In this issue:

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The Loyalist Collection (UNB Libraries) Website Resources Refresh
Described by Dr Leah Grandy
Come explore the newly refreshed catalogue site for The Loyalist Collection. The website now features a new layout and menu, improved searching and browsing, searchable PDF finding aids, up-to-date news on the front page, enhanced access to the Marianne Grey Otty Database, and a tabular version of Esther Clark Wright’s New Brunswick Loyalist Index which enables searching.
Newly added to The Loyalist Collection catalogue is a searchable transcription of Esther Clark Wright’s New Brunswick Loyalist Index, the most valuable finding aid when commencing research on individual New Brunswick Loyalists. Clark Wright described the index as follows: “The list shows, where information could be obtained, the names of heads of families or single men of eighteen years of age and upwards, their former homes, their service during the Revolution, their first grants, their subsequent grants and/ or place of residence.” The published index was transcribed and entered into Excel file format by UNB Libraries staff to facilitate use by researchers and is available via the catalogue record. The index includes information on over 6,000 individuals.
The Marianne Grey Otty Database, which features transcribed Anglican Church records from the early loyalist settler period, also has recently been updated for improved searching and usability. The original nine record books were kept by a series of travelling ministers centred in Gagetown, Queens County and covered the years 1786 to 1841, containing lists of marriages, baptisms, and deaths. The books are held by the New Brunswick Museum Archives (NBM Inventory No. 438) and were transcribed by author and local historian, Marianne Grey Otty (1890-1963). In turn, this database was based on a microform copy of Otty’s work from The Loyalist Collection at UNB Libraries.
The Loyalist Collection site provides continued access to specialized guides, New Brunswick Loyalist Journeys story maps, Atlantic Loyalist Connections blog posts, and other resources for researchers.

UELAC Conference 2025 – Loyalist Research on the Agenda
July 10-13, 2025 at Saint John, New Brunswick
Read more details about Leah and the conference in the Agenda.
Dr. Leah Grandy holds a PhD in History and has been working in libraries and archives for more than 15 years. Her specialties include Atlantic Provinces History, New Brunswick History, Loyalists and Genealogy,
At 10:30 on Friday July 11 she will discuss how to approach researching individual loyalists from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, and the types of sources and documents she recommends, which will also likely be applicable to other areas of Loyalist settlement in what became Canada. She will also go over “best practices” for researchers from the perspective of someone who works at a library and archives.
Learn more about the 2025 UELAC Conference; Registration and accommodation bookings are ready for you.

UELAC 2024 Highlights and 2025 Directions
By Carl Stymiest UE, President UELAC
As we bid farewell to 2024 and welcome 2025, I am delighted to reflect on some remarkable achievements of our Association over the past year and to share exciting plans for the year ahead.
Highlights of 2024
Annual Conference and AGM in Cornwall, Ontario: In June, we gathered in Cornwall for the conference themed “The Story Continues…”. The event featured engaging workshops, historical tours, and presentations that deepened our understanding of Loyalist heritage. The UELAC Head Office, Library & Archives was well attended where members and their guests could see the progress of the library and archive holdings. William C Terry UE (Grand River branch) was the recipient of the 2024 UELAC Dorchester Award. Bev Craig UE (Col. John Butler branch) and Joan Lucas UE(Kawartha branch) were the recipients of the Suzanne Morse-Hines Memorial Genealogy-Family History Award. Two new Honorary Fellows were appointed by the membership at the AGM 2024; Dr Bonnie Hoskins Ph.D. (University of New Brunswick) and Dr Timothy Compeau Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, History Department Huron University College at Western University).
Scholarship Program: Our ongoing commitment to education was evident as we supported master’s and PhD students through the UELAC Loyalist Scholarship, fostering research that preserves and promotes our shared history. Two new students, Blake McGready and Graham Nickerson were sent our congratulations.
Community Engagement: Branches across the country hosted many events, guest speakers, lectures, and loyalist burial cemetery commemorations, strengthening our presence and outreach within local communities. I was most fortunate to be able to attend two 40th Anniversary Celebrations in 2024, Saskatchewan Branch UELAC in June and Bicentennial Branch UELAC in September.

Looking Ahead to 2025
Annual General Meeting (AGM): Scheduled for Saturday, May 24, 2025, the AGM will be conducted via Zoom, allowing members nationwide to participate in discussions and decision-making processes. Be on the lookout for information coming to your inbox soon.
UELAC Conference in Saint John, New Brunswick: Mark your calendars for July 10-13, 2025, as we convene in Saint John for our annual conference. The event promises a rich program of historical explorations, scholarly presentations, and opportunities to connect with fellow members.
Branch Activities: Branches are planning a variety of events, including educational seminars, heritage celebrations, loyalist day celebrations, and community outreach programs. For instance, the Board of Directors looks forward to the Manitoba Branch as it commences new initiatives starting January 18, 2025, aimed at engaging local members and the public.
As we embark on this new year, let us continue to honour the legacy of our Loyalist ancestors through active participation, education, and community involvement. Your dedication and passion are the driving forces behind our Association’s success.
Wishing you all a prosperous and fulfilling New Year.
Sincerely,
Carl Stymiest UE, President, UELAC

More About UELAC 2024 Highlights and 2025 Directions
More detail ie “highlights” and “outcomes and impacts” for each of the items below is in this document (pdf) https:// uelac.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/UELAC-2024-Highlights-2025- Directions.pdf

2024

  • UELAC National Conference – Cornwall, ON (June 2024)
  • Loyalist Directory Enhancements (2024)
  • UELAC Scholarships Awarded (2024)
  • Loyalist Gazette Publication (2024)
  • UELAC Committees Progression (2024)
  • UELAC Library & Archives:
  • 2025 UELAC Conference Planning:
  • Scholarship:
  • Education and Community Engagement:
  • UELAC-Family Search Project:
  • UELAC Volunteers Recognition:
  • UELAC Website (uelac.ca):


2025 Directions for the UELAC

  • 2025 UELAC Conference Planning (July 10-13, Saint John, New Brunswick)
  • Enhancing Membership Engagement (2025)
  • Recognizing Our UELAC Volunteer Contributions (2025)

Johnny Burgoyne and the Loyalists, Part Two of Six: The men of Jessup’s Corps
copyright Stephen Davidson UE
Ten years after the army of General John Burgoyne suffered defeat at the hands of rebel forces during the Battle of Saratoga, a handful of Loyalists who had served under the British officer stood before the Royal Commission on the Losses and Services of American Loyalists when it convened in Quebec City. Having lost everything, Samuel Perry, Isaac Mann Jr., John Meyers, Christian Wehr, David Hartman, Joseph Huffman, John Waggoner, and Robert Whitman hoped that a grateful empire would compensate them for their property and wartime service.
Elenor Maybee, the widow of Peter Maybee, also sought remuneration for her husband’s property and service.
The eight men had once been members of Jessup’s Corps, a provincial (colonial) regiment that fought alongside 3,700 British soldiers, 500 artillery men, 3,000 German allies, and 500 Indigenous warriors when Burgoyne’s troops marched south from Montreal to Saratoga, New York to subdue Patriot forces in 1777. The number of Canadian colonists and loyal Americans who were part of Burgoyne’s Campaign of 1777 is estimated to be around 650 men.
The historian Steven E. Clay notes that there were five corps of loyalist militiamen who served under Burgoyne. Lt. Colonel John Peters of Hebron, Connecticut commanded the Queen’s Loyal Ranger Battalion that was comprised of 150 men. Captain Samuel MacKay, a member of Burgoyne’s staff, led the Loyal Volunteers Company. Captain Daniel McAlpin commanded the American Volunteers who were also known as McAlpin’s Company. McAlpin was an elderly, retired British officer who had settled in New York. His 184 men defended supply lines and saw to the transport of provisions by bateaux. Following Burgoyne’s defeat, this loyalist corps successfully orchestrated the general’s pay chest back to Canada.
Dr. Samuel Adams of Arlington, New Hampshire led the smallest of the loyalist corps that fought alongside Burgoyne’s army. Most of the men in Adam’s Company had initially settled in what is now Vermont.
The fifth loyalist corps was the King’s Loyal American Battalion, commonly referred to as Jessup’s Corps. Ebenezer Jessup was its lieutenant colonel and his brother Edward was a captain. Both men had been born in Connecticut and owned large portions of New York land.
As the Jessup brothers and Daniel McAlpin marched south with Burgoyne’s army, all three of the men’s wives were imprisoned in Albany, New York. Elizabeth (Mrs. Ebenezer Jessup), Abigail (Mrs. Edward) Jessup and Mary McAlpin were released in September of 1777 in the hopes of being used in prisoner exchanges for rebels captured by Burgoyne.
Despite being a small loyalist corps, members of Jessup’s Corps made up the largest number of loyalist veterans who would later testify at the compensation hearings when they convened in Quebec and Montreal.
John Burgoyne later confessed that he did not think much of the bulk of the Loyalists who served under him. He grudgingly confessed that, “A few were of distinguished bravery.” Here are eight stories of Jessup’s men who qualified as having worthy service.
Isaac Mann Junior gave testimony on August 2, 1787 that would surely have persuaded compensation board commissioner to consider the Loyalist one of those who demonstrated “distinguished bravery“. Once an inhabitant of Stillwater, New York, Mann was known to Patriots as being a Loyalist as early as 1775. On suspicion that Mann was aware of Loyalists who had sought refuge in Canada with Ebenezer Jessup, rebels took him prisoner and would have held him “for life” had he not been acquitted. Two years later, Mann and 57 other Loyalists joined Burgoyne’s forces at Ticonderoga. He first served as the quartermaster for Jessup’s Corps and was later promoted to “major of brigade”.
When Burgoyne surrendered to Patriot forces, Mann joined other Loyalists who found sanctuary in Canada. He then served as the quartermaster for Sir John Johnson’s First Battalion until the end of the revolution. By 1787, he had settled in Carlisle on Chaleur Bay in what would become Quebec.
The historian Hugh McGough notes that Mann received a 400-acre grant that he farmed. Later, he served as the local Justice of the Peace. He married Mary Eyre Robertson; they had one son. Appointed as a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, at Quebec City, Mann died at Quebec City on July 28, 1790.
Robert Whitman had also been a farmer in Stillwater. He “never joined the rebels in any respect“, and demonstrated his allegiance to the crown by “carrying arms” with Jessup’s Corps as part of Burgoyne’s army in October of 1777. Given that the general surrendered on October 17, Whitman did not spend a great deal of time as part of this vanquished army. He managed to find sanctuary in Canada and served as a “conductor of wagons” until the end of the war. In his absence, Indigenous warriors took two of his horses, and Patriots confiscated his oxen, cattle, sheep, pigs, furniture, tools, and grain. By 1787, Whitman had made a new home in Riviere La Colle (Quebec).
John W. Meyers, another member of Jessup’s Corps, was truly committed to his sovereign as indicated by his long service during the revolution. A man who had once called New York’s Albany County home, he had joined the provincial corps and served under Burgoyne. His wartime service came at a great personal cost. Patriots seized Meyers’ 7 horses, 4 Cows, 5 young cattle, 30 Hogs, 17 Sheep, utensils, furniture, and 140 bushels of wheat after he joined Burgoyne.
At some point in time, Meyers was given permission to leave the troops to recruit more men, and so he was not with his corps when Burgoyne surrendered. However, he continued in loyal service as a courier. In 1780, he raised a company that later joined Jessup’s provincial corps. He served till the end of the war, leaving service as a captain. He settled along the Bay of Quinte. Meyer’s testimony before the compensation board is noteworthy in that Joseph Smith, his servant, (not a fellow veteran or former neighbor) served as a witness on his behalf.
Before joining General Burgoyne, Christian Wehr had been a farmer just 30 miles outside of Albany. In retaliation for the German immigrant’s loyalist stance, the local rebel committee ordered that his livestock and effects –including two trunks of clothing– be seized. Nevertheless, Wehr served as a captain throughout all of Burgoyne’s ill-fated campaign. He was able to find sanctuary in Canada after the British general agreed to lay down his soldiers’ arms. Wehr later became a lieutenant in Sir John Johnson’s regiment.
Born in the colonies, John Waggoner lived in Saratoga, New York until he was compelled to seek sanctuary in Canada in the spring of 1777. There, he joined Jessup’s Corps and served as one of the provincial soldiers in Burgoyne’s army. Rebels took Waggoner prisoner following the Battle of Stillwater on September 18, 1777. Five hundred of Burgoyne’s men hand been killed or wounded in the fighting, so Waggoner was fortunate to still be alive. He was a prisoner for just over 8 weeks, and upon his release he returned home and did not take up arms again.
In the fall of 1783, still true to his loyalist convictions, Waggoner sought refuge in Canada, bringing his family with him in the following summer. By 1788, they were settled on Lake Champlain’s Masisco Bay.
David Hartman was a colonist who had been born in one of the German states. He had settled in Tomhannock, New York where he leased a 150-acre farm. He, too, joined Jessup’s Corps and as a consequence lost all that he and his wife had. She was evicted from their farm in 1778, the year following Burgoyne’s defeat.
It fell to Elenor Maybee, the widow of Peter Maybee to seek compensation for her husband’s service in Jessup’s Corps when it was part of Burgoyne’s army. A farmer in Saratoga, Peter had joined the British in 1776. Following the army’s defeat, Maybee fled to Canada where he died in the winter of 1777. Now a widow, Elenor went to Canada in the summer following Peter’s death. As so many loyalist widows did, she eventually married a soldier who had fought with her husband, Joseph Huffman.
Huffman had been forced from his farm in Claverock, New York in 1775; he joined Jessup’s Corps in July of 1777 at Fort Edward. The British general had just taken this vital outpost that was situated at the head of navigation for the Hudson River. Local Loyalists were no doubt encouraged by this victory over the rebels. Despite being on the losing side at the Battle of Saratoga, Huffman remained with Jessup’s Corps for the rest of the revolution. Following the peace he settled in Cataraqui, which in time became Kingston, Ontario.
Samuel Perry, who described himself as “a friend to Government” was all set to join Jessup’s Corp in 1776, when he was taken prisoner by the Patriots of Palmer, New York. A year later, he finally joined Burgoyne’s army when it had taken Fort Ticonderoga, bringing 47 Loyalist recruits with him. Perry sometimes delivered messages “on secret service from Col. Jessup“. He also brought supplies to Loyalists who had been forced to hide from their Patriot neighbours in the woods.
Vengeful rebels confiscated Perry’s livestock, grain, and furniture after the Loyalist joined the British. Perry served until Burgoyne’s defeat, and made his escape to Canada during the negotiations concerning the terms of British surrender. After finding refuge in Canada, Perry settled on the Bay of Chaleur.
Hugh Munroe/Monro was a Scottish soldier who had settled near Albany, New York after his service during the Seven Years War. In July of 1777, he was appointed a captain in Burgoyne’s army. Rebels then plundered Munroe’s home, taking his two enslaved Africans and cattle, horses, utensils and furniture. They drove his wife out of their house, forcing her to seek shelter in Albany.
After initially serving with Jessup’s Corps, Munroe took command of a company of bateaux men. These boats were crucial as the British forces advanced south from Montreal over Lake Champlain. At some point in the war, the Scot was “wounded while doing his duty“. Following Burgoyne’s defeat, Munroe worked in the engineers’ department in Quebec City for two years. He finally settled in Oswegatchie. (This part of Canada eventually was considered part of New York state.)
Michael Hoffnail’s story had a different ending than that of most of the men with whom he had served. Up until 1775, he had “lived in Kingsbury {New York} when {the} Troubles broke out“. After joining Burgoyne’s army at Fort Ann, he was “employed on secret service by Major Jessup“. When Patriots suspected that he was working for the crown, he was “obliged to fly” and went to Canada. In 1784, a year after the peace, he returned to New York. Despite his service to the crown and the persecution he had once experienced, Hoffnail settled “within the American Lines“.

For a list of known Loyalists – those not referenced in the articles – who joined Burgoyne’s Campaign of 1777 click here (a pdf).

To secure permission to reprint this article contact the author at stephendavids@gmail.com.

William Howe: Taking the Slow Boat to Philadelphia
by Richard J. Werther 20 Jan 2025 Journal of the Am,erican Revolution
Wars are seldom won or lost due to a single event. Rather, the ultimate result is often preceded by a series of (sometimes) lesser connecting events. Pennsylvania loyalist Joseph Galloway criticized Sir William Howe and Lord Richard Howe for many of their military strategies in a blizzard of pamphlets written between 1780 and 1782. In all, he accounted for at least ten pamphlets, totaling over eight hundred pages. His writings were supported by extensive testimony, both by Galloway and the British military leaders, to the House of Commons in justifying their respective positions.
In Galloway’s judgment, probably the second most critical strategic military failure (after the failure to attack the Continental Army at Valley Forge) was General William Howe’s decision to strike a potentially demoralizing blow to the colonies by taking their capital, Philadelphia. Such a strategy was enshrined in European military doctrine, but this was a different type of war than one nation trying to subjugate another. In the context of British strategies, it exhibited in Howe a great misunderstanding of the enemy, the tactics and strategies necessary to defeat the rebel Americans, and probably cost the British their northern army under Gen. John Burgoyne in the battles at Saratoga. Because of his foray into Philadelphia, Howe was unable to create the planned cooperation of his army with Burgoyne’s, marching from the north, along the Hudson that would cut the colonies in two and fatally hamstring the American war effort.
While Galloway, a Philadelphian, largely supported the decision to take Philadelphia, the way in which this was accomplished really raised his ire. The strategy that Howe employed effectively foreclosed any possibility of his helping the northern army. Philadelphia was taken not by a direct, overland march of some eighty miles, which probably would have taken several weeks, and could still have given Howe time to help Burgoyne. Howe chose instead to invade Philadelphia by sea with the support of his brother Admiral Lord Richard, and starting late in the campaigning season of 1777. Further compounding the failure was the decision to go by sea not on the most direct route from New York, which would be down the coast and up the Delaware River into Philadelphia. Rather Howe chose a circuitous route down to the Chesapeake before making the turn north, eventually coming through the Delaware, which cost two to three extra months. Read more…

Hessian Soldiers Travelling to America: Yorktown Surrender A Soldier’s Life October 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 (Yorktown).

October, 1781: Battle at Yorktown – Surrender. (page 111)

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

IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER [1781]
page 111

19 Oct cont’d
Mostly the French behaved well toward us, but of the Americans, no one except the officers was permitted in the city or in our lines, because the French Grenadiers had formed a ring entirely around our positions and occupied Yorktown with a strong force, and they allowed no one to enter for fear that the American militia, which is always ready to steal, might also steal or plunder or otherwise abuse us as is their usual practice.
At night, on 19 October, First Lieutenant [Moritz Wilhelm] von der Heydte, of our Jaeger Corps, joined us as a prisoner of war, with sixteen jaegers. This officer had been detached from Charleston, South Carolina, with a strong command of about one thousand men in order to join us; however, on the night of 18 October, between Hampton and Williamsburg, they were attacked by a strong corps of French and Americans, defeated, and completely scattered, and the remainder were captured.
Now follows a list of Lord Cornwallis’s army taken captive and surrendered at Yorktown and Gloucester on 19 October 1781. Thus:

  • 1 Lieutenant General Sir Lord Cornwallis
  • 1 Brigadier General Benedict Arnold O’Hara
  • 2 colonels, Voit and Seybothen
  • 14 lieutenant colonels
  • 16 majors or comparable cavalry officers
  • 97 captains
  • 180 lieutenants, first and second
  • 55 ensigns
  • 4 chaplains
  • 10 adjutants
  • 18 doctors and regimental medical officers
  • 18 regimental quartermasters
  • 25 assistants to the medical officers and company medics
  • 385 first sergeants, sergeants, and corporals
  • 79 musicians, hautboists, and trumpeters
  • 6,539 privates, to which are added:
  • 1 city major
  • 1 commissary
  • 1 under-quartermaster
  • 7,447 persons, plus 63 soldiers’ wives and 14 children

[A breakdown by rank and grade of individuals of the Ansbach-Bayreuth regiments who were made prisoners of war on 19 October at Yorktown is as follows: 2 colonels, 1 lieutenant colonel, 1 major, 8 captains, 32 lieutenants, 1 chaplain, 2 quartermasters, 2 surgeons, 20 medics, 32 sergeants, 25 drummers, and 948 rank and file; also 1 wagon master, 8 wagoneers, 2 provost marshals, and 1 assistant provost marshal, for a total of 1,077 men (apparently the wagon master and wagoneers were not counted). ]

To this should be added eighty-five deserters, mostly Hessians and from our two regiments, who went over to the enemy during the siege and bombardment. The captured war chest contained 5,213 pounds, 6 shillings, and 4 pence, sterling.
(to be continued)

Glimpses of Their Lives: Slavery and Emancipation at the Colonel John Ashley House
By Olivia R. Scott Jan 2025 in Common Place
These individual biographies seek to foreground the experiences of all the individuals held in bondage by the Ashley family.
The legacy of Elizabeth Freeman (ab. 1744–1829) is undeniable in its deep inscription in the annals of history. Enslaved to Colonel John Ashley (1709–1802)—the wealthiest and, at times, the most influential man in the rural Berkshire town of Sheffield, Massachusetts—Elizabeth Freeman, known at the time as Bett, sued Colonel Ashley in 1781 for her freedom on the revolutionary grounds of constitutionality and won. She continued to live a remarkable life in Stockbridge, Massachusetts after gaining her freedom. Her story has been recounted to an extent that it has taken on a life of its own, shrouded in the abolitionist rhetoric and old family folktales disseminated by the Sedgwick children for whom she cared. In constructing the pedagogical myth of Elizabeth Freeman, her co-plaintiff, Brom, and a fellow enslaved man who sued for his freedom prior to their suit, Zach Mullen, have been pushed to the margins. However, her exceptionalism need not be built upon her singularity; rather, understanding a clearer picture of the men, women, and children in bondage alongside Elizabeth Freeman enables a fuller conceptualization of her story.
Recent scholarship has engaged with the lack of public memory about slavery in the North. The limited societal awareness about colonial New England slavery is particularly exacerbated for rural areas, where typically less research has been conducted. However, the mythic story of Elizabeth Freeman escaped this collective forgetting because of the redefinition of her lived experiences in ways that served the narrative needs of successive generations. Nineteenth-century historians framed enslavement as between a kind master and their talented and loyal “servant.” Northern abolitionist literature often used specific anecdotal stories of formerly enslaved individuals to further reframe the severity of New England slavery. Following her freedom suit, Elizabeth Freeman’s lawyer Theodore Sedgwick employed her in his household, and his children wrote about Freeman after her death. Their writings about Elizabeth Freeman fall into these similar narrative patterns. The Sedgwicks’ pivotal role in the transmission of Freeman’s identity in the historical record cannot be overstated, but in their recounting, they transmuted her life and experiences in bondage. The collective remembering of Elizabeth Freeman by the name of “Mum Bett”—a name given to her by the Sedgwick children—attests to their authority in crafting her story in their own terms. As a consequence of this pervasiveness of her story, Elizabeth Freeman has always been acknowledged as a part of the history of the Colonel Ashely House, but, in many ways, its interpretation of her life contributed to the Sedgwick’s mythologizing of her and the subsequent continual amnesia and anonymity about the realities of enslavement in the Ashley household. Read more…

Richard Varick in History and Memory: Colonial Lawyer, Continental Officer, Mayor of New York City
by Keith Muchowski 23 Jan 2025 Journal of the American Revolution
The Fourth of July celebration of 1831 was shaping up similarly to the ones Americans had been commemorating for over half a century. A sizable crowd squeezed into the Rotunda of the United States Capitol Building to hear lawyer and poet Francis Scott Key deliver an Independence Day oration. In Boston’s Park Street Church the children’s choir of the Boston Sabbath School Union performed a new hymn that would quickly join Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the liturgy of the American civic religion. The melody was an old standard, but with new lyrics written by Andover Theological Seminary student Samuel Francis Smith. Its title was “America (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee).” In nearby Quincy former president John Quincy Adams was giving an address to the people of his hometown. A young state senator named William H. Seward was speaking to an Independence Day crowd of his own in Syracuse, New York. Meanwhile, two hundred and fifty miles to the south, Manhattanites were eating, socializing, and picknicking on the nation’s fifty-fifth birthday when in the late afternoon news began spreading that America’s fifth president, James Monroe, had just died at his daughter and son-in-law’s house at 63 Prince Street.
For Americans celebrating the fifty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence James Monroe’s death must have brought a sense of déjà vu, or even Divine Providence; just five years previously Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson had themselves passed away on the Fourth of July, the fiftieth anniversary of the nation’s founding…
…Richard Varick was born in Hackensack, New Jersey on March 25, 1753. The Varicks came from Old Dutch stock and his paternal grandfather Abraham Varick married Anna Bertholf on July 12, 1718. Abraham and Anna’s children included Johannes (John) Varick, who was born five year later. John Varick grew up and in 1749 took Janneke (Jane) Dey, a young woman too of Dutch lineage, as his wife.
Growing up in Hackensack young Richard probably knew little of the monumental events taking place around him. The French and Indian War began the year after he was was born. He turned ten in 1763, the year that conflict ended. He turned twelve three days after British authorities passed the Stamp Act of 1765. New Yorkers led by the Sons of Liberty protested the stamp taxes in New York City just twenty miles from Hackensack across the North River. Though the Stamp Act was revoked in 1766 the colonists equally hated the subsequent Townshend Acts. Read more…

Advertised on 24 January 1775: “THE first Number of the PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST
What was advertised in a colonial American newspaper 250 years ago this week?

24 Jan 1775

“THE first Number of the PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST is now laid before the respectable Public.”

On January 24, 1775, Benjamin Towne launched a new newspaper, the Pennsylvania Evening Post. The printer distinguished this publication with a publication schedule that differed from all other newspapers in Philadelphia and throughout the colonies, distributing three issues a week on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings rather than a single weekly issue. In an address to “the respectable Public” that opened the inaugural edition, Towne asserted that this publication schedule “will … give particular Satisfaction to all Persons anxious for early Intelligence at this important Crisis.” To that end, he explained that he timed his issues according to the arrival of the “Eastern Post” that carried newspapers and letters from New York and New England.
The first issue of the Pennsylvania Evening Post did not feature any advertisements, unlike other newspapers founded in the early 1770s, yet Towne sought to attract advertisers to defray the expenses of printing the newspaper. Read more…

Princess Poniatowski’s visit to England, 1767
By Sarah Murdedn 26 Feb 2024 in All Things Georgian
We often think of young men from England embarking on the Grand Tour of Europe, but today’s article is about a Polish visitor to England, who embarked on her own mini Grand Tour of England during the summer of 1767.
Princess Apollonia Poniatowski (c1736-1814) was married to Kazimierz Poniatowski (1721-1800) her second husband, having been divorced from her first husband several years previously. Kazimierz was brother to the King Stanislaw August Poniatowski of Poland (1732-1798).
According to the Caledonian Mercury 25 July 1767 the princess arrived at St James’s Street, London where she was to stay at:

Mrs Martin
At the Gentlemen’s hotel in King Street, Saint James’s Square
Takes this opportunity of acquainting all noblemen, gentlemen, foreigners and others. That they may be accommodate with genteel lodgings for one night, or as long as they think proper. Breakfast, Dinners etc prepared in the cleanest and neatest manner, with the best wines of all sorts. And all gentlemen who will please to honour her with their commands, may depend on being attended in the best and politest manner, by Their Humble servant, M Martin.
N.B It is the only hotel in London.

Mrs Martin also advertised her hotel in French too, in order to attract people from Europe. Her final note is interesting – was hers really the only hotel in London, I wonder? Read more…

BOOK REVIEW: The Constitution’s Penman: Gouverneur Morris and the Creation of America’s Basic Charter
Author: Dennis C. Rasmussen (University Press of Kansas, 2023)
Review by Jim Piecuch 20 Jan 2025 Jounal of the American Revolution
The Constitution stands as the foundation of the United States’ government and political system, a point on which all Americans can agree even as they dispute how the document should be interpreted. One key person who exerted a profound influence at the Constitutional Convention and on the final form of the Constitution remains relatively unknown. Although he may have done more to shape the Constitution than his better-known counterparts, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, Gouverneur Morris has been relegated to the rear ranks of the Framers. Fortunately, in The Constitution’s Penman, Dennis C. Rasmussen focuses his attention on Morris and rescues this fascinating figure from undeserved obscurity.
Rasmussen’s book is not a conventional biography; instead, the author emphasizes Morris’s role at the Constitutional Convention. The first chapter does provide a brief but thorough account of Morris’s life. Born into a wealthy New York family, Morris received an excellent education before embarking on a career as a lawyer and businessman. However, his life was not without difficulties. In 1766, at the age of fourteen, Morris’s right forearm was severely and permanently damaged when he was accidentally scalded by boiling water, and in 1780, a carriage accident resulted in the amputation of one leg below the knee. Despite these debilitating injuries, Morris continued to be both active and successful. Read more…

UELAC Loyalist Directory: New Contributions

Entries which have been added, or revised, this week, with thanks to Kevin Wisener who contributed information about:

  • Lathrop Chase settled in Prince Edward Island. The name ‘Lathrop’ Chase is associated with the Chase family of Dukes County, Massachusetts. Duke’s County is largely comprised of Martha’s Vinyard and the Elizabeth Islands
  • Zachariah Van Sickles was located in New York during the War. He originally arrived at the St. John River in New Brunswick and later was granted a Pasture Lot #367 at Charlottetown Royalty

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

Events Upcoming

American Revolution Institute: Black Soldiers in America’s Wars: 1754-1865 29 Jan 6:30

Historian John Rees discusses his recent collaboration with historical artist Don Troiani highlighting the participation of African American soldiers in America’s early wars that combines Troiani’s dramatic art with Rees’ heavily researched text. Drawing from his research and written contributions, along with Troiani’s battle paintings, figure studies, artifact collection and artist notes, Rees focuses on the Black soldiers who fought in the American Revolution to highlight the significance of this under-recognized aspect of the war. Registration…

Col. John Butler Branch. “Most of My Loyalist Ancestors Were Military Men” Sat 1 Feb 11:45

Our new President Bruce Wallace UE is a long time Niagara resident and a descendant of ten United Empire Loyalists, many of whom were officers in Butler’s Rangers or officers in the British Indian Department. Bruce descends from Colonel John Butler, his son Thomas Butler, and from Adam Crysler, Lewis Cobes Clement and his son James Clement, as well as George Caughell Senior and Junior, and from George Upper, Petrus Ten Broeck and his son Jacob Ten Broeck. In his presentation he will speak about his ancestors, how some families were split over whether to be loyal to King George or to follow George Washington’s rebels, and how some of these Loyalists became officers in the War of 1812.
At Betty’s Restaurant, 8921 Sodom Road, Chippawa (Niagara Falls), at 11:45 for a lunch meeting. This meeting will be both in person and by ZOOM.
For those attending in person, the cost of the lunch is $30 for UELAC members and $35 for guests. Cash only, payable at the meeting. No credit cards.
If you plan to attend either in person or by ZOOM, please let us know in advance. RSVP to 283corvette@gmail.com

Gov. Simcoe Branch: Potluck Luncheon, “AHA” Moments Sat 1 Feb 11:30

Our annual potluck luncheon on Saturday 1 Feb. at St. David’s Church, pour usual meeting place In addition to social opportunities, the event will feature good food, an auction, short presentations, and more. Branch members, other branch members and guests are welcome. More details and registration.

American Revolution Institute: Benjamin Franklin, Francisco Saavedra de Sangronis and Spain’s Grand Strategy in the American Revolutionary War. Wed 5 Feb 6:30

Historian Thomas E. Chávez focuses our attention on Spanish participation throughout the American Revolution through a discussion of Spain’s grand strategy during the war; the contributions to the Spanish war effort of Francisco Saavedra de Sangronis, a Spanish official working for Spain’s Ministry of the Indies; to the Spanish war effort and the interactions of Benjamin Franklin with key Spanish officials—from his early correspondence with the prince of Spain through his election as an honorary member of the Spanish Royal Academy of History. Read more and registration…

The Fort Plain Museum’s American Revolutionary War Conference 250, May 29-June 1, 2025

Speakers and Topics Include:
Pulitzer Prize Winner Rick Atkinson – The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780
Bus Tour – We Stood Our Ground: Battles of Lexington & Concord, April 19, 1775 – Led by Alexander R. Cain – Thursday, May 29, 2025
Read more…

The Pig War: Canada-US Conflict
By Stephen Brown 16 Jan 2017 Canada’s History
The most curious international conflict between Canada and the United States involved the whimsical wanderings of a delinquent British-Canadian pig.
Although the islands (located midway between Bellingham, Washington and Victoria, British Columbia) were of questionable economic value, national pride and a dubious belief in their strategic military importance nearly led to war in 1859.
The border between British territory and the United States through the Strait of Juan de Fuca should have been firmly established in the Oregon Boundary Treaty of 1846. According to the agreement, the border, after splitting the mountains along the forty-ninth parallel, would continue west, south, and west again, through “the middle of the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver’s island.”
This vague and noncommittal definition suited admirably at the time, because no one suspected that the islands lay astride the ill-defined border, and in any case, no one lived on them. Read more…

From the Social Media and Beyond

  • Headstone of Samuel Meek, Jr. (1799 – 1861), son of Ulster Scot Samuel Meek, born in Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland who emigrated to South Carolina and then served with Loyalists during American Revolution. Afterwards came to Nova Scotia where received land grant in Hants Co. Headstone in Saint Paul’s Anglican Church Cemetery at Centre Rawdon. Brian McConnell UE
  • One of the oldest buildings in Digby & oldest church might be a surprise. Although the Anglicans built first church, Trinity, it was replaced in 1878. Land donated by a family of Loyalists originally from NY, the Rays, who had become strong Methodists in faith was the site for a church in the 1840s that grew into the present Grace United Church.
  • Food and Related
    • JYF Museums: Fruit- filled pies were popularized in England during the 1500s. They were introduced to the Americas by the incoming colonists in the 1600s – recipes often updated using new, local ingredients.
  • Event/Resource/Quote of the Day – Revolution 250
    • January 18, 1775 “I find, by accounts from several parts…that the people’s minds are greatly cooled, and many begin to want courts of justice, and that the friends of Government have shown themselves openly in many places.” —Gov. Thomas Gage
    • January 19, 1775, the town of Topsfield voted to start a minute company. It promised extra pay for extra drilling. However, as of early March not enough men had enlisted and equipped themselves as required to fill a company.
    • January 20, 1775 “The spirit which now resists your taxation in America, is the same which formerly opposed, and with success opposed, Loans, Benevolences, and Ship-money in England…” —William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, in the House of Lords
    • January 21, 1775 “Britons and Americans may write or say what they will, but this quarrel never will and never can be made up, but by restoring us to the state we were in, in 1763.” —John Adams
    • January 23, 1775, 100 soldiers from His Majesty’s 4th Regiment arrived at the estate of Nathaniel Ray Thomas of Marshfield to guard him and other Loyalists, and John Adams’s first “Novanglus” letter appeared in the Boston Gazette.
    • January 25, 1775, the Second Provincial Congress of New Hampshire met at Exeter, appointing delegates to the next Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The president was John Wentworth, cousin of royal governor John Wentworth.
  • This week in History
    • 21 Jan 1738, Ethan Allen, RevWar hero & founder of the Republic of Vermont, is born in Litchfield, CT. He would later lead the Green Mountain Boys, seizing Ft Ticonderoga & guns from the British & taking part in the invasion of Canada, where he was captured. image
    • 19 Jan 1764, London. British Parliament expels John Wilkes for libelous, seditious, & pornographic writings. Over the next 12 years, Wilkes’ name became a byword for Parliamentary oppression in Britain and Britain’s North American colonies. image
    • 19 January 1770 New York City. The American Revolution began before the Revolutionary War. Its components were political discourse/political organization/political action/organized resistance. Boston was famously the lead in these areas, but discontent had erupted in all the colonies. Rallies, broadsheets, newspaper articles, petitions, and protests were backed by increased militia activity, tarring/feathering, etc. Repressive acts followed as they invariably do. The first instance of open aggression between opposing forces in America occurred in the Battle of Golden Hill, months before the Boston Massacre. Sons of Liberty fought with British regulars and Loyalists after the 4th Liberty Pole was cut down. image
    • 23 Jan 1775, London merchants petitioned Parliament for relief from the hardship caused by curtailment of trade with American colonies. Merchants provided their version of the dispute between the colonies & Parliament, beginning with the Stamp Act of 1765. image
    • 19 Jan 1776 Phila PA. Continental Congress authorizes reinforcements for the beleaguered American army in Canada from NH, CT, PA & NJ. Gen Washington also directed to send 1 Regt from Cambridge & Col Moses Hazen authorized to recruit a regiment in Canada. image
    • 19 Jan 1776 Col John Haslett was named commander of the newly raised Delaware Continental Line, a fully equipped regiment that issued a rare commodity – image
    • 21 Jan 1776 Cambridge, MA. Gen Washington requested more weapons quickly be found for the troops. The army was low on everything, especially powder and shot, but also weapons of all kinds. He engaged all regiments to send officers to find & purchase arms image
    • 23 Jan 1776 Sandy Hook NJ. Col William Alexander & Elias Dayton lead 40 men in 4 longboats to seize a British supply ship off the coast. The ship is taken and brought into port. image
    • 24 Jan 1776 Cambridge MA Col Henry Knox transports 44 cannons & 16 mortars from Ft Ticonderoga over 300 miles of frozen mountains and rivers without roads or wagons. The new Continental Army now has artillery to besiege Boston. image
    • 24 Jan 1776 Philadelphia PA Continental Congress begins deliberating independence, appointing a special committee under James Wilson of Pennsylvania image
    • 18 Jan 1777, Congress ordered an authenticated copy of the Declaration of Independence, with names of members of Congress, be sent to each of the US. These copies, the 1st with the signers’ names, would be printed by Mary Katherine Goddard of Baltimore. image
    • 20 Jan 1777 Somerset Court House, NJ. Battle of Millstone Gen Philemon Dickinson leads NJ militia & PA riflemen in an attack against foraging British soldiers of equal number. The foragers are dispersed & retreat, leaving most of the livestock purloined. image
    • 19 Jan 1778 Valley Forge, PA 9K weary men of the Continental Army struggle into winter cantonment. Washington chose it for its strategic position and supply routes north and west. Cold, malnutrition & disease would kill almost 1/3 by winter’s end image
    • 20 Jan 1778 Valley Forge, PA. Capt. Henry Lee’s troop of horsemen was attacked by British dragoons while raiding British outposts. Lee flees to Eagle Tavern, holds off the overwhelming force, and tricks them into departing. image
    • 22 Jan 1778 Continental Congress begins to discuss another campaign in Canada with Marquis de Lafayette in command. image
    • 20 January 1779 A Congressional Committee is appointed to investigate corruption allegations against ex-American Paris commissioner Silas Deane. Although never proven, the allegations haunt Deane for the rest of his life but disproven years after his death. Dean was the first American Agent in Paris, sent as a commercial representative to start. He was able to get arms and other needed supplies for the Cause and helped introduce some of the European officers to the Continental Army. image
    • 22 January 1779 Goshen, New York. Tory outlaw Claudius Smith, the Cowboy of the Rampos, was hung. Smith was a legend in his time and struck fear in travelers in the NY countryside. The names “cowboys” and “skinners” were applied to marauders ranging through the so-called “Neutral Ground” around British-occupied New York City. Cowboys were usually Loyalists and the Skinners rebels. The Cowboys stole cattle and sold them to the British garrison in New York. Skinners tried to stop the Cowboys. Both groups robbed either side and provided intelligence about the other side’s activities. image
    • 23 Jan 1779 Loyalist Simon Girty leads a party of Indian braves in an attack on Americans at Fort Laurens in the Ohio Territory. His attack and siege failed. Girty was a frontiersman, soldier, and interpreter born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was captured as a child by the Iroquois and raised by the Senecas for seven years. By that time, Girty identified as Seneca. During the American Revolution, he originally sided with the rebels but later defected and served as a liaison between the British and their Indian allies. He led numerous attacks and ambushes in the little-known Western struggle. After the Treaty of Paris, Girty sided with the Indians in the Northwest Indian War and was present at Arthur St. Clair’s devastating defeat at the hands of the Indian alliance. He eventually settled in Upper Canada (Ontario), where he farmed land provided by the British government to resettle Indians and Loyalists. image
    • 18 Jan 1780 Eastchester NY Capt. Samuel Lockwood leads a raid & captures Loyalist Col Isaac Hatfield. But Loyalist cavalry pursues and disperses his detachment, killing 23 & capturing 40. image
    • 21 Jan 1780 West Greenwich, NY American militia led by Gen Samuel Parsons repel an attack by Loyalists led by Lt Col James de Lancey inflicting over 60 casualties. image
    • 24 January 1781, Georgetown, South Carolina. The month following General Nathanael Greene’s assumption of command in the Southern Department, Lieutenant Colonel Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee and General Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion and the South Carolina militia raid the town. Their approach was very stealthy, requiring careful planning and surveillance. Some 200 -300 British soldiers defended Georgetown under Colonel William Campbell. Though the British were completely surprised, the attack was unsuccessful because they lacked artillery. But the raiders captured three officers, including Campbell, the garrison commander. This was the beginning of General Nathanael Greene’s strategy to spread forces and force the British to defend everywhere while keeping the main army intact to fight another day. image
    • 23 Jan 1782 Savannah, GA. Chief Guristesigo’s Creek warriors launch a night attack on Gen Anthony Wayne’s forces. Wayne’s men repulsed the attack, killing 18 braves. Image
    • 22 Jan 1785, George Washington recorded in his diary: “Mercury at 45 in the Morning—the same at Noon & 44 at Night. Clear weather—the wind being at No. West all day.” image
    • 16 Jan 1786 in 1786 the Virginia General Assembly passed the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. During the American Revolution, dissenters like the Baptists, Presbyterians and Methodists began petitioning for religious liberty and the separation of church and state. image. Thomas Jefferson wrote the statute which encapsulated those ideas and proclaimed that people have freedom of thought and individuals are free to worship as they choose without discrimination. Religious freedom became a fundamental right in the young United States.
  • Clothing and Related:
    • America: sewn.
      London, Spitalfields: woven
      Ensemble, c.1775. The stunning verdant damask (c.1743-45) is attrib. to Anna Maria Garthwaite (Leicestershire 1688-1763) a premier designer. Only 4 pieces of silk were ever woven of any 1 pattern.
    • Were this to be described in 21st century terms, it would be a ‘co-ord’ in this case of the 1730s variety, a stiffened bodice and matching skirt in bold bright floral brocade
  • Miscellaneous

Last Post: North UE, Elizabeth Jean Morden “Betty” (Walker)
Born on November 4, 1926, Elizabeth “Betty” North passed away peacefully, on January 17, 2025, at the age of 98. True to her character, she left this world on her terms, leaving behind a legacy of love, grace, and a deep appreciation for the finer details of life. A beloved wife, sister, aunt and friend, she touched the hearts of everyone fortunate enough to know her. She was predeceased by her two devoted husbands, Bill (William North) and Bob (Robert Franklin)
Renowned for her passion for antiques, Betty possessed a remarkable talent for finding unique treasures. For a time, she dealt in antique linens, bringing history and elegance into the homes of others.
A lover of the arts, Betty was an avid theatregoer, ballet enthusiast, and devoted volunteer for Goodwill. More details…
A member of Calgary Branch, Betty proved to Loyalist Gerolamy Sr James in Nov. 2023. In 2024 she joined Toronto Branch

 

 

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