but for many, this issue is stuck in the postal system. What can you do?
Bill Russell UE, Chair, Communications Committee

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

  • To Kevin Wisener for for additional information about:
    • Edward Eagan Possibly from Massachusetts, as the Eagen name was not in Nova Scotia prior to the Revolutionary War, served in the Royal American Fencible Regiment (raised in Nova Scotia with added recruitment at Newfoundland and Boston, MA). He originally settled at Passamaquoddy Bay, Charlotte County, New Brunswick in 1784 and by 1789, Edward is in Prince Edward Island where he signs a petition presented to the Executive Council in Charlottetown in 1790.

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

Events Upcoming

Gov. Simcoe Branch: “The Royal Family and the Loyalist Legacy” — by Garry Toffoli Wed 4 Dec 7:30

The presentation will consider the Royal Family and the Loyalist Legacy of the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and its aftermath. Garry will treat the three as parts of one overarching struggle for Canada’s monarchical / loyalist identity in North America.
Garry Toffoli is Vice-Chairman & Executive Director of the Canadian Royal Heritage Trust. Garry is a co-author of numerous books.
In-person at St. David’s Church, 49 Donlands Ave, Toronto. RSVP to Doug Grant loyalist.trails@uelac.org.
Details and register for zoom at Gov. Simcoe Meetings.

American Revolution Institute: Declarations of Independence: Indigenous Resilience, Colonial Rivalries, and the Cost of Revolution Wed 4 Dec 6:30

On July 4, 1776, two hundred miles northwest of Philadelphia, on Indigenous land along the west branch of the Susquehanna River, a group of colonial squatters declared their independence. They were not alone in their efforts. This bold symbolic gesture was just a small part of a much broader and longer struggle in the Northern Susquehanna River Valley, where diverse peoples, especially Indigenous nations, fought tenaciously to safeguard their lands, sovereignty and survival. Read more and register…

Colonel John Butler (Niagara) Branch, “A Seasonal Show” Lunch meeting Sat 7 Dec @11:45

Maja Bannerman and Rusty MCarthy.  A Seasonal Show Inspired by the McFarland Sisters.  Enjoy a light-hearted performance of humour and songs in a return visit by Maja.  This presentation is inspired by the McFarland sisters who lived along the Niagara River near Niagara-on-the-Lake in the early 19th century.  Although little is known about the sisters themselves, the material in this show is historically based on the time period and era and includes fictitious characters as well as a comic take on Laura Secord, some tips on etiquette from the 1800s, and a look at the language of the fan.  It is approximately 45-60 minutes long.
At Betty’s Restaurant, 8921 Sodom Road, Niagara Falls at 11:45 am.  Cost of the lunch is $30 (members), $35 (non-members) in cash at the meeting. Please RSVP to 283corvette@gmail.com

St Alban’s Centre: A Christmas Songfest. Thurs  12 Dec @2:00

Our third annual Christmas Songfest, a chance to sit and sing all those familiar holiday songs with a song sheet in your hand so you don’t have to mumble or hum when you don’t quite know all the words.
No fee; There will be Refreshments.
10419 Loyalist Parkway (Hwy 33), Adolphustown ON

American Revolution Institute: Transatlantic Abolitionism in the Age of Revolution, Fri 13 Dec. 12:00

Throughout his life, the marquis de Lafayette fought vehemently for personal freedoms. He advocated for women’s rights in America and civil rights for Protestants in France, and promoted respect for the identity and sovereignty of American Indians. His most extensive efforts in support of human liberty were his work to end slavery and the African slave trade. While Lafayette respectfully nudged his slave-owning friends to embrace emancipation, he became increasingly disturbed by the contradiction of the American republic, a beacon of liberty for the world, continuing to endorse the practice of enslaving other human beings.
By John Oldfield, Ph.D., emeritus professor of slavery and emancipation at the University of Hull (UK), Details and registration…

From the Social Media and Beyond

  • Mary Getcheus died on November 17, 1785 and her gravestone is in Trinity Anglican Church Cemetery at Digby.  Her husband Captain Jacob Getcheus transported Black Loyalists to Annapolis Royal aboard the Sloop Lydia.
    To  see other photos and learn more read my article on Historic Nova Scotia: Captain Jacob Getcheus: Master of ships supporting American Patriots, British, and Black Loyalists. By 1784, Jacob Getcheus and wife Mary had settled in Digby, Nova Scotia. How this ship’s captain from Philadelphia came to be in Digby is a dramatic tale of sea voyages, captured ships, imprisonment, and helping Black Loyalists.  Read more…
    Brian McConnell UE
  • Old North’s steeple was blown down twice (once in 1804 and again in 1954), but, remarkably, our original weather vane survived both falls!
    The weather vane dates back to 1740 and was created by Shem Drowne, America’s first documented weather vane maker.
  • Townsends, and “anything food”

    • Chicken Soup From 1759  (9:20 min)
      There is only one true chicken soup recipe we have found from the 18h century. You would think there would be hundreds, but there aren’t. This one is strange, and fun, and super tasty!
    • JYF Museums: Colonists ate a variety of meat including poultry (goose, duck, chicken, turkey, pigeon, lark), beef, pork, hare, lamb, etc. Let’s take a look at two historic cookbook authors on meat preparation:
      – Hannah Glasse:
      “In the first place, take great care the spit be very clean; clean it with nothing but sand and water. Wash and wipe it with a dry cloth; for oil, brick-dust, and such thinks will spoil you meat.”
      “The best way to keep meat hot is to set the dish over a pan of boiling water, cover the dish with a deep cover so as not to touch the meat, and throw a cloth over all.”
      – Mary Randolph:
      “In roasting butchers’ meat, be careful not to run the spit through the nice parts: let the piece lie in water one hour, then wash it out, wipe it perfectly dry, and put it on the spit.”
      “Set it before a clear, steady fire: sprinkle some salt on it, and when it becomes hot, baste it for a time with salt and water: then put a good spoonful of nice lard into the dripping-pan, and when melted, continue to baste with it.”
  • This week in History 
    • 25 Nov 1753 Robert Townsend, Culper Spy Ring member operating in NYC, is born. Cover name Samuel Culper, Jr, or 723. Townsend’s secret life remained so until 1930 when a Long Island historian discovered Townsend & Culper, Jr had the same handwriting. image
    • 24 Nov 1758, Young Colonel George Washington led his troops from the Virginia Regiment on an advance that occupied the smoking ruins of the abandoned French Fort Duquesne at the convergence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers. image
    • 23 Nov 1765 Court of Frederick County MD is first to officially defy the Parliament’s Stamp Act, declaring it “null and void.” In the streets, the residents hung the Stamp Agent in effigy and held a funeral for the Stamp Act, and buried it. image
    • 13 Nov 1775, Continental Army Brigadier General Richard Montgomery takes Montreal, Canada, without opposition. Carleton had withdrawn his forces to Quebec, where he would await reinforcement from Britain.  image
    • 25 Nov 1775 VA. Col William Woodford & 300 VA militia are sent to Suffolk to guard military stores. This causes British Gov Lord Dunmore to send a force to stop him on the Elizabeth R. at Great Bridge. image
    • 28 Nov 1775, Congress adopts “Rules for the Regulation of the Navy,” the first set of guidelines governing the Navy. Congress established the Navy on 13 Oct, calling for the arming of 2 vessels for intercepting British ships. image
    • 29 Nov 1775 Philadelphia PA Congress created the Committee of Secret Correspondence as they tried to woo European nations to aid in the war. Secret because the committee’s members felt public discussion of the information would endanger everyone involved. image
    • 12 Nov 1776 NYC A British fleet sailed for England. It consisted of the empty transports which had brought Howe’s army from Britain. image
    • 21 Nov 1776 New Bridge, NJ. British troops under Gen Vaughan attacked the American rear guard and seized the New Bridge, which American engineers were dismantling. image
    • 28 Nov 1776 The British “blitz” thru Jersey begins to roll as Gen Charles Lord Cornwallis’s flying column occupies Newark, while the remnants of the Continental Army retreat to Brunswick.  image
    • 29 Nov 1776 Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia. American besiegers are driven off by British reinforcements from Halifax. Some 100 Americans fall prisoner but are quickly paroled. image
    • 29 Nov 1776 American Captain Lambert Wickes’s ship Reprisal anchors at Quiberon Bay, France, with diplomatic commissioners aboard. His Reprisal is the first US warship to ply European waters.  image
    • 26 Nov 1777 Adm Richard Howe anchors at Philadelphia with 63 ships in order to resupply British forces occupying the city. image
    • 28 Nov 1777 Congress appoints John Adams to succeed Silas Deane as the commissioner to France. Deane had been recalled to America by Congress after fellow diplomat Arthur Lee accused him of misappropriating French funds. image
    • 24 Nov 1778 Midway Church, GA. General Augustine Prevost’s 700 professional soldiers skirmish with mounted Georgia militia and advance on Midway Church, where they clash with a line of NC militia under Col John White.  image
    • 27 Nov 1778 British Carlisle Commission, headed by the Earl of Carlisle, sails home from NYC having failed to achieve a negotiated peace settlement by offering self-rule & parliamentary representation vs independence to colonies. image
    • 25 Nov 1781 London. Parliament goes into dismay over new of Lord Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown. Lord Germain exclaims, “Oh God, it is all over!” image
    • 27 Nov 1781 Col. Isaac Shelby & Col. Hezekiah Maham seized one of the fortified Fair Lawn Plantation outbuildings with 180 soldiers & 200 frontiersmen. They captured 300 stands of arms as well as 150 wounded soldiers and medical staff. image
    • 24 Nov 1783 Gen Guy Carleton, commander in chief of British forces in North America, informs Washington that NYC will be evacuated the following day. “…I propose to withdraw from this place tomorrow at Noon…” image
    • 26 Nov 1783 The Confederation Congress convenes at the state house in Annapolis, MD. It would see the signing of the Treaty of Paris & the resignation of Gen George Washington & afterwards alternates with Trenton, NJ until a new capital is determined. image
    • In 1789, President George Washington, on behalf of Congress, issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation designating Thursday, November 26, as a national day of “public thanksgiving and prayer.”  image
  • Clothing and Related:

    •  Mid 1790s dresses express a state of transition in material form as the silhouette underwent a revision. From expansive brocades to the columnar figure, here is the higher waistline combined with fuller skirt, the round gown is brightly distinctive.
    • In preparation for next year’s survey course for first year students, I am writing my lecture on the 18th century today and came across this vibrant magenta bodice in a textural silk with a frill of green on the sleeve
  • Miscellaneous
    • Love this pair of Meissen saucers. Dating from the early to mid 1730, these hand painted, hard paste saucers have cartouches in a roughly quatrefoil shape, with perimeters of which have red and purple scrolls and #BottgerLustre. They show harbour (#Kauffahrtei) scenes with ships unloading commercial goods including coffee, tea, cocoa, #porcelain and Asian wares. On the base are the famous blue Meissen swords (Europe’s oldest trademark), gilder’s numbers 94, both centred with iron red concentric circles, themselves based on Asian wares of the 17th centuries.
    • This is a miniature telescope known as a ‘spyglass’. It was left with a boy named Thomas Lupton, admitted to the Foundling Hospital in 1757.

Last Post: Tribute to David Hill Kanowakeron Morrison UE (1954 – 2024)
David Hill Kanowakeron Morrison UE, who passed away on October 16, 2024, was a cherished member and leader of the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada (UELAC). A resolute Central West Councillor for many years, National UELAC Board Director, and a great historian. David’s life was a testament to perseverance, cultural pride, and service to his communities.
David played pivotal roles in the UELAC. He was a founding member and served as Vice President for the former virtual Bridge Annex Branch and as Grand River Branch Webmaster. His commitment extended far beyond administrative duties; he was instrumental in promoting education about Haudenosaunee culture and Loyalist contributions to Canada. David was also an advocate for Native adoptees and an enthusiastic supporter of Indigenous and Loyalist history.
In 2018, David’s remarkable contributions were recognized with the UELAC Dorchester Award, celebrating his excellence in volunteerism and leadership. Throughout his life, he balanced identities as a Mohawk, Canadian Loyalist, and citizen of the United States, bridging diverse cultural perspectives with integrity and grace.
David’s work left an indelible mark on the UELAC and the communities he served. His passion, wisdom, and dedication will be deeply missed but fondly remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
May he rest in peace, leaving a legacy of unity, history, and inspiration for generations to come.
Carl Stymiest UE, UELAC National President

Editor’s Note – home again.
It was a good break travelling by river boat down the lower Mississippi from Memphis (yes, we did give our regards to Elvis) to New Orleans. We enjoyed perfect weather (80F in New Orleans)  and learned a lot during our daily tours about the Civil War, plantation life, cotton and sugar cane, the Revolutionary war and Cajun country – with the obvious link to Lucille Campey’s book on the Acadians noted above. Always good to get home again – except for the pile on my desk!  …doug

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