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Peculiar”American

Dust”   
copyright Stephen Davidson UE
The word”peculiar” is generally used to mean”different to what is normal or expected” – a synonym for”strange”. However, it can also mean”particular” or”special”.  As it turns out, both meanings of the word are apt when it comes to describing some Loyalists who found sanctuary in Great Britain following the American Revolution.
Take Henry Grymes of Virginia, for example. Lorenzo Sabine notes that in died in England in 1804. Delirious because”of a disappointment in marriage”, Grymes”broke his skull with a stone, and put an end to his existence, he tore out a part of his brains.” However, the loyalist lived until the evening of the following day.
Another historian reported that Grymes”appeared very penitent and rational to the last moment of his life; and in the meantime gave to his friends the above statement of the horrid transaction”. Sabine notes that despite the”peculiar” end to his existence, up until this point in his life Grymes had always”supported an unsullied character.”
Thomas Boylston, a loyalist merchant of Boston, also settled in London and died at age 77 in 1798. Boylston had once been the richest man in New England, was a cousin of John Adams, and had had his portrait painted by John Singleton Copley. Cause of death? According to Lorenzo Sabine, Boylston died of a broken heart.
Another loyalist who was reported to have died of a broken heart was John Randolph, the last loyalist attorney general of that colony.   At one time he was considered the ablest lawyer in Virginia. Sadly, he was a member of a family that was divided by its politics. Despite their devotion to one another, John’s brother Peyton Randolph was a Patriot and would become the president of the Continental Congress. Sabine notes that Randolph, his wife Ariana, and daughters Susannah and Ariana had to flee Virginia and seek sanctuary in England in 1775.  Their son Edmund stayed behind and became an aide-de-camp to George Washington.  In November of that year, John learned that his brother had died.
“Bitterly enough did {John Randolph} lament his mistake in adhering to the Crown.” Wrote Sabine.”It was said, indeed, that he died of a broken heart. His death occurred at London, January 31, 1784, at the age of fifty-six.”
Although John died in England, he wished to be buried in Virginia, so, unlike other loyalist refugees, his”dust” was not placed in British soil. It had been his dying request, that his body be returned to America and buried next to his brother Peyton’s remains beneath the floor of the Chapel of William and Mary College. Edmund, son of John and Ariana, later became the governor of Virginia, attorney general of the United States, and the successor of Jefferson as Secretary of State in George Washington’s administration.
Grymes, Boylston, and Randolph were just three of 8,000 Loyalists whose stories have been lost to history due to the fact that they died in the United Kingdom, far from the majority of loyalists who had settled in what is now Canada – and whose descendants cherished their loyalist heritage.
Unaware of the fact that 40,000 other Loyalists had settled in the Maritime colonies of British North America, the men and women who found refuge in the United Kingdom thought that they represented a substantial population of refugees.  In 1788, Thomas Jones, a New York judge, wrote,”The number who went to Great Britain and Ireland, especially the former, was very great. There is scarcely a town of any size in England and Scotland, where many expatriated Loyalists were not found for thirty years after the peace, and where their tombstones cannot now be seen.”
An anonymous loyalist correspondent had the same view when he wrote about the death of loyal American friend.”There will scarcely be a village in England without some American dust in it, I believe, by the time we are all at rest.”
Thanks to the research of Lorenzo Sabine in the 19th century, the stories of some of the more”peculiar” Loyalists who contributed”American dust” to English villages have been preserved.
George Washington had banished James Jauncey, a merchant and ship’s captain, from New York in 1779 because of his continued loyalty to the British crown.  His two sons petitioned the American government to allow their father to return home, but their father died in England on February 6, 1790 before he could return home.
Sabine noted that Jauncey became well known in England for his”constant practice of relieving the poor at chapel doors and in the street”.  A Presbyterian, Jauncey gave to the poor in non-conformist places of worship (those not affiliated with the Church of England). It was as he entered the door of one such chapel at London’s Tichfield Street that”he dropped down and expired immediately”.
William Mitchell was a Loyalist who returned to his native Ireland in 1783 after losing his property in the new United States of America. He died in Dublin in 1804. His claim to fame had nothing to do with failed romances, scandal or generous philanthropy. He lived to be 115 years (and ten months) of age!
Given the trauma that many Loyalists experienced, it is amazing to see that one such as Mitchell could live so long. It was not the same for the Rev. Winwood Sargeant of Massachusetts. Sabine quotes an observation a friend of the minister made in 1780:”Sargeant is at Bath, half-dead and half-alive; his wife is full of spirits.”
The Anglican minister’s life and career had begun to take a downward spiral as early as 1750s when his first wife died. In 1765, he married Mary Browne, the daughter of a prominent Anglican minister. Two years later, his loyalist convictions forced him to leave his church in Charleston, South Carolina for Christ Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Becoming a chaplain for a British naval vessel anchored in Boston’s harbour did little to warm Winwood to local Patriots. Eventually the loyalist’s”tory church” was seized and turned into barracks for the Connecticut militia. Rebels destroyed the church’s organ, and melted down its lead pipes to make bullets.
Massachusetts’ Patriots arrested Winwood in 1775, and had him imprisoned for his loyalty,”whereby he lost the use of all his limbs.” He was eventually set free, but was plagued by ill health and paralysis for the rest of his life.
Winwood, Mary, and their two daughters (Mary and Elizabeth) and son (Marmaduke Thomas) were driven from their home in 1776, eventually finding sanctuary in England.  The family settled in Bath in the hope that its healing waters would restore Winwood. Instead, their 3 children caught the measles. Marmaduke, just 14 years old, died. Days later, his father passed away.
In the wake of these deaths, Mary Sergeant petitioned the Archbishop of Canterbury for aid, stating that,”That Mr. Serjeant departed this life at Bath September 3, 1780 after labouring more than three years under a paralytic disorder occasioned by the severities imposed on him in Boston by the Rebels to punish him for his Zeal and steady attachment to the Church and King of Great Britain.”
In time, the minister’s widow received aid from both the Anglican Church and the British government. Mary and her two daughters remained in England, never returning to their family and friends in the United States. Mary died in Bath in 1808.
Thus ends a brief look at some”peculiar” loyalists and the”peculiar” circumstances that they endured before becoming”American dust” in British soil.
To secure permission to reprint this article contact the author at stephendavids@gmail.com.

The Loyal- List: Historians Who Were Loyalist Descendants
By Mike Woodcock UE, Victoria Branch
In honor of Canada History Week (Nov. 17-23), I am proud to highlight notable Canadian historians who are descendants of Loyalists. Canada History Week offers a valuable opportunity for Canadians to explore the stories, people, and events that have shaped our nation’s rich history.

Honoring Canadian Historians with Loyalist Roots
    One prominent figure is Harold Innis, often called the”father of Canadian economic history.” Innis developed the staples thesis, which posits that Canada’s culture, politics, and economy have been significantly influenced by the export of key resources like fur, fish, lumber, wheat, metals, and coal. His work from the 1930s to the 1960s remains a fundamental pillar of Canadian economic thought.
Another influential historian is Michael Bliss, renowned for his biographies of Canadian physicians such as Frederick Banting, William Osler, and Harvey Cushing. His research extended to a social history of Canadian business, focusing on the dreams and ambitions of entrepreneurs during the National Policy era.

Loyalist Historians of Maritime Canada
William Odber Raymond is celebrated as a principal historian of the Loyalist generation in New Brunswick. His extensive edition of the Winslow papers (1901) remains a cornerstone in Loyalist studies.
Peter Fisher, regarded as”the first historian of New Brunswick,” offered valuable insights into provincial life through his sketches. As the son of a Loyalist soldier, Fisher’s work reflects the aspirations and values of second-generation Loyalist settlers, enriching our understanding of Loyalist legacy.

Invitation to Contribute
You’re invited to help expand the Loyal-List! To add Loyalists or descendants, suggest edits to existing profiles, or provide feedback, please email membership.vic.uelac@gmail.com or use the Feedback portal on the uelcanada.ca homepage.
The Loyal-List is a dedicated project of the United Empire Loyalists (UEL) Association of Canada. It highlights individuals identified through various reputable sources, including the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Wikipedia, and numerous historical institutions. It is one of the official initiatives of UELAC and a testament to our shared Loyalist heritage.
Learn more about this inspiring Loyal-List project on the national UELAC website.

Blog: About UE Loyalist History by

Brian McConnell UE at UE Loyalist History

Prelude to Conflict
By Brian McConnell UE 18 Nov 2025
The causes of the American Revolution have been much discussed by many historians.  Generally, they amount to Great Britain’s post Seven Years War economic and political policies.  Below are some of the important events:

  1. On 10 February 1763 the Treaty of Paris was signed by Great Britain, France, and Spain to end the Seven Years War (known as the French and Indian War in America). To pay for the cost of the War the British government would impose taxes on the American colonists.
  2. On 2 October 1763 King George III issued a Royal Proclamation which established a boundary in the Appalachian Mountains at the Eastern Continental Divide and prohibited settlement beyond it.  This upset American colonists who wanted westward expansion.
  3. Greater enforcement in 1763 of the Navigation Acts (1651, 1660) that aimed to promote the self – sufficiency of the British Empire by restricting colonial trade to England and decreasing dependence on foreign imported goods.
  4. On 5 April 1764 the Sugar Act (officially known as the American Revenue Act, or sometimes the Plantation Act) was passed by the British Parliament. It aimed to raise revenue from the American colonies to pay for the French and Indian War by reduced the existing tax on foreign molasses. It was hoped it would be paid by discouraging smuggling.  Strict measures to enforce custom collection were also introduced.

Read more… 
1775 Key Events
By Brian McConnell UE 18 Nov 2025
Key events of the American Revolution in 1775 included the opening battles Lexington  and Concord in April, the Second Continental Congress convening in May at Philadephia  and appointing George Washington as Commander – in – Chief of the Continental Army in June, as well as the Battle of Bunker Hill in June.  Additionally, colonial forces captured Fort Ticonderoga in May, and an American invasion of Quebec failed in the winter.
The Second Continental Congress met at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in May 1775 and prepared the Olive Tree Petition which was sent to King George III in July 1775. It expressed loyalty to the Crown while requesting repeal of laws deemed by the Congress to be oppressive. King George III refused to read it and declared the colonies to be in a state of revolt on 23 August 1775 with the Proclamation of Rebellion.  Read more… 

 

250 Years Ago: The Invasion of Canada: Events between Nov 19 and 26

from Lake Champlain
General Philip Schuyler orchestrated the plans for the attack on Canada, launched on 25 August 1775. The first attack on Fort St. Jean on 6 Sept failed. A second on 10 Sept also failed. Schyler became too ill and Richard Montgomery assumed command on 16 Sept.

  • The siege of Fort Saint-Jean began on 17 Sept.
  • The Americans tried to capture Montreal but were repulsed  at the Battle of Longue-Pointe on Sept 25
  • Fort Chambly, was attacked on Oct 16;  surrendered on Oct 18
  • Fort Saint-Jean surrendered on Nov 3.
  • Montreal is taken on Nov 13

Between Nov 19 and Nov 26, 1775

Montreal is under Montgomery’s control. Quebec City is held by the British.

The British: 

  • Nov. 19 Guy Carleton arrives in Quebec City.
  • They continue preparations for the anticipated siege

The Americans:

  • Montgomery in Montreal prepares to move to Quebec
  • Much of Montgomery’s army departs due to expiring enlistments after the fall of Montreal.

From Maine
Between November 19 and 26, 1775, Benedict Arnold continued the expedition to Quebec City.

British Under Lieutenant Colonel Allen Maclean

  • Nov. 19. Guy Carleton arrives at Quebec City

The Americans under Benedict Arnold

  • Arnold’s forces were positioned at Pointe-aux-Trembles, resting, gathering supplies from local inhabitants (habitants), and waiting for Montgomery’s contingent. Their condition was dire due to the arduous march through the wilderness of Maine, with many soldiers ill or frostbitten.

Loyalist Josiah Hart: Settler in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia
by Linda Jobe UE, Nova Scotia Branch
In the Spring of 2022, I assisted Kyle Porpotage in obtaining his Loyalist Certificate for Josiah Hart. The following is a gatharing of information in obtaining this Loyalist Certificate.
Josiah Hart (born Feb 22, 1741) was the 5th son of Nathaniel Hart and Martha Lee. He married Lydia Moss in Wallingford, New Haven, Connecticut on January 10, 1765. A furniture and chair maker, sometime before the commencement of the war he had moved to Hartford and opened a woodworking shop on his own behalf.
Once settled in Nova Scotia, Josiah Hart remained true to his beliefs, he was a staunch Congregationalist and was active in the community. He was seen as a public spirited citizen and a valued member of society.
It is believed that Josiah Hart died ca. 1828. And his wife, Lydia, died Dec 25, 1809.
As per book: Guysborough Sketches and Other Essays by A.C. Jost: In 1765, Benjamin Hallowell was given a grant of land in the eastern portion of Nova Scotia. This grant of land contained 20,000 acres which were located on the north side of Chedabucto Bay and along the eastern shore of Milford Haven, which is now known as Manchester. After the Revolutionary War the grant was settled by Loyalists. One deed was signed by 17 men but gave 18 men who were named on the grant a farm block of about 150 acres, five shillings and a set of terms to be followed. They were to pay six pence sterling rent per hundred acres yearly, they were to cultivate 3 acres per 100 and build a good framed house at least 12 x 16 feet with a good brick or stone chimney and to reside there with their families for 7 years. The second deed gives the same men a lot in town of Boylston which required a yearly rent of one barley corn and 2 Shillings Sterling.
The 18 settlers were: Mansfield Munson, Andrew Leet, Gideon Bryant, Willis Stillman, Aaron Andrews, Isaac Andrews, David Scranton, Matthew Hawley, Walter Munson, David Smith, Ira Atwater, Samuel Hull, William Atwater, Theophilus Yale, Josiah Hart, William Atwater Jr, Moses Hull, Ebenezer Merriman.
According to the Nova Scotia Archives, a list of names dated Oct 12, 1789, a 450 acreage was granted to Josiah Hart and family at Manchester, Guysborough County.
Read more… 

See the entry in the Loyalist Directory for Josiah Hart

When Americans were refugees…
by Walter Nicklin Nov 2025, published in Human Parts
President Donald J. Trump has declared”a war from within.” Never mind, it is Congress that holds the Constitutional authority to declare war. This is Trump’s war of choice, his creation, a war of”us” versus”them.” Divide et impera, in the words of Julius Caesar,”divide and conquer.” It is a war that Trump, with the full force of the unitary Executive behind him, expects to win, of course. Otherwise, he would not have declared it.
But what about the war’s losers, the vanquished,”the enemy within?” The”them?” Maybe me?
To visit the charming, tourist-friendly village of Castine, on the shores of Maine’s Penobscot Bay, is to begin to understand. Not readily evident to summertime visitors, like me, or even to history-conversant, long-time residents, are ghosts of another war’s losers: Though they had been among the town’s first and most prominent 17th and 18th Century settlers, they felt forced to flee when their”side” lost.
They were Loyalists in the American Revolution.  Read more… 

Podcast: Beyond the First Thanksgiving: Indigenous Agriculture and the Hidden Science of Native Foodways

By Michael Wise, Associate Professor of History at the University of North Texas.
How much do we really know about the food systems and agricultural knowledge of the Indigenous peoples of North America? In what ways were the Wampanoag people able to contribute to this harvest celebration—and what have we gotten wrong about their story? Listen in… 

Advertised on 16 Nov. 1775″…employ every good spinner that can apply.”

“The Managers of the American Manufactory … wish to employ every good spinner that can apply.”

The proprietors of the American Manufactory in Philadelphia periodically took to the public prints to encourage the public to support their enterprise.  In the March 1775, they called a general meeting at Carpenters’ Hall, the site where the First Continental Congress held its meetings the previous fall.  They invited prospective investors to attend as well as sign subscription papers already circulating.
A month later, the proprietors ran a brief advertisement, that one seeking both materials (“A Quantity of WOOL, COTTON, FLAX, and HEMP”) and workers”(a number of spinners and flax dressers”).  That notice happened to appear in the Pennsylvania Journal on April 19, 1775, the day of the battles at Lexington and Concord, though it would take a while for residents of Philadelphia to learn about the outbreak of hostilities near Boston.  The mission of the American Manufactory to produce an alternative to imported textiles became even more urgent. Read more…

Thomas Paine, Common Sense and a Plan for America
by Jett Conner 20 Nov. 2025 Journal of the American Revolution
To the extent that historians give Thomas Paine credit for playing a significant role in the American Revolutionary Cause, it was his rousing call for independence in his widely read tract Common Sense, published January 9, 1776, that most agree was his chief contribution to America’s decision to separate from British rule. Paine turned up the heat of the debate, stirred the pot and brought to a boil the already simmering revolutionary thoughts taking hold in America by shouting out loud”TIS TIME TO PART.” Although most Americans did not know who the anonymous author of the pamphlet was at first, Paine yanked the arguments and whispers for independence loitering in the back alleys and flung them out onto the streets for all to read and hear.
“To the extent” because not all historians, or even some of Paine’s own contemporaries, acknowledged his pivotal role in spurring Americans toward independence. Pauline Maier in her book American Scripture, for example, downplayed Paine’s contributions, giving the credit to John Adams for pushing the independence movement forward. Read more…  

The Search for Shirer’s Ferry, South Carolina
by Stephen John Katzberg 18 Nov 2025 Journal of the American Revolution
On the morning of November 18, 1780, Maj. Archibald McArthur’s troops, a battalion of the 71st and a detachment of the 63rd Regiments of Foot, were washing their clothes and bathing in the still-warm waters of the Broad River in central South Carolina. Stationed at Shirer’s Ferry, their responsibility was to guard the ferry to ensure communication between Lord Cornwallis in Winnsboro with the post at Ninety-Six as well as to protect the grist mills along the river that provided flour for Cornwallis’s encampment fifteen or sixteen miles further in.
After the Patriot disaster in Charlestown, followed in August by the destruction of an American army at Camden, all that was left of the Rebel cause in South Carolina consisted of the partisan bands led by Thomas Sumter, Andrew Pickens, and Francis Marion. General Cornwallis had recently attempted to utilize Charlotte as a staging base for an anticipated fall campaign to”pacify” the still unruly rebels in the Piedmont. Moving from the Waxhaws to Charlotte on September 27, 1780, the British immediately encountered evidence of the inveterate hostility of the inland Presbyterian communities to the Crown starting with the bloodying of an advance guard as they rode into the Queen City.
Shortly thereafter, Loyalist forces were annihilated at King’s Mountain only about thirty miles away from Charlotte. Moreover, the supply line back to Camden, even with local forage, was tenuous. Consequently, Lord Cornwallis retreated to what he thought would be a more supportive location, the farming community at Winnsboro. The Fall Campaign died with the withdrawal.
Major McArthur’s soldiers were nearing the end of their bathing and washing when some armed men appeared across the Broad River on its western side. These unknown men began taking potshots of the not yet completely dry or clothed British soldiers. The few of McArthur’s men still in the water grabbed their clothes and quickly scurried out of the water to safety. Read more…   and learn how old maps and modern technology led to finding the site of Shirer’s Ferry.

Query: Information About Loyalists in Charleston, South Carolina
I am in the final stages of completing my book on the Loyalists of Charleston, South Carolina, titled You’re Only a Traitor If You Lose – In the Shadows of Revolution: Charleston’s Loyalist Story, scheduled for release in May 2026 with The History Press.
I would greatly appreciate any information you can share regarding Loyalists in South Carolina, with particular emphasis on Charleston.
Info that would be particularly helpful:

  • Ancestors from South Carolina, with emphasis on Charleston     .
  • Names and  brief stories of their experience
  • What they would like”history” to remember about their family

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Jason Wetzel, new member of Nova Scotia Branch
jasonwetzel1962@outlook.com

The American Revolution – an anecdote (our history is fascinating)
by Jim Oborne UE, member New Brunswick and Assiniboine Branches
The note about the documentary reminds me of a story. Several years ago I was in Anchorage celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Alaska Commercial Company ( now owned by the North West Company of which I was a director for 25 years and still own many shares). I made a speech about being a Loyalist descendant and that a descendant of Reuben Treadwell  had developed the largest gold mine in Alaska. Shortly after, the Lieutenant Governor came up to me and said” my name is Treadwell- your ancestor went to New Brunswick but his brother, my ancestor, didn’t.”
Amazing coincidence!
and another from an earlier war:
I had 2 direct Gove ancestors that fought at Louisberg in 1758.  However when asked to sign the Association Test they waved the agent off and said”We can’t, we’re against war by our religion”. They said they were Quakers after being in the New Hampshire regiment for the raid on Louisberg.

Loyalist Projects:  United Empire Loyalist ‘Find A Grave’
Nova Scotia Branch Project, by Brian McConnell UE
Ongoing (Launched September 2014)
In the summer of 2014, I began researching the locations of graves of United Empire Loyalists in Canada.   I have visited cemeteries in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Ontario.  When I located a gravestone I photographed it and uploaded a picture with information to Find A Grave.
In addition I used my findings as well as online sources and information provided by other researchers to establish several virtual cemeteries.   This is an ongoing project.  The grave locations in Canada of over 1,200 United Empire Loyalists are included.
The virtual cemeteries which I have created can be viewed via the following links…
Read more…

Branch projects, by a branch as a whole or by a person or a small group within a branch help to preserve and promote our Canadian history, with a particular focus on the Loyalist time frame of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Loyalist heritage takes many forms from actual buildings of the time to family histories. Read more…

Loyalist Certificates Issued
The publicly available list of certificates issued since 2012 is now updated to end of Ovtober 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.

Mike Woodcock has contributed information about Lt. David Brass 1750 – 1834  from New Jersey who served with Butler’s Rangers. With his wife Marie Magdalena Mattice, b. Nov 11, 1781 in Schoharie, New York, died 1810, they had five children. They were at Niagara in 1783 but moved to Kingston later. Both died in Kingston and are buried in the Cataraqui Cemetery

More information from certificate applications by Audrey Saunders and Katherine Lossing about John Pettit Sr  has been added. Born at Newtown NY 19 July 1735 he married Mary Alburtis and served with the New Jersey Volunteers and resettled in the Home District. Two children, Thomas and John

From a Certificate application by Marilyn Cross, more about John Charles Pettit 1762 – 1835 from New Jersey, m. 11 Sept 1783 Martha Biggar (b. 13 March 1762, d. 10 Dec 1828,  buried in Clement Burying Ground, Niagara).  They resettled in the     Home District, Saltfleet Township. John is buried in the     St. Andrews Cemetery, Grimsby, ON

From a Certificate application by Barbara Cook, more about John Pettit 1761 – 1851, born in Easton Pennsylvania.  Served with the New Jersey Volunteers.  Resettled in Grimsby ON in 1787. He married m1. 1780 Sarah Carpenter; m2. 1814 Mary Carpenter (Sarah’s sister). Elerven children with Sarah.

Thanks to Lynton”Bill” Stewart who provided new or additional information about:

  • Philip Acland  Born in England, he lived in Shelburne, Rhode Island for 18 years, until the Army evacuated it., he then went to New York. He went to New Brunswick with the fleet, arriving in May 1783.
  • Thomas Bannister  from Rhose Island served with Loyalist Regiment, General Wentworth’s Volunteers. Settled in Sissiboo NS
  • Walter Challoner  born  1722 Newport, Newport County, Rhode Island, Settled at St. John NB. Married  Ann Almy, 28 July 1743, seven children
  • Lt. Joseph Durfee  29 June 1734 Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Served with Corps of the Loyal Newport Associates. Married 1758 Ann Lawton, four children
  • Nicholas Johnston  from Rhode Island, resettled in Digby NS. He was a baker. After being threatened, he fled in 1776 to Halifax. He went with the fleet to New York and was with the Army when they took Newport. He was unable to evacuate with his family because his wife was in ill health. He was imprisoned and ill treated. In August 1782, he was able to get his family to New York.
  • Ens. Henry Van Allan 1742 – 1820 from New Jersey, served with the New Jersey Volunteers, Resettled in St John NB, then moved ton Woodhouse Ontario. Six children with Wyntie ‘Winnifred’ Rapelje Van Allen
  • Capt. William Van Allan from New Jersey, served New Jersey Volunteers, resettled in St John NB. Married Annatje ‘Hannah’ Van Orden 
  • Capt. Ebenezer Slocum from Rhode Island, served with Royal Volunteers, resettled in Kings Co. NB. Married Esther Corey, eight children
  • Samuel Miles Buck from Arlington Vermont, served with Major Edward Jessup’s Corps. Married Mehitable McCoy/MaCay, eight children, settled at Sorel Quebec
  • Daniel Buck  son of Samuel Miles Buck
  • Pvt. John Curtis from Manchester Vermont, served with KRRNY, died bef. 1830 Caldwell’s Manor, Quebec
  • Pvt. Uriah Curtis a blacksmith from Thetford Vermont served with the Queens Loyal Rangers, resettled at     River Yamasko, Quebec
  • Oliver Everts from Castleton, Vermont. Resettled Augusts, Upper Canada (Eastern District) Married three times:
    • #1: Nancy Landon (1755-1785), married 22 Feb 1776, Rutland, Vermont;
    • #2: Honora Fleming (1769-1795), married May 1786, Montreal, Quebec;
    • #3: Elizabeth Faye Losee (1763-?), married 1800, Johnstown, Upper Canada.
    • Fathered eight children, some from each marriage

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: Battlefield Tour—Revolutionary Charleston Dec 5 & 6

Join us in Charleston, S.C., as we explore two important events of the American Revolution: the Battle of Sullivan’s Island and the Siege of Charleston. Read more…  

Col John Butler Branch:   Karen Richardson, UE.  Loyalist Christmas Celebrations and Traditions. Sat 6 Dec. @11:45

Loyalist Christmas celebrations were shaped by the diverse traditions of the settlers who came together to form a new community.  Over time these customs blended into the vibrant, family-centered, and faith-filled holiday we cherish today—a lasting reflection of the cultures, beliefs, and values our ancestors carried across the sea.  This presentation explores how Christmas was celebrated by the loyalists—from their early settlements in America to their relocation in Canada—tracing the evolution of these traditions from the colonial period through the Victorian era and beyond.
Meetings take place at Betty’s Restaurant, 8921 Sodom Road, Niagara Falls.  We begin at 11:45.  Cost of the lunch is $33 for UELAC members and $35 for guests.  Cash only.  Please register in advance by emailing 283corvette@gmail.com

From the Social Media and Beyond

  • Clothing and apparel
  • Food and Related: Townsends

  • This week in History
    • 22 Nov 1724 Pierre Laclede Liguest, French fur trader, merchant, and founder of St. Louis in 1764, was born. St Louis would be the site of a British & Indian defeat during the #RevWar & only battle in the MO territory. Also, the most western scene of conflict in #AmRev.  image
    • 16 Nov 1753 James McHenry, signer of the U. S. Constitution & 3rd Secy of War under Pres Washington & Adams, is born. He was taken prisoner on 16 Nov 1776 when Ft Washington fell to the British. Baltimore’s Ft McHenry is named for him. image
    • 21 Nov 1760 Joseph Plumb Martin was born in Becket, Mass. Known for service in #RevWar as a member of the 8th CT Regt, & recounting his exploits in the 1830 book”A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier…” image
    • 21 Nov 1766, the first permanent theater building in the United States, the Southwark in Philadelphia, opened with a production of “The Gamester’.  image
    • 20 Nov 1767 The Townshend Acts go into effect. Laws created to bring in revenue & gain more control over the Colonies. Include the: Revenue Act of 1767, Indemnity Act, Commissioners of Customs Act, Vice Admiralty Court Act, & New York Restraining Act. image
    • 17 Nov 1774. Philadelphia, PA. The First City Troop, still in existence, was organized. One of the oldest units still operating in the US. Fought at Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine & Germantown. Also helped save the signer of the Declaration, James Wilson. image
    • 16 Nov 1775 British Whig leader Edmund Burke introduces a bill in the House of Commons that, because they lack representation in Parliament, only colonies can raise revenue through their legislatures, and lifts sanctions on MA & rebel leaders. image
    • 17 Nov 1775 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, NS Privateers from the American ships Hancock and Franklin raid the town, taking stores & prisoners (incl Gov Phillips Calbeck) & spiking guns. Capturing the governor would draw Gen Washington’s ire.  image
    • 17 Nov 1775 London. Parliament soundly defeats Edmund Burke’s bill of reconciliation with the American colonies. Burke was the great Whig statesman of his age, who argued his case with facts, logic, and reason. The rejection would cost Britain an empire. image
    • 17 Nov 1775 Col Henry Knox sets out from Boston for Ft Ticonderoga at the direction of George Washington to bring 60 tons of captured British artillery across the frozen mountains of New England and back to Boston to help drive the British out of the city.  image
    • 18 Nov 1775 Fort Ninety-Six, SC. Col Patrick Cunningham’s 1,800 Loyalists invest the 600 rebels under Col Andrew Williamson. A desultory exchange of shots occurs over the next few days. image
    • 19 Nov 1775 Sorel, Quebec, CA British flotilla delayed by weather while American Col John Brown’s small detachment bombards British into submission, capturing Gen Prescott,145 men, and several ships and supplies. Gov Guy Carleton narrowly escapes capture. image
    • 20 Nov 1775. Ninety-Six, SC. The exchange of fire resumed as the light grew. The Loyalists attempted to create a smokescreen by burning the field surrounding the fort, but the ground was too wet. As night fell, the majority of the firing died down.  image
    • 16 Nov 1776, Hessian Gen. Wilhelm von Knyphausen, with 3K Hessians & 5K Redcoats, laid siege to Ft. Washington on NY Island. Patriot riflemen inside the fort resisted, but were finally overwhelmed & the commander, Col Robert Magaw, surrendered 3K men.  image
    • 18 Nov 1776, Island of NY. Gen. Wm Howe renames Ft. Washington to Ft. Knyphausen, in honor of Hessian Gen. Wilhelm von Knyphausen, who had stormed the post five days earlier.  image
    • 18 Nov 1776, the Continental Congress authorized the construction of a 74-gun ship of the line named America, plus five frigates of 36 guns each.  image
    • 20 November 1776. Major General Charles Cornwallis led a British force of about 5,000–6,000 Hessian and British troops in an amphibious landing at the foot of the Palisades, just north of Fort Lee, New Jersey. Using a little-known landing site at Closter Dock and a steep, narrow path up the cliffs (guided by local Loyalists), the troops silently ascended the 400-foot-high cliffs in column.
      By the time American pickets sounded the alarm around 8 a.m., British light infantry and Hessian jaegers were already marching on the fort. Major General Nathanael Greene’s garrison of about 2,500 men, caught off guard and outnumbered, abandoned Fort Lee with minimal resistance. The Americans left behind 50–70 cannons, hundreds of tents, entrenching tools, and ample supplies of flour and provisions.
      Hoping to preserve his dwindling army, General George Washington immediately ordered a retreat westward toward Hackensack and then across New Jersey toward the Delaware River.  image
    • 21 Nov 1776: Gen Washington leads his shrinking army southwest as he abandons the NY area for the safety of the Delaware River & PA. Gen Charles Lee & William Heath still command American troops north of NYC.  image
    • 21 Nov 1776 River Edge, NJ British troops under Gen Vaughan attacked the American rear guard and seized the New Bridge Landing, which American engineers were dismantling, enabling pursuit of the rebels.  image
    • 18 Nov 1777, Ft Mercer near Philadelphia was abandoned when Lord Cornwallis landed an overwhelming 2K British troops nearby. The British now controlled the Delaware waterways.  image
    • 20 Nov 1777 A general court martial finds Gen Adam Stephen guilty of gross misconduct in the face of the enemy during the October 1777 Battle of Germantown & dismisses him from the Continental Army. image
    • 20 Nov 1777 After delaying the British for two mos, American forces under Col Christopher Greene abandoned Ft Mercer on the Delaware River in New Jersey. Cmdr. John Hazlewood also burns 3 USS warships, Andrew, Dora, Hornet & Wasp. State ships also torched. image
    • 19 Nov 1778 Spencer’s Hill, GA, British detachment under Lt Col James Mark Prevost ambushed a small American detachment under Col John Baker and defeated the rebels. image
    • 15 Nov 1780 Portsmouth, VA British Maj Gen Alexander Leslie gives up his less-than-successful raid in Virginia and sails back to NYC.  image
    • 19 Nov 1794 Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, Between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, commonly known as the Jay Treaty, signed. A very important and controversial foreign policy initiative in the post- #RevWar period.  image

Editor’s Note:
To Americans, Happy Thanksgiving.
On a personal note, we are travelling again, so the next three issues will be rather lighter.
….doug

 

Published by the UELAC
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