In this issue:


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The Black Loyalists of Otnabog: Their Paper Trail . Part Three of Four
copyright Stephen Davidson UE
Despite the lack of pertinent documents, to outline the story of the Black Loyalist founders of the Otnabog Lake settlement, an unexpected ledger sheds some light on the Blacks who lived in the area following the 1791 exodus to Sierra Leone.
The local Anglican minister’s ledger–containing the names of those married, baptized, and buried in the area– provides clues as to the names of Black Loyalists and emancipated slaves who might have been among the first to establish the settlement at Otnabog Lake in the first decades of the 19th century. At the turn of the new century, the Anglican vicar’s ministries extended from Gagetown to nearby Greenwich, Hampstead, Sheffield, and Waterborough. His records clearly note if a person he married, buried, or baptized was Black, and so they become an important part of the “paper trail”.
Based on the church records, Black surnames in the Gagetown township included: Beardslee, Blackburn, Burr, Burt, Butler, Carnes, Cole, Duboise, Gindriel (sic), Holderon, Hopewell, Jones, London, McIntire, Pool, Rumsey, Small, Thomson, Wood, and Wright. A search of the names recorded in the Book of Negroes provides background for three of those listed in the church records.
As Loyalists left the United States through the port of New York City, the British commander-in-chief ordered a ledger to be made that recorded the names and circumstances of the free and enslaved Blacks who were leaving on loyalist evacuation vessels. Three of the names found in Gagetown’s Anglican Church records correspond to those found in the Book of Negroes, providing more insight into those who settled in the interior of New Brunswick.
Jeremiah Cole and his wife Amia had their son Peter Rumsey Cole baptized in 1813. Church records also report that Jeremiah died on September 14, 1838. Coles’ entry in the Book of Negroes notes that he was 20 when he boarded the Peggy in late July of 1783. He had been enslaved by Elizabeth Cole of Northumberland County, Virginia before leaving her in 1778. Cole carried a General Birch Certificate to verify his status as a free man. By pooling the data from these two sources, we see that Jeremiah Cole died at the age of 75 – a remarkable feat given all that he had endured during his lifetime.
Jacob Beardslee and his wife Dorithy (their names are spelled as found in the records) had their son William baptized in Gagetown in 1809.  From documents of the loyalist era, we know that the Rev. John Beardsley was an Anglican minister from Poughkeepsie, New York who brought four slaves with him to New Brunswick in 1783.  The Book of Negroes notes that one of them was Jacob Beardsley, who was just 12 years old when he boarded the Commerce with his enslaver in early July of 1783.  He was accompanied by Scipio Bazely, Dinah, and Peter. (To date, these slaves’ names have yet to resurface in New Brunswick’s archives.)
Pompey Rumsey, already described in this series as the free Black married to an enslaved woman, appears in both the church records (dying in 1805) and the Book of Negroes (at the age of 25 in 1783).  Rumsey died before the founding of the Otnabog settlement, but his name lived on in the children of other Black Loyalists.
Other surnames that occur in both sets of records seem to describe ancestors (in the Book of Negroes) and their descendants (in the Anglican minister’s ledger). For example, the names of Charles McIntire and his wife Mary Wood can be found in the Anglican records along with the names of their children: Hannah, Abraham, Clarissa, Sally, Wellington, and Mahala. In the Book of Negroes, a family of three that set sail for Saint John on the Brothers in April of 1783 also bears the name McIntire. Cornelius McIntire was a 28 year-old who worked as a miller in Brunswick Landing, New Jersey. His 24-year old wife Lissey had been enslaved in the same community until her master died in 1778. Their six-year old son Bill sailed with them, so there was at least one male to carry the family name as they arrived in New Brunswick. These Black Loyalists may be the ancestors of Gagetown’s McIntires.
The surname Wright is also in both sets of records. In Gagetown, Betsey Wright married Robert Jones in 1797. While no community is given for her wedding, Elisabeth Wright married James Duboise in 1810.  The Book of Negroes notes that 30-year old Samuel Wright sailed to New Brunswick on the Sovereign in September of 1783. He had been enslaved by a man in Charleston, South Carolina, but was able to escape him before the siege of the city. It may be that Samuel became the father of Betsey and Elisabeth.
Before leaving the data found in the records of the Anglican minister, it should be noted that it was not uncommon for members of other denominations to be serviced by the Church of England. At one time, only Anglican ministers could legally perform marriages in New Brunswick. Baptist pastors such as David George and his elders tended to be itinerate ministers, briefly visiting settlements rather than staying with an established congregation.  Having an Anglican vicar preside at their significant life events did not mean that the Black Loyalists were necessarily Anglicans themselves.
This pragmatic reliance on the Anglican church for marriages, baptisms, and burials until there were more preferred denominational options is illustrated by the fact that when Black Loyalists founded their settlement along the shores of Otnabog Lake, they built two Baptist churches – not Anglican ones. (And when a new denomination replaced one Baptist congregation, it was a Pentecostal congregation.)
The final instalment in this series, found in next week’s Loyalist Trails, will which will contain some of the stories of the Otnabog settlement found in newspapers of the late 19th century.
To secure permission to reprint this article contact the author at stephendavids@gmail.com.

The Unsung Founders of Shelburne: Welcome back to Birchtown
By Clarence Robert Butler UE
When we think of the founding of Shelburne, we often picture a straightforward tale of loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. We imagine brave settlers building a new life in a new land. But a significant chapter of that story is often left in the shadows—a chapter that is not just a footnote, but an integral part of Shelburne’s very foundation.
My name is Clarence Robert Butler, Vice President of the United Empire Loyalist Association, Nova Scotia Branch, and Membership Chairman, I am privileged to share this story.
My own connection to this history is not just through my role but through my family lineage, as a direct descendant of Lieutenant Andrew (Goedeck) Goodick , a Loyalist settler of the Sand Spits in Port Roseway. This personal connection has shown me that to tell the full story of Shelburne, we must look beyond our own family trees and acknowledge that the town was not just built for them, but that it was, in many ways, built by them—and that their contributions were essential to its survival.
To understand the role the Black Loyalists played in building Shelburne, we must first understand the journey that brought them here. It’s a story that begins not with hope, but with a radical and life-altering promise. During the American Revolution, Lord Dunmore, the British Governor of Virginia, issued a proclamation offering freedom to any enslaved person who would leave their American masters and fight for the Crown. For thousands of Black men and women, this was an offer of liberation—a chance to seize their own destiny. This promise was documented in what became known as the Book of Negroes, a testament to a collective leap of faith. A significant portion of them sailed directly to Nova Scotia. They didn’t come as servants or refugees; they came as free people, guaranteed land and provisions by the British government, ready to build the future they had been promised.
When the Loyalist ships arrived in the fall of 1783, Shelburne was little more than a vast, forested wilderness. There were no homes, no roads, and no infrastructure. The land had to be cleared, the timber had to be milled, and the town had to be built from the ground up. And who did this foundational work? It was the Black Loyalists. They were the skilled carpenters, the sawyers, the masons, and the labourers who cleared the dense forests and sawed the lumber for the first homes. They built the docks, the wharves, and the roads that would allow the town to function. Their labour was the engine that built the town.
But their contributions were met with hostility and broken promises. Land grants were delayed or never given, and they faced severe discrimination. This tension erupted in the summer of 1784, leading to the infamous Shelburne Riot. It was a stark and tragic reminder that even in their new home, the promise of true equality was still out of reach. Yet, their resolve did not break.
The story of the Black Loyalists in Shelburne is one of immense hardship, but it is also one of incredible resilience. When they were denied the promises of land and equality, many of them did not simply give up. They formed their own community in Birchtown, a place that, for a time, represented their unwavering hope for self-determination. And their legacy didn’t stop there.
Facing continued discrimination, a significant number of these brave settlers chose to leave Nova Scotia and embark on yet another journey—this time to establish the colony of Sierra Leone. In doing so, they played a foundational role in building what would become the city of Freetown. This incredible journey from Shelburne to Sierra Leone is a testament to their enduring courage and their refusal to be defined by broken promises.
So, where does this history leave us today? It leaves us with a deeper, richer understanding of who we are. Our community’s foundation is not a single narrative but a complex tapestry woven from many threads of struggle and triumph. To truly honor the history of Shelburne and Nova Scotia, we must acknowledge every part of that tapestry, especially the threads that have been marginalized for too long.     Moving forward together means more than just remembering the past; it means integrating it. It means building a community where all founding stories are celebrated, where the contributions of the Black Loyalists are recognized not as a footnote, but as the essential, foundational element that they were. It means learning from the hardships of the past to build a more just and inclusive future for all.

Podcast: The Frank Brothers: Freeborn Black Soldiers in the American Revolution
by Shirley Green Feb 2026 at Ben Franklin’s World
In 1777, brothers William and Benjamin Frank answered that question by enlisting in the Continental Army. Freeborn Black men in Rhode Island, they gambled that military service would earn them what freedom alone had not—equality, land, and a better future. But the Revolution had other plans, and by war’s end, the Frank Brothers had made very different choices.
The Revolution divided the Frank Brothers: one serving through Yorktown, the other crossing to the British side and resettling in Nova Scotia as a Black Loyalist. Listen in…

The Loyal- List: Celebrating United Empire Loyalists at the start of Irish Heritage Month in Canada
By Mike Woodcock UE, Victoria Branch
Going into its 3rd year, Irish Heritage Month is a time when communities across Canada celebrate Irish heritage and culture. If you know of other United Empire Loyalists of Irish heritage, please share them.

Notable Irish United Empire Loyalists

    Philip Embury (b. 1729, Ballygaran, County Limerick) — Irish Palatine immigrant, carpenter and schoolteacher; converted 1752; local preacher from 1758; emigrated to New York 1760; began Methodist services in NYC in 1766 after encouragement from Barbara Heck; early founder of American Methodism. Proven UEL in Loyalist Directory even though died in farm accident in 1775 before leaving New York.
George Singleton (b. c.1750, Ireland; d. 1789, Fredericksburgh, Upper Canada) — Army officer and merchant; joined British/Loyalist forces early in the American Revolution; served as lieutenant in the King’s Royal Regiment of New York (KRRNY) from June 1776 under the command of Sir John Johnson.
William Caldwell (b. c.1750, County Fermanagh, Ireland; d. 1822, Amherstburg, Upper Canada) — Army and militia officer, merchant, JP, and Indian Department official; came to North America 1773; served under Lord Dunmore (1774), appointed captain in Butler’s Rangers, noted as an active partisan leader in Loyalist campaigns; later settled in Upper Canada.
John Savage (b. 1740, Ireland; d. 1826, West Shefford, Lower Canada) — Land developer, militia officer, and justice of the peace; refused Continental command in 1775, imprisoned, escaped to New York, commissioned in the Loyal Rangers (1776), later captured and imprisoned, served as British spy in 1782; relocated his family for safety due to republican hostility.
Robert Macaulay (b. 1744 near Omagh, Northern Ireland; d. 1800, Kingston, Upper Canada) — Merchant and farmer; suffered confiscation/destruction of property by revolutionaries; captured in 1776 during Arnold’s retreat, later arrested (1778) for aiding the British and jailed at Albany; escaped to Canada.
Joseph Marshall (b. c.1755, Glenkeen, Northern Ireland; d. 1847, Guysborough, Nova Scotia.) — JP, judge, militia officer, politician, and farmer; emigrated to Georgia as a boy (1769); joined Loyalist forces in the Revolution, rose to lieutenant-colonel in Georgia militia (1779) and captain in Carolina King’s Rangers (1780); later settled in Nova Scotia.
Charles Inglis (b. 1734, Glencolumbkille, Ireland; d. 1816, Aylesford, Nova Scotia) — Church of England clergyman and bishop; emigrated to American colonies as a youth, taught in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; ordained in England (1758), served as missionary in Dover, Delaware; opposed excessive colonial liberty and remained loyalist during the Revolution.
George Gillmore (b. c.1720, County Antrim, Ireland; d. 1811, Horton Township, N.S.) — Church of Scotland clergyman and teacher; denounced as a Tory in 1775, forced from parish, moved and taught/farmed in New York area until rebel victories forced him to flee to Quebec and later resettle in Nova Scotia.
John Dease (b. probably 1744, County Cavan, Ireland; d. 1801, Montreal) — Indian Department official and physician; came to New York (1771) as personal physician to Sir William Johnson; appointed deputy agent of Indian affairs (1775) for the Middle District; relocated to Fort Niagara and Montreal as rebels displaced the Johnson interests.

Invitation to Contribute
Help grow The Loyal-List! Know other United Empire Loyalists of Irish heritage? Please contribute information about Loyalists or their descendants, suggest edits to existing profiles, or provide feedback via email at membership.vic.uelac@gmail.com or on the UELAC homepage.
The Loyal-List is a project of the United Empire Loyalists (UEL) Association of Canada, compiled from reputable sources, including the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Wikipedia, and various published works. Learn more about this inspiring project on the national UELAC website.

Blog: About UE Loyalist History by Brian McConnell UE at UE Loyalist History

Book of Negroes Birthplace – 25 February 2026

Between April and November 1783, British and American officials met at Fraunces Tavern in New York City to document in the Book of Negroes approximately 3000, formerly enslaved,  Black Loyalists who were evacuating with the British. Samuel Fraunces opened the Tavern, originally called ‘Queen’s Head Tavern’, in 1762 and during the American Revolution it became an important meeting place.  It was also the site of General George Washington’s last meeting and farewell to his American officers on 4 December 1783.  The place remains an important historical site and is open with a museum. Read more…

250 Years Ago: The American Invasion of Canada for the week around 1 March 1776
The stalemate in Quebec City continued with the British under Sir Guy Carleton safely inside the walls of Quebec City. Benedict Arnold worked to maintain a siege but with difficulty due to illness (smallpox was a major disease), departing soldiers whose term had expired, and supply issues due to the weather and distance.
Communications:
In February and March 1776, communications between Quebec City and Montreal and with Major General Philip Schuyler were primarily conducted through written dispatches carried by specialized couriers.
Written Dispatches (Letters): The primary form of communication for both British and American forces was the exchange of handwritten letters and official military reports. For example, General Benedict Arnold and military commissioners in Canada sent frequent, detailed reports to General Schuyler regarding the status of the army, shortages of provisions, and the progress of the siege.
Express Messengers (Couriers): Communications were transported by “Express” messengers—dedicated military couriers or professional postmen. These individuals were tasked with delivering urgent dispatches as quickly as possible across rugged terrain.
Winter Transportation Modes: Due to the harsh winter conditions in early 1776, couriers frequently used snowshoes, dogsleds, sleighs, or cutters to traverse the snow-covered landscape.
Between Quebec City and Montreal, messengers often travelled the Chemin du Roi (the King’s Road). This established route featured “post houses” or relays roughly every 14 kilometres, where couriers could find food, shelter, and fresh horses.

Book: Siege: The Canadian Campaign in the American Revolution, 1775-1776
Author Donald Grady Shomette (Heritage Books, 2025) Two volumes, paperback.
Review by by Gabriel Neville 23 February 2026 Journal of the American Revolution
In its first year, the American Revolution was unstoppable. The outbreak of war at Lexington and Concord was followed by the capture of Fort Ticonderoga and victories at Moore’s Creek Bridge (North Carolina), Great Bridge (Virginia), Sullivan’s Island (South Carolina), Gwynne’s Island (Virginia), and the British evacuation of Boston. Now styling themselves “Continental,” Congress and its armies began looking beyond the thirteen colonies. Major General Charles Lee attempted an invasion of East Florida, and Congress sent Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery against Canada in separate approaches.
While Lee never made it through Georgia, the Canadian campaign was carried through to its unsuccessful conclusion. Americans tend to compartmentalize the Canadian campaign as early foolishness that contributed nothing to their ultimate success. That is a fair assessment, but along with the failure came great heroism and the beginnings of storied careers.
Donald Grady Shomette’s Siege: The Canadian Campaign in the American Revolution, 1775-1776 is deeply researched, well-written, and long. Mr. Shomette is an expert. Read more…

Reluctant Ally: The Dutch Republic and the American Revolution 
by Nicholas R. Marsella 26 February 2026 Journal of the American Reevolution
Understanding the important role played by the Dutch Republic in the American Revolution is challenging. Few scholarly books and articles provide substantive details, and the role of the Dutch Republic is rarely adequately addressed in general histories of the period. Nonetheless, the Dutch did play an important role—albeit a reluctant one—in aiding the united American colonies in their successful pursuit of independence in a period of “great power competition” during the American revolution.
Background
Prior to 1581, the Netherlands as well as other parts of northern Europe were governed by the Spanish Empire. In 1581, the seven provinces making up the Netherlands united and revolted and after an “eighty-year war” won their independence from Spain, creating the confederation of the Dutch Republic (1581–1795). To aid in the rebellion, Britain sent 7,600 soldiers to the Netherlands to fight against Spain, which began a long-running Anglo-Dutch friendly relationship. The Dutch rose to become a major seafaring and economic power in Europe, usually allying with Britain against their rival France.
For some Americans, the Dutch revolt against the Spanish served as an example of a successful effort by a group of loosely-connected provinces to overthrow an imperial power. Read more…

An Enemy at the Gates: The Tragedy of Abraham Carlile
by Robert N. Fanelli 24 February 2026 Journal of the American Revolution
Though Quakers were admonished by their religious leaders to remain neutral and refrain from participation in the American Revolution, some did lend active support to one side or the other. One man who did so paid the ultimate price for his involvement. When the British army occupied Philadelphia in the Fall of 1777, they built a chain of redoubts across the neck of land between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. The military government commissioned Abraham Carlile to supervise civilian access through the city gates at the main roads heading north. Carlile’s cooperation with Howe’s military, and his religious affiliation as a Quaker—a member of the Religious Society of Friends—put him in extreme jeopardy once the British evacuated Philadelphia.
Born about 1720, Carlile belonged to a prosperous family from Burlington, New Jersey, eighteen miles upriver from Philadelphia. Friends’ careful adherence to their Testimony of Truth rendered them eminently trustworthy and reliable; often making them successful businessmen. Carlile became a house carpenter and lumber merchant, acquiring a fine property along Front Street, the main thoroughfare paralleling the Delaware waterfront. A master builder and active member of The Carpenters Company, in the 1770s he was one of the largest contributors toward the construction of Carpenters’ Hall, which became the meeting place of the First Continental Congress. As the revolutionary conflict grew, many from the Carpenters Company—men like Benjamin Loxley, Thomas Proctor and Robert Smith—became committed patriots. Carlile took a different path.
Though a Quaker from birth, Carlile’s name does not stand out in Friends’ records. His chief association with the Philadelphia Meeting was in a practical, secular capacity as a carpenter and builder. Read more…

Mass Incarceration as Revolutionary Policy: The Imprisonment of the Hudson Valley Loyalists
by Kieran J. O’Keefe Early American Studies, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Summer 2021), pp. 495-527
Abstract (Available at JSTOR)
Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War often suffered imprisonment in consequence of their political beliefs. In no location was this more the case than the Hudson River Valley of New York. Faced with the British occupation of New York City to the south, Crown-controlled Canada to the north, and British-allied Indigenous peoples to the west, Revolutionaries in the region found themselves surrounded by hostile forces. Fearing that Loyalists would revolt in support of the British army, Patriots turned to incarceration on an unprecedented scale to ensure the success of the Revolution. Revolutionaries mobilized the broader citizenry of the Hudson Valley to vigilantly monitor any potential enemies. Loyalists, neutralists, and even some unfortunate Patriots found themselves confined in close quarters. Suspected Loyalists were placed in jails, forts, and even on prison ships. Revolutionaries often struggled to find adequate space for the incarcerated population. With a significant proportion of Loyalists held captive, many Crown supporters were unable to join British forces when the army campaigned in the Hudson Valley. Thus, this essay shows how the “mass incarceration” of suspected Loyalists helped Revolutionaries win the war by preventing the British from tapping into a reservoir of Loyalist support.
Noted by Stephen Davidson, available at JSTOR https:// www.jstor.org/stable/27077842 , a free account is required to read it (or login and access through your library).   (it is well-sourced with extensive footnotes)

Advertised on 27 Feb.  “BOTTLES wanted by ROBERT HARE and Co.”

“BOTTLES wanted by ROBERT HARE and Co. at their Porter Brewery.”

During the first year of the Revolutionary War, Robert Hare and Company gained a following for “HARE’s best AMERICAN DRAUGHT PORTER.”  Hare, the son of an English brewer, arrived in Philadelphia in 1773.  He established a brewery, reportedly the first to produce porter in the colonies.  As the imperial crisis intensified and Americans leveraged their participation in the marketplace for political purpose, Hare’s porter became a popular alternative to imported beer.
Tavernkeepers, innkeepers, and others promoted Hare’s porter when they invited patrons to their establishments.  In the November 25, 1775, edition of the Pennsylvania Evening Post, for instance, William Dibley, the proprietor of the Fountain and White Horse Inn, announced that he would soon “open a TAP” of Hare’s porter and declared that he “has no doubt but that the sturdy friends of American freedom will afford due honor to this new and glorious manufacture.” Read more…

18th Century Perfume Recipes
By Sarah Murden 18 March 2020 at ll Things Georgian
Today I thought we would take a look at some Georgian recipes for making perfume, most of them are still feasible to make at home today with some minor adjustments.
To perfume clothes
Take of oven-dried cloves, cedar and rhubarb wood, once ounce of each and beat them into a powder and sprinkle them in a box or chest where they will create a most beautiful scent and preserve the apparel against moths.
Perfumed bags for drawers

Cut, slice and mix well together into a rough powder the following ingredients
2oz. of yellow saunders, the same of coriander seeds, orris root, calamus aromatics (sweet flax), cloves, cinnamon bark, dried rose leaves, lavender, and 1lb. of oak shavings.

Read more…

Frontispiece to the Annals of the Monastère de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Québec
A deathbed memoir captured the early history of New France.
by Mathieu Drouin 5 October 2022 at Canada’s History
In 1639, three Augustine nuns founded the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec — Canada’s first hospital — to treat the colonists of New France and to evangelize the Indigenous population. Major events that took place at the Hôtel-Dieu and elsewhere in Canada were recorded in annals in an effort to preserve the congregation’s history.
The first volume of the annals was written over a period of six years, from 1716 to 1722…
…This first-hand account forms an important historical record not only of Canada’s first hospital but also of the country itself.  Read more…

Please Comment on the Impact to our Loyalist Heritage of the Hi-Speed Train, Toronto to Quebec City.
As I’m sure you’ve heard, things are moving forward with the planning of a high-speed railway running from Toronto to Quebec City. The railway will eventually be more than 1000 km long, connecting Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montreal, Laval, and Trois-Rivieres. Once completed, the railway could see up to 70 passenger trains a day travelling at 300km/h on dedicated electric tracks.
This past January, Alto (the corporation building the railway) posted a map showing the study corridors they are assessing. They will eventually place the railway somewhere within these study corridors. They have also opened up a period of public consultation where they are asking for feedback, comments, and concerns from the public.
As you can see in the map, Alto is looking at two routes for the segment of the railway that would connect Peterborough and Ottawa. For example, the proposed ‘southern route’ would dip down and run through multiple rural municipalities just north of the Bay of Quinte, including South Frontenac, Greater Napanee, the rural wards north of Belleville, the rural northern ward of Quinte West, Stirling-Rawdon, and the Trent Hills
As such, this would potentially put the railway through an area with many UEL heritage homes, farms, and cemeteries.
Alto is assuring the public that they are taking great consideration to minimize the impact that the train would have on local communities. However, the nature of high-speed rail is such that the tracks have to be as straight as possible to accommodate the trains travelling at higher speeds. These tracks cannot take turns or hard curves, and cannot ‘weave’ through the landscape like traditional railways can. Alto has stated they intend to use existing infrastructure corridors where possible, like hydro cuts and old railway lines where possible, but they are not able to use these for the entire route, and so at some point they will be looking at land acquisition and/ or expropriation. I worry for the historic homes, working farms, family plots, and more that inevitably will be located in the finalized route of this railway.
Identify Heritage Sites that you Know
As part of the public consultation process, Alto is asking that the public go to the interactive map and ‘pin’ sites of community importance, so that they can take that information into account when deciding the final alignment of the railway.
Please go to the map and pin locations of Loyalist heritage? You could pin heritage homes, pioneer cemeteries, small family plots, barns, heritage farms, etc.
There are of course many historic/heritage locations that are not officially recognized, please contribute your knowledge of these locations and their history by flagging/pinning these to Alto.  As sites without official designation would not have protections. Your efforts to identify historic locations and support their protection is vital in the effort to keep them safe.
As an example, one could ‘pin’ a heritage house on the map and say something along the lines of “This is a tenth-generation family home, built out of locally-harvested stone in 1830 by John Smith Jr. His father was UEL John Smith Sr., a captain in the Butler’s Rangers, who arrived in the community with his wife and children in 1784. His descendants still occupy the home today, marking over 240 years of this family living in this community”.
If we don’t identify our heritage sites, who will?
Meghan Bush UE, Archaeological Field Technician, Quinte West

UELAC Loyalist Directory: New Contributions
Entries which have been added, or revised, this week – much appreciation to those contributing:

From Lynton “Bill” Stewart, a number of entries

  • Pvt. Alexander William Clarke  b. 20 Sep 1743 in Topanemus Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey – 20 May 1825 in Waterborough (now Grand Lake), Queens County, New Brunswick. He served with the New Jersey Volunteeers.  With Mary Hoff (1745-1836), married 7 Nov 1763 in Monmnouth County, New Jersey they has six children before the war and two more after.
  • Hugh Cowperthwaite Jr.     b. 1733 – Pittsgrove, Salem County, New Jersey. – d. 2 Nov 1828 – Sheffield, Sunbury County, New Brunswick. He served in the 1st West Jersey Volunteers; then the Westchester Loyalists after escaping from American confinement. With Sarah Mead (1745-1809);, married 28 Oct 1767 in Salem, Salem County, New Jersey, they had five children.  

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: Loyalists & Liberty: Savannah in the American Revolution Tues 3 Mar 6:30

Historian Catherine Duffy, chief curator for the Coastal Heritage Society in Savannah, Ga., discusses the unexpected discovery of nineteen Revolutionary War cannons found in the Savannah River in 2021. Catherine will highlight the exciting discovery, conservation efforts, research surrounding the artifacts, and the exhibit where they’ll end up next. Register…

Gov. Simcoe Branch: “The Servos Family Journey: A Story of Bravery, Loyalty and Determination” by David Servos UE Wed 4 March 7:30

The AGM will be followed by the presentation which will traces the remarkable journey of the Servos family, from their origins during the Serbian-Ottoman conflicts in the 1400s through centuries of migration across Europe, ultimately settling in North America. Their story is defined by bravery, loyalty to monarchies, and perseverance through upheaval—from military service in Germany to Loyalist trials during the American Revolution. The family’s story spans wars, migration, economic enterprise, and contributions to Canadian heritage, culture, and preservation. Register…

Col. John Butler Branch: Steve Tors. “The Battle of Queenston Heights” Sat 7 March 11:45 

The presentation gives a comprehensive overview of the flow of the famous battle, complete with animated maps.  It also relates what happened to what can be seen on the ground data.  It is based on Steve Tors’ recently published book, “My Bones Are Not Bleaching on the Awful Heights”:  The Battle of Queenston Heights in the War of 1812.
Meetomg 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. The cost of the lunch is $35 for UELAC members and $40 for guests attending in-person.  Cash only, payable at the meeting.  No credit cards.
Please register with 283corvette@gmail.com

American Revolution Institute: Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution Tues 10 March 6:30

Independent historian Eric Jay Dolin explores American privateers during the American Revolution. missing from most maritime histories of the war is the ragtag fleet of private vessels that truly revealed the new nation’s character―above all, its ambition and entrepreneurial ethos. Register…

Fort Plain: American Revolutionary War Conference 250 28-31 May 2026

This annual conference will be held in Johnstown NY from  noon Friday until 1:00 pm Sunday
It is preceded by a bus toru on Thurs 28 May “A Day on the Lines: The 250th Anniversary of the Continental Army’s Siege of Boston – Led by Alexander Cain” visiting visit sites such as Prospect Hill, Washington’s Headquarters, Bunker Hill, and Fort Washington and more
Registration to open in early March. See Conference details for presentations, speakers, accommodations etc.

From the Social Media and Beyond

  • Joseph Smith, who Smith’s Cove, Digby County, NS is named after, was a United Empire Loyalist from Ridgefield, Connecticut.  This week I was reading a  book published last year entitled “God Save the King” and happy to find an article I did referred to as a reference.
  • Food and Related: Townsends
  • Apparel
    •  18th century cotton caraco, Belgian. Via The Met.
    •  There is so much to admire in this neat silk 1780s jacket. The ombré stripes run this way and that, making their own decoration and the ruffled peplum sits up at the waist emphasising the piecing of the centre back
    • Doublet, early 1620s of #French origin (Met Museum)
    • Riding waistcoat silk, linen ca. 1775, probably British
    • Waistcoat Cotton ca 1775 British
  • This week in History
    • 25 February 1754  Setauket (Brookhaven), Long Island, New York. Benjamin Tallmadge was born to Rev. Benjamin Tallmadge Sr., a clergyman, and Susannah Smith. His family relocates to Connecticut, where he attends Yale College (graduating in 1773) and forms a close friendship with classmate Nathan Hale. After graduation, Tallmadge served as superintendent of Wethersfield High School. Already a fervent patriot, he joins the Connecticut Continental Line in 1776 (initially as a lieutenant). He soon becomes a captain—and later major—in the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons, directs military intelligence for General George Washington, and famously organizes and manages the Culper Spy Ring. Tallmadge participates in numerous key events and battles alongside Washington, ending the war as a brevet lieutenant colonel.  Postwar, he served as postmaster of Litchfield, Connecticut, before his election to the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut, where he served eight terms (1801–1817) as a Federalist. image
    • 24 February 1761, Boston, Massachusetts. Lawyer James Otis argued before the Massachusetts Superior Court that British writs of assistance—general, warrantless search warrants issued to customs officials—were illegal. They violated English common law and natural rights, representing arbitrary governmental power and tyranny. Though he lost, Otis’s fiery oration inspired colonial resistance and helped spark the American Revolution. John Adams later said, “then and there the child Independence was born.” Image
    • 27 February 1765  The British House of Commons advanced the Stamp Act (imposing taxes on colonial paper goods), which was later passed by both houses and received royal assent on March 22. Ironically, exactly 17 years later, on February 27, 1782, the Commons voted against prolonging the American Revolutionary War. image
    • 22 February 1770. Boston, Massachusetts. A mob attacked the home of Loyalist customs informer Ebenezer Richardson after he dispersed protesters at a non-importing merchant’s shop. He fired birdshot (or swan shot) into the crowd from a window, mortally wounding 11-year-old Christopher Seider (or Snider), the first casualty linked to escalating Revolutionary tensions; the boy died that evening. Read more…
    • 26 February 1775, Salem, Massachusetts. (North Bridge / Leslie’s Retreat or Salem Gunpowder Raid). Amid rising tensions before the American Revolutionary War, British Lt. Col. Alexander Leslie led ~240–300 men of the 64th Regiment of Foot from Boston by ship to Marblehead, then marched to Salem to seize hidden colonial cannons (not primarily gunpowder). Read more…
    • 23 February 1776. North Carolina. During the Loyalist march toward Brunswick, under Brigadier General Donald MacDonald (often spelled McDonald), the force encountered Patriot militia led by Colonel Richard Caswell, entrenched at Rockfish Creek.  Read more…
    • 27 February 1776. Philadelphia. The Continental Congress formally established the Middle and Southern Departments of the Continental Army (the Northern Department evolved from the earlier New York Department, which was reorganized shortly after). Department commanders, typically major generals appointed by Congress, reported to Commander-in-Chief Gen. George Washington and exercised tactical authority over troop deployments, logistics, supply, intelligence, and operations within their regions, thereby decentralizing command as the war progressed. image
    • 28 February 1776, Cambridge, Massachusetts.  From headquarters, General George Washington wrote to African American poet Phillis Wheatley, thanking her for the poem “To His Excellency General Washington,” which she had sent on October 26, 1775, praising her “poetical talents” and inviting her to visit.  read more…
    • 28 February 1776, Col. Henry Knox’s artillery train reaches Cambridge
    • 21 February 1777, Philadelphia. The Continental Congress promoted Colonel John Glover—whose Marblehead mariners heroically ferried Washington’s army across the Delaware for the victory at Trenton and twice evacuated troops to safety (during the Long Island retreat and after New York)—to brigadier general. Read more…
    • 21 February 1777. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress promoted Colonel Anthony Wayne (of the 4th Pennsylvania Battalion) to brigadier general in the Continental Army, recognizing his valor, including his command at Fort Ticonderoga and the wounds he received at Trois-Rivières.  Read more…
    • 23 February 1777. Forage War in New Jersey (following battles at Trenton and Princeton), British Lt. Col. Charles Mawhood led a foraging expedition near Spanktown (now Rahway). Brig. Gen. William Maxwell ambushed them with a bait of militia herding livestock, then enveloped Mawhood’s force with superior numbers  Read more…
    • 28 February 1777, London. Lieutenant General John Burgoyne submitted his detailed plan—”Thoughts for Conducting the War from the Side of Canada”—to Lord George Germain, Secretary of State for the Colonies. It proposed isolating New England through a three-pronged offensive converging on Albany, NY: Burgoyne’s main army advancing south from Canada via Lake Champlain–Hudson; Barry St. Leger’s diversion from Lake Ontario via the Mohawk Valley; and (ideally) William Howe’s northward thrust from New York City. Though initially successful at Ticonderoga, the campaign faltered amid rugged terrain, poor coordination, Howe’s shift to Philadelphia, and fierce American resistance, culminating in Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga. image
    • 26 February 1778, York County Courthouse, York, Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress, facing severe shortages in the Continental Army amid the harsh Valley Forge winter and expiring enlistments, resolved that eleven states (excluding South Carolina and Georgia) must fill their Continental battalions by drafting from their militia (or other means) to meet assigned quotas. This marked America’s first widespread conscription effort  image
    • 23 February 1779. Fort Laurens —Ohio’s only Revolutionary War fort, garrisoned mainly by the 13th Virginia Regiment under Col. John Gibson. A work detail of about 19 soldiers—sent to gather firewood or round up stray horses—was ambushed just outside the fort by British-allied Native warriors (Wyandot, Shawnee, Mingo, Munsee Delaware, led by Simon Girty with a few British under Capt. Henry Bird). The attackers killed 17 Americans. Read more…
    • 23 February 1779. A committee consisting of Gouverneur Morris (New York), Thomas Burke (North Carolina), John Witherspoon (New Jersey), and Samuel Adams (Massachusetts) drafted preliminary terms for potential peace negotiations with Britain. Read more…
    • 25 February 1779.British Lt. Gov. (Lt. Col.) Henry Hamilton surrendered Fort Sackville (Vincennes, present-day Indiana) and its garrison of 79 men (about 40 British regulars, plus French volunteers and Detroit militia) to Virginia Lt. Col. George Rogers Clark Read more…
    • 26 February 1779 British forces advanced from King’s Bridge on the night of February 25. At Horseneck Landing (near Greenwich, Connecticut), former NY Royal Governor Maj. Gen. William Tryon led about 600 troops in a raid. They overran ~150 Connecticut militia under Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam, who escaped by riding his horse down a steep, rocky 100-step precipice (or cliff) that pursuing British dragoons feared to follow. Read more…
    • 27 February 1779. Briar Creek (often spelled Brier Creek), Georgia. American Brigadier General John Ashe, commanding the North Carolina militia and other Patriot forces, halted his pursuit of the retreating British under Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell.  Read more…
    • 22 Feb 1781 Hillsboro, NC. General Charles Cornwallis occupied Hillsborough, North Carolina, raised the Royal Standard, and issued a proclamation calling Loyalists to rally to the Crown. Amid widespread hesitation, Dr. John Pyle promptly mustered 300–400 militiamen—the first significant Loyalist response—demonstrating strong local Tory sentiment. Cornwallis ordered them to link up with Banastre Tarleton to integrate into British forces.  image
    • 22 February 1781. Belleville (Thomson’s Plantation, Calhoun County, SC), Brigadier General Thomas Sumter’s partisans harassed the British stockade garrison (under Maj. John Stuart, 71st Regiment) with sniping and rifle fire, burned some outbuildings during a brief assault, but failed to capture the stockade. Read more…
    • 24 February 1781. Alamance County, North Carolina, Continental Army Lt. Col. Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee’s Legion (joined by militia under Brig. Gen. Andrew Pickens) surprised and defeated a Loyalist militia force of about 300–400 men, led by Dr. John Pyle (a local physician and colonel). Read more…
    • 25 February 1781 (or shortly after the February 19 rendezvous at Peekskill, NY), the Marquis de Lafayette departed with a Continental detachment of about 1,200 light infantry (light troops from northern posts plus New Jersey reinforcements) on a grueling march south to Virginia. Ordered by Gen. George Washington, their mission was to reinforce Patriot forces, halt devastating raids and plundering by British Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold (the traitor), and capture or execute him if possible. They marched through New Jersey to Head of Elk (Maryland), then by water and land to Annapolis and Yorktown, arriving in mid-March to oppose Arnold (later reinforced by Gen. William Phillips). This force helped contain British operations until Cornwallis’s arrival, contributing to the Yorktown campaign. image
    • 27 February 1782. London. The House of Commons—stunned by General Cornwallis’s surrender at Yorktown the previous October—passed General Henry Seymour Conway’s motion (234–215) declaring further offensive war in North America impracticable. It urged King George III to abandon efforts to subdue the “revolted colonies” by force, signaling Britain’s acceptance of American independence and paving the way for peace negotiations.  image

Last Post: SMITH, Dr. Leigh 29-Dec-1933 – 22-Feb-2026
Donald Leigh Smith passed away peacefully in Kingston on February 22, 2026. Leigh will be lovingly remembered by his wife Jean Rae Baxter UE, his son Carl Lucas (Christa), his daughter Kyla Louise (Neil), his grandchildren, Charlotte, Isaac, Alexandra and by his brothers Richard and Paul. Leigh is predeceased by his cherished wife of fifty years, Glorian Tipman, and by his parents Dr. Morden W. Smith and Dr. Verna Zora Lucas Smith.
Leigh delighted in sharing the geologic history of our planet, revealed through the clues that were left in the rocks. His field was sedimentary geology—limestone—making Kingston the perfect place for him to live and teach. His career at Queen’s University began in 1957. His former students number in the thousands, and right up to the final months of his life he continued to receive their letters, thanking him. He was a proud New Brunswicker, although born in Toronto, and every summer returned to his “camp” on Passamaquoddy Bay. Throughout his retirement he devoted his time to issues of social justice and the environment. He was a member of the congregation of St. George’s Cathedral for many years.
A Memorial celebration of Leigh’s life on Thursday March 5th. See more details.
Leigh was a member of Kingston & District Branch UELAC.
Noted by Richard G. Parry UE

 

 

Published by the UELAC
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