We welcome to our branch anyone with an interest in history, especially the Loyalist era. To our members, we offer a meetings program with interesting speakers, display tables of historical and loyalist items, and opportunities for discussion, networking and fellowship. You can read about previous meetings and other activities here. Each year, Kingston and District Branch publishes five issues of its newsletter, “Cataraqui Loyalist Town Crier,” and leads or participates in a number of events, which often involve the larger Kingston and area community.
By joining the Kingston and District branch, one becomes a member of its parent organization, the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada. The UELAC publishes the Loyalist Gazette twice each year, in spring and fall. You will receive this too with your membership.
We encourage you to opt to receive both the “Town Crier” and the “Gazette” in electronic format. Not only does this green delivery method save paper, printing and postage costs for the organization, but you are able to enlarge the PDF files on the screen of your computer or device and see all the photos in full color.
NEW: You can Join or Renew Online!
If you haven’t already setup a new account please do so, no need for a pre-existing password. Once your account is setup you can join or renew your membership online.
If you opt to renew online, please complete 2023 Renewal Form anyway, ticking the box for “I plan to renew online”, then email a copy to Membership Chair Lorraine Sherren at sherren69<at> gmail.com. Thank you!
New Members
The fee for New individual members is $45 (or $60 for two or more family members at the same address) in the year in which they join. Please use the New Member Form and complete as much information about your Loyalist ancestry as you know. Save the form (a Word file) to your own computer, fill it in, and print it. Depending on your browser, you may need to click on “Enable Editing” button at the top of the screen. (Note that in subsequent years, you will be a Renewing Member, see below.)
Send the completed and printed form with your cheque (payable to Kingston and District UEL) to Membership, The United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada, Kingston and District Branch, P.O. Box 635, Kingston, ON Canada K7L 4X1.
If you are interested in pursuing a UE Certificate:
The Branch Genealogist will provide guidance on the process necessary to complete your research and apply for a certificate which attests to the fact of your descent from a Loyalist. The application process has recently changed, and you will need to correspond with the Branch Genealogist in order to complete your application fully. (If you wish to join our Branch but do not want to apply for certification at this time, you need only complete the first page of the form and submit it with your payment.)
For further assistance with your research, check out some of the links on our Resources page.
Renewing Members
The fee for Renewing membership in Kingston and District Branch is $45 per year for individuals, or $60 for a family membership (all resident at the same address). Current members renewing for 2023 may either use the 2023 Renewal Form at any time before November 1st, or may Renew Online before November 1st. As of November 1st we will be processing renewals for 2024
Whether you choose to renew by mailing a cheque or prefer to wait for online membership to open, please save the Renewal form to your computer and complete it.
• If you opt to renew online, please complete the form anyway, ticking the box for “I plan to renew online”, then email a copy to Membership Chair Lorraine Sherren at sherren69<at>gmail.com.
• If you want to mail the form with your cheque to the branch address shown above, please do so by December 1st. The Dominion Office is changing the cut-off date and we need to receive your renewal earlier than in previous years, so that we can make our membership return to the office before the end of 2023.
Applying for Certification
Members may at any time apply for certification of descent from a given Loyalist ancestor — some members delight in holding three or four such certificates, for different Loyalist lines. Use the Certificate Preparation Form for your application. Send your completed form to the Branch Genealogist.
In Memoriam
Follow the link to read brief tributes to our past members.