In this issue:

 

Twitter:  http:// twitter.com/uelac
Facebook: https:// www.facebook.com/groups/2303178326/?ref=share

Loyalist Day in New Brunswick 18 May  Today:  Celebrations

New Brunswick Loyalist Day: Celebrations on Sunday 18 May in Saint John
 10:00 AM     MUSKETRY SALUTE FROM PORTLAND POINT – Join the soldiers of DeLancey’s Brigade as they fire a welcoming volley honouring the Loyalist newcomers of 242 years ago.  Place Fort La Tour will be open to the public free of charge between 10 and 11 am for the Loyalist Day activities.
Location:  Place Fort La Tour, Portland Point on Harbour Passage
10:15 AM     THE BELLS OF TRINITY with Andrew Waldschutz – The uptown area will ring out with  a performance on the recently refurbished bells of Trinity Anglican Church on Germain St. Originally installed in 1882, the bells were dedicated to the Loyalist founders of the city. A second performance will be offered at 12:15 pm
Location:  Trinity Anglican Church, between Germain & Charlotte Streets
10:30 AM     A LOYALIST HOME – Visit the Loyalist House museum – a home built by David Daniel Merritt, who arrived as a Loyalist in 1783 – and talk with historical re-enactors from DeLancey’s Brigade as they animate day-to-day life in the period.
Location:  Loyalist House, 120 Union Street
10:30 AM     EXPLORE YOUR LOYALIST ROOTS – Join members of the New Brunswick Genealogical Society and a representative from UNB’s Loyalist Collection to learn more about how you can explore your own heritage – perhaps find your Loyalist ancestor – and discover just some of the amazing historical research assets we have right here in New Brunswick.
Location TBA
10:30 AM     THE REVOLUTION COMES TO  SAINT JOHN; FORT FREDERICK, PORTLAND POINT AND FORT HOWE – A brief talk, by historical re-enactor Steve Fowler, about how the conflict came to our shores in the early days of the American Revolution.
Location:  Place Fort La Tour, Portland Point on Harbour Passage
12:00 PM     ROYAL SALUTE BY 3RD FIELD ARTILLERY REGIMENT, RCA – THE LOYAL COMPANY – An artillery salute will be fired by members of 3rd Field Artillery Regiment to mark May 18th. Saint John is the only city afforded, in National Orders, to fire a Royal Salute to mark the anniversary of the Loyalist’s arrival.
Location:   TBA
12:15 PM     TRINITY CHURCH TOURS with guide John Logan – Trinity Anglican Church – The Loyalists’ Church – was the city’s first church community tracing its roots back to the Loyalist’s arrival in 1783. See the treasure they brought with them – the Royal Coat Of Arms that was removed from Boston’s State House during the evacuation of that city.
Location:  Trinity Anglican Church, between Germain & Charlotte Streets
12:15 PM     THE BELLS OF TRINITY with Andrew Waldschutz – a performance on the bells of Trinity Church.
Location:  Trinity Anglican Church
12:30 PM     WREATH LAYING CEREMONY – Join the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada – NB Chapter and the troops of DeLancey’s Brigade for a brief ceremony at the earliest known grave in the Loyalist Burial Ground.
Location:  Loyalist Burial Ground, Sydney at King Street East
12:45 PM     SPRINGTIME OBSERVATIONS FROM MAY 1903 IN THE OLD BURIAL GROUND –  Immediately following the ceremony take a guided walk through the cemetery with local historian and author David Goss. Meet at the Sydney Street Gate.
Location:  Loyalist Burial Ground, Sydney at King Street East
1:30 PM     THE LOYALISTS ACCORDING TO HOLLYWOOD – An entertaining look at the way our Loyalist ancestors have been portrayed in the movies . A talk by  historian Dr. Greg Marquis.
Location:   TBA
2:00 PM     FLUTE MUSIC FROM THE TIME OF SIMONDS, HAZEN & WHITE (1762-1775) – Sonatas, Country Dances, Minuets and Scotch Airs performed by Tim Blackmore and Daniel Britt. Freewill offering in support of the Early Music Studio Of Saint John
Location:  Saint John Arts Centre, 20 Peel Plaza
2:00 PM     LOYALIST DAY AT THE  LIBRARY – A family program with a story time, period games, and a display of books on the Loyalist era and early Saint John, for young readers. A great opportunity for young Saint Johners to learn the story of the Loyalists.
Location:  Saint John Regional Library – Market Square
7:15 PM     WALK ‘N TALK WITH DAVID GOSS  – Join David for stories on the history of the area – Market Square / Market Slip / ihtoli-maqahamok – where the Loyalists first stepped ashore.
Location:  Meet at Loyalist Rock on Fundy Quay (opposite Saint John Ale House)
Please follow our Facebook page and check back regularly as there are more details to come. And, please share with your friends and help us keep the recognition of Loyalist Day in Saint John alive.

2025  UELAC Conference:  Explore New Brunswick
The conference has lots to offer: learn from expert speakers, visit Loyalist sites, share your Loyalist story — see Conference 2025 details.

Trinity Anglican Church, Saint John, New Brunswick

“Trinity Anglican Church, located at 115 Charlotte St., is the oldest established Christian congregation in the City of Saint John, New Brunswick.
Founded by the United Empire Loyalists, the church has many memorials and plaques dedicated to members and descendants of this group of parishioners.
As you enter the nave, look back to see the Royal Coat of Arms made in 1714 from Boston’s Old State House during the American Revolution and salvaged from the 1791 Trinity Church after the Great Fire.”

Read more about Trinity Anglican Church – one of many Loyalist sites in Saint John and area.

Check out some of these in “Loyalist Monuments, Memorials & Plaques” and scroll down to Monuments which are arranged by province and grouped geographically within province.

Note that much of the development of this content was by UELAC Past-President Fred Hayward UE. He called upon many local volunteers to help. A number have been contributed by others since the initial project.

Hope to see you at Conference; come early or stay longer and enjoy the Loyalist history in Saint John, in the province of New Brunswick, or the greater Atlantic region including Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Spring 2025 Loyalist Gazette: Digital Copy Now Available
The writing, design, layout and editing of the Spring 2025 issue of the Loyalist Gazette is now completed. It is in the printer’s hands, but a target date for the printer to deliver to Canada Post for distribution is not yet available – hopefully not a long wait.
The digital copy is now posted at uelac.ca where members can log in and access it.
This issue focuses on the Prairie Provinces. On the uelac.ca homepage you can see the cover which is a photo of Jasper House National Historical site lookout. Jasper National Park’s name is derived from Jasper Haws, a fur trader, explorer and son of Loyalists. This site designates the location of the original trading post that he took charge of.
The main topics in this issue include:

  • A Loyalist Descendant: Manitoba Bound
  • Lawrence and William Herchmer: The Mounted Police Connection
  • The Dafoe Family of Winnipeg
  • The Honourable George Hedley Vicars Bulyea: A Father of Alberta and Saskatchewan
  • Weldon U. Pickel: Teacher, Pastor, Genealogist
  • Jasper Haws: Fur-trader,voyageur & post manager
  • Canadian English and the Loyalists

along with the standard features.
Whether digital now or your paper copy when it arrives, you will find great reading. Enjoy!
Bill Russell UE, VP UELAC

Enslaved by Loyalists Bound for Nova Scotia
copyright Stephen Davidson UE
There is very little biographical information for the slaves that Loyalists brought with them to Nova Scotia beyond what can be found in the Book of Negroes.  This ledger lists both free and enslaved Blacks who evacuated New York City with the Loyalists in 1783. The Book of Negroes notes that 213 slaves of African descent accompanied their refugee masters, but the actual number of slaves that arrived in Nova Scotia with the Loyalists is likely much higher. Some would have travelled to the colony with Loyalists before 1783, and others would have sailed in vessels owned or hired by well-to-do refugees.
Sharper Cole, a 20 year-old described as a “likely lad” in the Book of Negroes is one of the few to have his name resurface in documents of the era. Sharper (sometimes given with the surname Moffet/Moffatt), sailed to Annapolis Royal on the Lord Townsend in the company of his enslaver Colonel Edward Cole and three other slaves: 17 year-old Annie, 30 year-old Silvia, and her 3 year-old son, Abraham. Sharper was born in Rhode Island on August 31, 1763, and was the son of Anthony Moffet and Anna Cole (the latter were presumably an enslaved couple).
After arriving in Nova Scotia, Sharper’s master was given a 1,000-acre land grant further up the Bay of Fundy in the Loyalist settlement of Parrsborough. No doubt the young man’s labours were crucial in the Cole family building their new home and clearing their land.  Sharper’s name appears in the public record on September 4, 1785 when he married Betty Longstreet. The Rev. John Eagleson of Cumberland officiated.
Betty was born within the family of John Longstreet in Monmouth County, New Jersey in 1767. Sharper and Betty may have first encountered one another during their two-week voyage to Annapolis Royal as both of their masters and fellow slaves are listed as passengers on the Lord Townsend.
Sometime before 1792, Colonel Cole and his family moved across the Minas Basin to Windsor, Nova Scotia where he made his last will and testament. One might expect to see Sharper’s name in that document, but Cole did not mention any of the his slaves that he brought to Nova Scotia, saying only that he bequeathed “the whole and every part of all my real and personal estate of every description” to his wife Elizabeth.
Most of the enslaved Blacks who were taken to Nova Scotia by Loyalists have only a sentence’s worth of biographical information listed in the Book of Negroes. Cato was a 25 year-old slave of John Bridgewater who settled in Annapolis Royal. According to his master, Cato had come to New York on a slave ship from Africa (referred to as “Guinea”) when he was just seven years old.
A number of the slaves that Loyalists brought to Nova Scotia were children. Gilbert Tippet of Annapolis Royal sailed aboard the Joseph with 10 year-old Joe and 11 year-old Nancy. The latter was described as “incurably lame“, leaving one to wonder how she was employed in the Tippet household.
No less than seven children of African descent were listed in the Book of Negroes as the property of Loyalists bound for present day Nova Scotia. Six month-old babies included Dr. Bullein’s Sarah, Captain Polhemus’ Dinah, James Bogart’s Susannah, and Captain Hick’s Tim. If they survived, these children would have been in their early 50s by the time slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire in 1834. Other toddlers bound for Nova Scotia included Captain Hornbrook’s Cato and John Ryerson’s Sam – both of whom were only 2 years old.
It would be a grievous understatement to say that slavery wrecked havoc with family life.  Lt. Col. Moncrief of the British Engineering Department was one of the earliest Loyalists to settle in Shelburne. He brought with him 26 year-old Emanuel, who was a husband and father. While Emanuel was the lieutenant’s “property”, his wife Isabella had been born free in Jamaica – a status their small child also shared. Despite her status as a free woman, Isabella remained faithful to her enslaved husband, and went with him to Nova Scotia.
Thomas Plumb, a 42 year-old carpenter from Little York, Virginia, was a free man of mixed heritage, who sailed for Shelburne on the Mary. Charlotte Plumb, described as a fine 13 year-old girl, was listed as Thomas’ “daughter and property“. Dr. Harvey Amani Whitfield, the preeminent scholar on slavery in the Maritimes, explains that sometimes Black or mixed-race fathers would purchase their children’s freedom (become their “masters”) to keep their families together.  As Plumb’s wife is not listed in the Book of Negroes, it would seem that the Black Loyalist came to Nova Scotia as a widower.
Despite having reached a fairly advanced age, some enslaved Blacks were retained by their loyalist masters and brought to Nova Scotia. Dr. Nathaniel Bullein, formerly of Charleston, South Carolina and later of Horton, Nova Scotia, had two 60 year-old slaves among the ten he brought to the colony: Achabee and Catharina. Henry Guest, who later become the deputy sheriff of Shelburne brought one slave with his family: 64 year-old Eve.
Enslaved Africans would have been a common sight in Nova Scotia’s loyalist settlements. Evacuation vessels brought loyal refugees to five major ports in the colony. Given the numbers recorded in the Book of Negroes, there would have been a minimum of 100 slaves in Shelburne, 69 in Annapolis Royal, 25 in Halifax, 10 in Fort Cumberland, and 9 slaves in Port Mouton. It should be remembered that within a year, many slave-owning Loyalists would have settled on grants far from their initial ports of disembarkation.
Since Shelburne was the most populous of all loyalist settlements (the fourth largest city in all of North America), it comes as no surprise that it would have the largest population of slaves. While most Loyalist slave-owners had one or two servants as their property, two who settled in Shelburne each came with 8 slaves.
Except for one who was a child, Mary Rinn brought Blacks ranging in age from 22 to 40. Four may have been hers before the revolution, but the remaining four had been bequeathed to her by a fellow widow. John Martin Herbert of Virginia also had enslaved Blacks – four men and four women– who ranged in age from 5 to 50. No records remain describing how Loyalists with so many enslaved workers provided housing and food for such a large a number of dependents.
This has been an all too brief examination of the men, women and children who were brought to Nova Scotia against their wills as the slaves of loyalist refugees. It is a sad fact of history that no one brought more slaves into what is now Nova Scotia than the loyalists who set sail for the colony in 1783.

(Editor’s note: Interested in learning more about slavery in the Maritimes? Below: See North to Bondage and The Biographical Dictionary of Enslaved Black People in the Maritimes by Dr. Harvey Amani Whitfield and Donald Wright)

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

Book: North to Bondage: Loyalist Slavery in the Maritimes
By Dr. Harvey Amani Whitfield, UBC Press, Feb 2016
Many Canadians believe their nation fell on the right side of history in harbouring black slaves from the United States. In fact, in the wake of the American Revolution, many Loyalist families brought their slaves to settle in the Maritime colonies of British North America.
North to Bondage traces the transition and movement of black people from slavery in the United States to continued slavery in the Maritimes. It is not an optimistic story of slavery to freedom but rather a narrative about forced migration, displacement, and the expansion of slavery in the British Empire.
Piecing together fragments of the archival record – drawn from court documents, newspaper articles, government documents, and oral narratives – Harvey Amani Whitfield illuminates how slaves drew upon kinship networks and found strength in traditions of survival and resistance to fight for freedom in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.  Read more …

Harvey Amani Whitfield, Professor; Centennial Carnegie Chair in the History of Slavery in Canada at Dalhousie University
BA (Colorado State University), MA (Dalhousie), PhD (Dalhousie)
…comes to King’s after 17 years at the University of Vermont and four years at the University of Calgary. He grew up in Maryland and attended Colorado State University earning Magna Cum Laude and membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Alpha Theta. His MA at Dalhousie focused on West African history. Dr. Whitfield’s doctoral work highlighted the experience of the War of 1812 Black Refugees under the direction of Judith Fingard and David Sutherland.
His area of research interest is Black migration, coerced and free, to the Maritimes during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Dr. Whitfield is the author of several books. Read more…

Book: The Biographical Dictionary of Enslaved Black People in the Maritimes
by Harvey Whitfield and Donald Wright
This important book sheds light on more than 1,400 brief life histories of mostly enslaved Black people, with the goal of recovering their individual lives.
Harvey Amani Whitfield unearths the stories of men, women, and children who would not otherwise have found their way into written history. The individuals mentioned come from various points of origin, including Africa, the West Indies, the Carolinas, the Chesapeake, and the northern states, showcasing the remarkable range of the Black experience in the Atlantic world. Whitfield makes it clear that these enslaved Black people had likes, dislikes, distinct personality traits, and different levels of physical, spiritual, and intellectual talent. Biographical Dictionary of Enslaved Black People in the Maritimes affirms the notion that they were all unique individuals, despite the efforts of their owners and the wider Atlantic world to dehumanize and erase them. Read more…

Harvey Amani Whitfield is a Professor; Centennial Carnegie Chair in the History of Slavery in Canada (see above)
Donald Wright is a professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of New Brunswick. Donald Wright completed his degrees at Mount Allison University (BA), McGill University (MA) and the University of Ottawa (PhD). In 1998 he was a Fulbright Scholar in the Department of History at NYU. Prior to joining UNB, he held a joint appointment in the Department of History and Centre for Canadian Studies at Brock University (2000-2005). In 2011-2012, he was a Visiting Fellow at Clare Hall, University of Cambridge.

George Dawson (1739 – ?), The Royal Navy
At MoreThanNelson,  The Royal Navy 1776-1815, A Biographical History and Chronicle by  Richard Hiscocks
Active in North American waters both prior to and during the War of Independence, Dawson was clearly an awkward officer. After being dismissed from the Navy over a conviction for tyranny and fraud, he disappeared into obscurity.
Of his origins nothing is known, other than that he was born about 1739 and resided during the early1780’s at Holgate, York.
Having passed his lieutenant’s examination on 1 July 1761, Dawson was commissioned lieutenant on 9 August 1762 during the latter stages of the Seven Years War. From March 1768 he commanded the schooner Hope, taking her out to Boston in New England. When he returned to England in December 1769 he brought news of the political troubles in that city. The Hope sailed once more to North America in the following March, and spent several years on customs enforcement duties, making Dawson unpopular with the local merchants. In December 1774 a snowstorm blew his small vessel all the way from Boston to Bermuda, where she was slightly damaged, but after repairs she returned to North America three months later. During June 1775 while the Hope was off the port of Gloucester, Massachusetts she was fired upon from the shore; when Dawson was unable to apprehend the culprits, he instead confiscated over a dozen local vessels. The Hope remained on the North American station until paid off in January 1776.
Still in in North America, on 13 May 1776 Dawson was promoted commander by Commodore Molyneux Shuldham. He commissioned a newly purchased 14-gun brig, also named the Hope, and on 25 July arrived at Halifax from Nantucket with a British fisheries official, who had been forced to flee Boston after being imprisoned. As the disturbances turned into rebellion, the Hope captured an American privateer brig, Independence, in late November in the Bay of Fundy. Read more about numerous actions during the Rev War…

Colonel Michael Kovats: The Hungarian Co-founder of the American Cavalry
by Zoltán Pintér and Anna Smith Lacey 15 May 2025 Journal of the American Revolution
Among the foreign-born leaders who played crucial roles in the American Revolution, Hungarian-born Colonel Commandant Michael Kovats de Fabriczy stands out for his significant, yet often overlooked, contributions to the Continental Army. Kovats played a key role in the establishment and development of the cavalry, overseeing the recruitment, training, and organization of regular cavalry units. His efforts helped transform an underdeveloped force into a formidable military asset, earning recognition from a British contemporary who described his cavalry as “the best the rebels ever had.” The tricentennial of Kovats’ birth celebrated in Hungary and the United States in 2024 provides a unique opportunity to highlight his influence on the evolution of U.S. cavalry and his lasting impact on American military history.

Hungarian Roots, Habsburg Service, American Inspiration
Michael Kovats de Fabriczy (also written as “Kowatz,” “de Kovats” in English, and “Fabriczy Kováts Mihály”) was born in 1724 into a noble family in the Protestant town of Karcag in the Kingdom of Hungary. He led a distinguished military career that spanned much of eighteenth-century Europe. At the age of sixteen, Kovats, highly educated and driven by a sense of adventure, joined a Hungarian Hussar regiment within the Habsburg Empire’s military. Read more…

Hessian Soldiers Travelling to America: POW: In Camp – A Soldier’s Life. July 1782
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: to Williamsburg
  • January 1782: to Frederick MD (about 40 km west of Baltimore)

1782: Continuation of the Noteworthy Occurences in Our North American Campaign, and Especially the Captivity in the Sixth Year. Or the Year of our Lord 1782.  Page 127

In the Month of July 1782

1 July.  During  the  evening  Corporal  Leindecker  and  Private  Kiefhaber  I,  both  of Quesnoy’s Company, and Corporal [Johann Paul] Ullrich and the shoemaker [Georg Michael] Riess, of the Colonel’s Company, left the barracks to go to New York because they wished, if possible, to buy their freedom.
2 July.  Again,  four  privates  of  Quesnoy’s  Company  were  missing,  namely,  [Johann] Berneth, Raithel, [Georg] Seitz, and Kiefhaber II.
5 July.  Before  daybreak  Private  B€hret,  of  Quesnoy’s  Company,  and  Private  Schnell,  of the Colonel’s Company, left from the regimental field hospital in the poorhouse.
10 July.  Private  [Johann  Ludwig]  Eckert,  of  the  Grenadier  Company,  died  in  the  field hospital.
13 July. Three wives who belonged to the Ansbach Regiment arrived here from New York.
14 July.  Savannah,  a  city  in  South  Carolina,  was  vacated  by  the  English  troops  and voluntarily evacuated. General Greene of the Americans then occupied it.
16 July. Sergeant Major Kniewasser, of Quesnoy’s Company, and Sergeant Major St€lzel and  Sergeant  [Johann  Georg]  Erhardt,  both  of  Eyb’s  Company,  and  Corporal  Frank,  of Quesnoy’s Company, were  put  in  jail  for  having  daily  gone  out  into  the  region.  They  were brought in by a Whig named Thomas Frank.
24 July. The above-named were again released from jail, but received no additional passes from Major Baily.
29 July. During the night Musketeer Schwab, of Quesnoy’s Company, was  missing  for a second time from the field hospital in the poorhouse.
30 July.  At  night  Private  G‡rtner,  of  Quesnoy’s  Company,  who  had  been  wounded, deserted from the field hospital.
31 July. Three wives joined our regiment from New York, namely, [the wives of] [Johann] Herold and Lindner, of the Grenadiers, and [Thomas] Weiss, of Eyb’s Company.
During the month there was great heat, and all grain  in the area was  harvested  by  Saint James Day [25 July].
(to be continued)

Advertised on 13 May 1775: ‘Any that will be wanted for REGIMENTALS….’

What was advertised in a colonial American newspaper 250 years ago this week?

“Any that will be wanted for REGIMENTALS, he will cut at the wholesale price.”

After word of the battles at Lexington and Concord arrived in Philadelphia, Philip Marchinton took to the pages of the Pennsylvania Ledger to “acquaint his Friends and the Public, that he hath a very large Quantity of … London BROWN CLOTHS … and a large Quantity of superfine London Brown Forest Cloths” for sale at his shop.  He listed the prices for each type of textile, also noting that “Any that will be wanted for REGIMENTALS, he will cut at the wholesale price.”  In other words, he offered a discount to customers who purchased cloth to make uniforms.
Doing so made good business sense, but it did not necessarily reveal Marchinton’s politics at that moment or the decisions he would make once the colonies declared independence.  Although he set prices that favored American patriots just after the war began, Marchinton ultimately identified as a Loyalist and migrated to Nova Scotia.  According to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Marchinton was born in England around 1736, served a “commercial apprenticeship” before migrating to Philadelphia in 1771, and “established himself as a general merchant.” Read  more..

A Granddaughter’s Grief: Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis and George Washington
by Elizabeth Reese 12 May 2025  Journal of the American Revolution
The life of Eleanor “Nelly” Parke Custis Lewis was one of privilege and loss. After the premature death of her father, John “Jacky” Parke Custis, in 1781, Nelly and her younger brother, George Washington “Wash” Custis, were sent to Mount Vernon to live with their paternal grandmother, Martha, and her husband George Washington. Under the care of her grandparents, Nelly became one of the most educated and celebrated young women of America. When Washington died on December 14, 1799, the world as Nelly knew it was shattered forever. For the previous two decades, almost every decision Nelly made, her choice of husband, her social circle, and living location, was done with her grandparents in mind. The death of Washington marked a dramatic downturn for the remainder of Nelly’s life, contributing to the decline of her mental health through the loss of her social standing and her unhappy marriage.
Nelly’s early letters showcased a young woman with an excitement for “constant occupations and frequent journeys” with her “beloved husband”; her later letters struck a more somber tone. These letters were a constant stream of gossip and friendship from an educated and witty young woman, but from November 1799 to December 1804, the period that saw the death of George and Martha Washington, her pen was silent. By 1804, Nelly was no longer the “high-spirited, fun-loving, impudent, and mischievous” woman of her youth; in her place was a bereaved granddaughter and mother. A December 1804 letter wistfully recalled her friendship and assured her friend, Elizabeth Bordley Gibson, “how constantly I regret the distance between us, which deprives me of the society of my most valued young friend.” At only twenty-five years old, grief had shifted Nelly’s outlook on life. Read more…

18th century marriage customs
By Sarah Murden 16 May 2022 All Things Georgian
When people marry today, they can choose where they marry, be it a religious building, registry office or even by taking their vows whilst sky diving and anywhere in between, as long as an officiating officer is present.
In the Georgian period marriages had to take place in a religious venue, presided over by a religious official, unless you chose to elope over the border to Gretna Green, Scotland.
Forthcoming marriages were usually announced by banns read out in church. If the couple wanted more privacy, then they would apply for a Marriage Licence, which, if you could afford it, could be purchased for a whole variety of reasons such as  – they were in a hurry as the bride being pregnant or that the couple were of different social standings, so perhaps a master marrying his servant,  or there was a large age gap. There may have been opposition from the family, or the parties may have been of different religions. It could even have been that they had married overseas and wanted it to be legitimatised by the Church of England. Paying for a licence made it a quicker and easier option.
According to the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical, marriages could only take places between the hours of 8am and midday. So perhaps with a marriage licence you would opt for the earliest time available, so you could simply ‘tie the knot’ and slip away without anyone noticing. Read more…

New Life in New Brunswick
By Canada’s History. Animated video (4 min) 7 April 2025
In 1835, the New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Land Company brought 35 boys and 1 girl from England to work for its settlers. They were not paid and while some were treated like family, others were not nearly so lucky. Watch…

Courting JusticeL The Supreme Court of Canada
by Nicholas Hamilton, 29 February 2025 nada’s History  (short)
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) is the highest in our judicial system, but it was not always as supreme as its name suggests. Since 1875 Canada’s final court of appeal has grown in importance alongside the country’s increasingly independent legal landscape. In celebration of the SCC’s 150th anniversary, here are five ways the court has evolved — or stayed the same — over its lifetime. Read more…

Beavers and the art of ecological resilience
How beaver engineering results in biodiverse and climate-resilient landscapes
By Abi Hayward and Katie Doreen 30 April 2025 Canadian Geographic (2 min read)
It starts with the sound of running water. There’s something in a beaver’s rodent brain that draws it to the sound, compelling it to build. To dam. To slow the flow. To hold that water in its little chunk of landscape a little longer. The beaver is following its instincts to build a home, with easy access to tasty morsels to gnaw on: aspen, willow, birch, maple. But it’s doing something more. It’s creating a more resilient watershed.
During the 1940s, a bizarre project saw beavers parachuted into Baugh Creek, Idaho, because they were seen as a nuisance in cities and towns. The beavers did what they do best and created a lush mosaic of ecosystems. Read more…

Loyalist Certificates Issued
The publicly available list of certificates issued since 2012 is now updated to end of April 30, 2025.
When a certificate is added there, it is also recorded in the record for the Loyalist Ancestor in the Loyalist Directory.

UELAC Loyalist Directory: New Contributions

    Entries which have been added, or revised, this week.

Thanks to Kevin Wisener who is researching the Loyalists who settled in Prince Edward Island and submitted information about

  • Thomas Hooke who arrived on PEI with his wife and three children, 2 over ten and 1 child under 10. They settled at at Georgetown, Kings County, Prince Edward Island.

Thanks to Michael Mallery who is providing information about Loyalists who served with the Prince of Wales American Volunteers.

  • Pvt. John Cain the son of Pvt. William Cain whose petition noted that son was young and first joined the regiment as a drummer. John first appears in Brigadier General Montfort Browne’s company on the on the April 1781 Muster Roll. He setled in Saint Mary’s Parish, York County, NB
  • Pvt. William Cain first appears in Captain John Bowen’s company on the August 1777 Muster Roll. He petitioned for land on Salmon River in 1784 and petitioned for land on the Nashwaak River in 1785, where he settled.  His wife Nelly applied for ‘Old Soldier of the Revolutionary War Pension’ pension in 1837; she was 84 years old in in 1839.
  • Pvt. John Camber was a carpenter. He first appears in Captain John Collett’s company on November 1779 Muster Roll. He was taken Prisoner at the battle of Hanging Rock 6th August 1780 but  Sick and Present on June 1781 Muster Roll.  In 1790 he petitioned for land on the River Madam Keswick, St. Mary’s, York County, New Brunswick. His wife’s name was Nancy; they married in 1793 in Kingsclear, New Brunswick. After his death, she married a McLean.
  • Pvt. William Camber  born circa 1765 in Greenwich, England. Went to Philadelphia with his father when a boy. as a drummer/provate. He first appears in Captain John Bowen’s company on November 1779 Muster Roll. He reports he was in the battle of Camden, the siege of Charleston and the siege of Rhode Island. His wife’s name was Olivia Saunders, daughter of Thomas Saunders.
  • Pvt. William Campbell first appears in Captain John Bowen’s company on August 1777 Muster Roll. He was at George Town, South Carolina on April 1781 Muster Roll. In 1784 he petitioned for land on Salmon River, New Brunswick.
  •  Pvt. William Casey first appears in Captain Daniel Lyman’s light infantry company on November 1779 Muster Roll. On October 5, 1784 (re-registered in New Brunswick on January 19, 1785) he was granted 100 acres, in Block 1, in Nashwaak River, Sunbury County, New Brunswick
  • Pvt. James Carr  On October 15, 1784 (re-registered in New Brunswick on January 7, 1785) he was granted 200 acres in, Saint Mary’s Parish, York County, New Brunswick,  He annd Maryannhad three children: James; George; Elijah. James and Maryann resided in Lincoln Parish, Sunbury County in June of 1792.
  • Capt. Walter Campbell was in Delancy’s Brigade before joining the Prince of Wales American Volunteers. He was granted 300 acres on Musquash River, Saint John County, He married Ann, daughter of Colonel Gabriel DeVeber,

 

Events Upcoming

Canadian Royal Heritage Trust: About The King Opening Parliament Thurs 27 May @7:00

The meeting’s specific purpose is to mark the opening of Parliament by His Majesty the King this month and help us better prepare for and understand the historic event.  Our guide to the ceremonial and constitutional intricacies and subtleties will be Richard Toporoski, Former Assoc. Prof. of Classics, University of St Michael’s College, Toronto. Dr Toporoski is an authority on the Monarchy and constitutional practice. All are welcome for this in-person event, St. Joseph’s Hall, Toronto. Read more…

St. Lawrence Branch Plaque Ceremony ~ Loyalist Burial Site. Sun. 1 June 10:00

The United Empire Loyalists were the first Europeans to settle our region following the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Here they built the foundation of modern Ontario.
Since 2019, the St. Lawrence Branch of the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada has been erecting plaques across Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry to identify local sites where Loyalists are buried.
The newest Loyalist Burial Plaque will be unveiled in a ceremony on 1 June 2025, 10:00am
Salem United Church Cemetery, Summerstown, Ontario
For more information, visit our website

Fort Plain Museum: American Revolutionary War Conference May 29 – Junre1, Johnstown NY

A bus tour on Thursday is followed by three days of conference from mid-day Friday until mid-day Sunday. There are many expert and noted speakers including:

  • Michael P. Gabriel – Richard Montgomery and the Other Invasion of Canada
  • The James F. Morrison Mohawk Valley Resident Historian – William P. Tatum III, Ph.D. – “To Quell, Suppress, and Bring Them to Reason by Force:” Combatting the Loyalist Threat in New York during 1775
  • Shirley L. Green – Integrating Enslaved and Free: Rhode Island’s Revolutionary Black Regiment
  • Don N. Hagist – Marching from Peace into War: British Soldiers in 1775 America
  • Bruce M. Venter – “It is infinitely better to have a few good men than many indifferent ones”: Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys Take Fort Ticonderoga
  • Wayne Lenig – The Mohawk Valley’s Committee of Safety in 1775
  • Eric H. Schnitzer – Breaking Convention: How a Fussy Detail about British Uniforms Doomed Burgoyne’s Army to Captivity

Read more about the conference...

From the Social Media and Beyond

  • On walk in Lower Manhattan, NY today visited Trinity Church. It is 3rd church on site but original built in 1698 was where Charles Inglis, 1st Bishop of NS, was Rector from 1777 to 1783.  I was aware there was a plaque to him on a wall of the church that was happy to locate. image
  • The Trinity building burned down and the congregation worshiped at St. Paul’s when New York was in British hands during the Revolution. My Loyalist ancestors were members of Trinity but were married by Charles Inglis at St. Paul’s in 1778.   Dan Hayward @danielhayward
  • Enjoyed lunch today of chicken pot pie & tour of the museum at oldest building in New York, built in 1719,  where Gen. Birch & Sir Guy Carleton met with American leaders to discuss departure of Loyalists & Black Loyalists at end of American Revolution. images   Fraunces Tavern is also where George Washington met for the last time with his officers in December 1783.
  • Viewed this fascinating oil painting  yesterday that hangs on a wall in the Fraunces Tavern Museum in New York. It is titled “Conference to arrange for the evacuation of New York City, 1783 – Washington,  Clinton, Sir Guy Carleton and Staffs by John Ward Dunsmore”. Image
  • Fraunces Tavern in New York City was site at end of American Revolution where British Gen. Birch who prepared names of Black Loyalists for so-called Book of Negroes provided information in May 1783 to American officers before departure. At the Museum a room describes the events. image
  • Food and Related : Townsends

    • Dutch Oven Cooking Marathon!   (3 hr 9 min)
      Watch any of the 21 chapters, each noted with duration. They include Getting to Know the Utensil, It’s All About The Sauce, 1796 Beef Steak Pie,  Salmon and Onions, Ancient bread,  18th Century Duck, Another Hasty Pudding and many more.
  • This week in History
    •  17 May 1733, London, Parliament passed the Molasses Act, putting high tariffs on rum, sugar & molasses imported to the colonies from a country other than British-held possessions. Imposed a tax of six pence per gallon on imports from non-English colonies.  image
    • 16 May 1768 Williamsburg, VA. The Virginia House of Burgesses drafts a circular calling for the colonies to act together to thwart British attempts to “enslave” them and enjoins them to a strong unity in the face of growing hostility. image
    • 17 May 1768, Boston, MA The 50-gun HMS Romney docks in the harbor as a symbol of Britain’s determination to protect customs officials and enforce parliamentary dictates.  image
    • 17 May 1769 Williamsburg, Virginia. Norborne Berkeley, Baron de Botetourt, the Royal Governor, disbanded the House of Burgesses after they adopted an address to the king criticizing parliamentary policies and asserting that only they had the authority to tax the people. The Burgesses reconvened at Raleigh Tavern as an extralegal body. This initiated a series of actions that led to open conflict between Virginia and the crown. Botetourt had been a good governor and instituted sound governance after years of neglect. The goodwill that Botetourt had created during his first winter in Virginia kept events from getting out of hand or destroying his influence after the Burgesses’ dismissal. Most Virginians believed that Lord Botetourt disapproved of British policies; however, he advocated a firm stance against colonial protests. His sudden death in October 1770 avoided a clash between his populist approach and his secretly held London-centric opinions. image
    • 11 May 1771, New Bern, NC. Royal Gov William Tryon marches for Hillsborough with a force of 1,200 militia & some artillery pieces. image
    • 16 May 1771, the Regulators dispersed at  Battle of Alamance,  fought as part of the War of the Regulation between the forces of Royal Gov William Tryon & settlers from western North Carolina who were dissatisfied with the rule of the royal governors.  image
    • 10 May 1773, London. Lord North’s Tea Act was passed by parliament & approved by the king. Meant to give the East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in America,  backfired as it undercut local autonomy, businesses & smugglers.  image
    • 12 May 1774 Boston, MA. The Committee of Commerce calls for reinstating the nonimportation of British goods until the Tea Act & Boston Port Bill are repealed. The committee dispatches Paul Revere to NYC & Philadelphia with a circular letter. image
    • 13 May 1774 Boston, MA. General Thomas Gage arrives with four new infantry regiments and replaces Thomas Hutchinson as governor of Massachusetts while also serving as British commander in chief. image
    • 13 May 1775, Cambridge, MA. Gen Artemus Ward’s ragtag army begins a march to Charlestown, where they pass under the British guns. Gen Israel Putnam then occupies Charlestown Heights with 3,000 men, who quietly withdraw when the British fail to respond. image
    • 10 May 1776, Philadelphia. The Continental Congress drafts a resolution encouraging all 13 colonies to form new independent governments. image
    • 13 May 1776, Gen Charles Lee writes to Congress President John Hancock that he was sending the 8th Virginia south into the Carolinas to fend off an expected attack by British naval and land forces.  image
    • 15 May 1776 The Virginia Convention passed a resolution to establish a Declaration of Rights & a plan for an independent Government. Also, Richard Henry Lee was instructed to propose independence from Britain at the Continental Congress.  image
    • 16 May 1776, Philadelphia, PA. The local Committee of Safety offers payment of 6 pence for each ounce of lead turned in for use as musket balls & grape shot. image
    • 15 May 1777, Sawpit, FL Indian braves attack encamped Georgia militiamen commanded by Col John Baker & steal several horses. But Baker recovers the horses the following day & awaits continental reinforcements under Col Samuel Ebert.  image
    • 17 May 1777 Thomas Creek, FL Battle of Thomas Creek ends the 2nd Florida Expedition, an attempt by GA patriots to invade British East Florida becomes a rout when they are surprised & surrounded. Americans would not attempt another invasion of East Florida.  image
    • 11 May 1778, London. William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, dies in parliament. The prominent British politician was a vocal supporter of American rights. image
    • 14 May 1778, London, First Lord of the Admiralty, John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich (& namesake of the snack), delays the departure of Adm John Byron’s fleet due to worries about the activities of the French navy. image
    • 16 May 1778 Frigates HMS Proserpine & Enterprise confirm reports that Adm d’Estaing’s fleet passed the Straits of Gibraltar (British stronghold) and is now in the Atlantic. image
    • 11 May 1779 Charleston, SC. American Gen William Moultrie marches to the city & musters 600 militia to defend against a British force under General Augustin Prevost. image
    • 12 May 1779 Charleston, SC. British Gen Augustin Prevost withdraws in the face of American Gen Benjamin Lincoln’s reinforcements. Prevost situates his troops on Johns Island & fortifies Stono Ferry. image
    • 12 May 1780 Charleston, SC. After laying the first parallel on April 1, the British siege of Charleston ended with the unconditional surrender of American General Benjamin Lincoln. The British imposed extremely punitive terms of surrender. No “honors of war “were allowed. They imprisoned the American soldiers on ships, where many of the 2,500 captives died. In addition to reducing American manpower, the British also gained a wealth of armaments: about 6.000 muskets, over 300 pieces of artillery, and numerous barrels of gunpowder. The casualties suffered by both sides were relatively low during the siege, with fewer than 300 killed and wounded. Ironically, more died in an accidental magazine explosion following the surrender. This was America’s most significant defeat and disgrace of the war, and the high point for British General Henry Clinton’s command. However, the harsh terms and Clinton’s ill-advised proclamation demanding loyalty and service would cause ambivalence in the South to rally to the American cause, feeding the resistance that would grind down the British over the next three years. image
    • 15 May 1780  St. Lucia Channel, West Indies British Adm George Rodney’s ships of the line intercept a French fleet under Adm Luc-Urbain, comte de Guichen. After indecisive skirmishing and modest casualties, both sides break contact. image
    • 12 May 1781 Fort Motte, SC. British Lt Charles McPherson surrenders 150 men to Col Henry Lee & Gen Francis Marion after a 4-day siege, highlighted by volleys of flaming arrows launched against the fort.  image
    • 14 May 1781, Croton River, NY. Col James De Lancey’s Loyalist raiding party surprises an American outpost. Col Christopher Greene is killed & some 40 soldiers are wounded. image
    • 14 May 1781, Philadelphia, PA, Confederation Congress gives in to Robert Morris’s demand for complete control of national finances. He handpicks his subordinates, including Jewish financier Haym Salomon, and assumes the role of superintendent of finance. image
    • 15 May 1781, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Lee, leading his Legion, captured Fort Granby, South Carolina, a crucial British outpost. After General Thomas Sumter’s earlier siege weakened the fort, Lee, fresh from the fall of Fort Motte, planned a swift assault. Positioning a 6-pounder cannon 400 to 600 yards from the fort, Lee exploited the perceived cowardice of British commander Major Maxwell. On May 14-15, Lee’s forces, numbering around 400 to 500, overwhelmed the defenders. The attack was rapid, with Lee’s artillery and infantry outmaneuvering the British, who surrendered quickly. The victory disrupted British supply lines and bolstered Patriot momentum in the South. The fall of Fort Granby, part of a series of Patriot successes, underscored Lee’s tactical skill and contributed to the eventual British retreat from the region.  image
    • 13 May 1783, Newburgh, NY. The Society of the Cincinnati is established. The influential & controversial veteran organization (French & American officers & male heirs) has over 2,000 officers join & elects Gen George Washington as its president. image
  • Clothing and Related:
    • Here is a detail from a sampler by Ann Cuninghame, which she began on 22 August 1715. Ann alternates tableaux with houses, figures, and trees with lines of text in alternating red and green threads. Ann’s sampler retains brilliant colour and condition 

 

Last Post: Anderson UE, John Gibson
(December 19, 1954 – March 21, 2025)
John worked as an auctioneer and later as a buyer in the construction department for the film industry.
John had a fondness for antiques, particularly artifacts from the First World War, and enjoyed home renovating and restoring heritage homes
He passed away peacefully at Crossroads Hospice in Port Moody, at age 70.
John is survived by his two children, Bernie and Jack, and will be laid to rest at Mountainview Cemetery.

John is a former President of the UELAC Vancouver Branch. He was very active in the branch for many years.
He received a Loyalist Certificate as a descendant of Thomas Varty in 2006
                …Carl Stymiest UE

 

 

Published by the UELAC
If you do not now receive this free newsletter directly but would like to, you can subscribe here.