Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2005 Archive

In this issue:
- - Jeremiah French grave marker unveiling
- Flag Rising, June 17, 2005: Kawartha Branch
- Col. John Butler Branch Raises Loyalist Flag
- Loyalist Stamps
- Friend of the Museums of Burlington: Joseph Brant Day
- Queries
      + A question of Uniforms
      + Parents of Loyalist Edward West, Kingsclear, NB

Jeremiah French grave marker unveiling

The weekend events commemorating Jeremiah French went wonderfully well. See information about Jeremiah and numerous pictures from the Sunday dedication event here.

Flag Rising, June 17, 2005: Kawartha Branch

United Empire Loyalist Day was first celebrated by Kawartha Branch on the 19th of June 1997. In December of that same year, Royal Assent was given to a Bill presented by Mr. Danford, passing into law that, heretofore, June 19th is recognized in Ontario as the Official Day to commemorate and celebrate our Loyalist Heritage.

Kawartha Branch members not only repeated this celebration each year since, but in 2002 presented the City of Peterborough a request to pass a local By-law, namely "Requesting Council of the Corporation of the City of Peterborough to approve of and participate in the presentation and raising of the Loyalists' Union Flag, at City Hall, on Loyalists' Day, annually on June 19, unless that date falls on a weekend in which case the flag will be raised on the previous Friday in order to allow the participation of area school children in the presentation ceremonies, and that the flag be flown for the ensuing week." The subject By-law was passed by City Council on Feb 11, 2002. (This same By-law was approved and been in appliance since March 16, 1998 in Port Hope.)

In past years, members of Kawartha Branch have held Flag Raising ceremonies in Peterborough, Lindsay, Millbrook, County of Peterborough, and Port Hope. In Peterborough, Kawartha Branch members were joined by the Adam Scott students at several grade levels who took an active part in the ceremonies.

This year (2005) the flag raising ceremonies was once again conducted at City Hall, Peterborough, with the following dignitaries in attendance: City Councillor Bill Juby and MPP Jeff Leal. MP Peter Adams sent his regrets. This year’s ceremony was extra special, with the Norwood/Kenner High School Re-enactors in attendance, including their troop drummer.

The ceremony commenced with the troop and drummer, dressed in traditional red uniforms, escorting members of Kawartha Branch (also in period costume) to the flag pole area where the troop demonstrated a rifle drill for those in attendance. Words of recognition and praise were spoken by each dignitary along with an historical account presented by Genealogist Joan Lucas UE, relating to the role the loyalist played in the founding of this great province, Ontario. With all those in attendance standing at attention, President Pam Dickey U.E. and Secretary Charles Ross U.E. raised the Loyalist "First Union Flag" to the top of the staff were it will flutter in the breeze for the next 7 days as constant reminder to all. With the singing of the national anthem and an escort by drummer and troops the group adjourned for refreshments, compliments of the local Tim Horton’s in the City Hall rotunda. The local CHEX-TV station and COGEO Cable taped the entire event to be aired on the local news 6 o’clock news and at several intervals during the week in the current events time slot.

Kawartha Branch members see the Flag Raising Ceremonies as an opportunity to publicly display their proud Loyalist Heritage.

...Pam Dickey, UE, Kawartha Branch President

Col. John Butler Branch Raises Loyalist Flag

Members of Colonel John Butler Branch of the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada wearing period dress and Loyalist clothing proudly celebrated United Empire Loyalist week in Ontario on June 20th, 2005 by raising the Loyalist flag at the clock tower and cenotaph in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Branch President Gail Woodruff welcomed everyone and noted that two hundred and thirty years ago in the thirteen colonies, the ancestors of many of today's Canadians chose to remain loyal to and fight for their Monarch, King George III.

Lord Mayor of Niagara – on-the-Lake Gary Burroughs read the following official proclamation and raised the Loyalist flag.

Proclamation

The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake Proclaims the Week of June 19th to 25th, 2005, United Empire Loyalist Week

Whereas - Niagara-on-the-Lake was the cradle of Loyalist settlement and the home of one of the most famous Loyalists, Colonel John Butler; and Whereas - the Ontario Legislature in recognition of the contributions that the United Empire Loyalists and their descendants made and continue to make to the development of Ontario, passed an Act on December 18th, 1997 proclaiming June 19th as United Empire Loyalist Day in Ontario

Therefore - be it resolved that I, Lord Mayor Gary Burroughs of the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake do hereby declare the week of June 19th 2005 through June 25th 2005 as United Empire Loyalist Week in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Past President of the Branch Noreen Stapley, laid a wreath on the cenotaph in memory of our Loyalist ancestors.

Everyone sang the Royal Anthem and read the Loyalist Prayer together.

President Gail Woodruff thanked the Lord Mayor and the members for turning out and expressed special thanks to Harold Clement who was very helpful in arranging the ceremony.

The ceremony closed with the singing of the O Canada.

A week before the ceremony "The St. Catharines Standard" published a photo of Lord Mayor Gary Burroughs, with an excellent article announcing United Empire Loyalist Week and the Niagara-on-the-Lake proclamation.

...Bev Craig UE

Loyalist Stamps

The most recent edition of the Canada Post catalog arrived in my mail today. I see that a commemorative stamp is being issued to honor (honour) the Acadians from Canada.

This made me wonder if there has ever been a postage stamp honoring the Loyalists. I also wonder if there will be a stamp to commemorate the War of 1812-1814.

...Joyce UE {YankeeDD AT twmi DOT rr DOT com} how do I email her?

[The Canadian Heritage Organization has a page with pictures of two Loyalist stamps and several pieces of artwork, prints of which can be ordered.]

Friend of the Museums of Burlington: Joseph Brant Day

I am writing to invite you to join in the annual Joseph Brant Day celebrations on Monday, August 1st 2005 at LaSalle Park in Burlington. The event runs from 11:00am to 4:00pm and promises to be our biggest Joseph Brant Day yet! You are invited to join us for the day and set up a display table representing your unique organization. This is an opportunity for you to inform Burlington and it’s surrounding community about your organization and showcases your offerings.

There is a small fee for table and chair rentals

...Melanie Black

[I have the registration form, if anyone would like to register for a display -- Doug]

A question of Uniforms

Recently there has arisen considerable debate amongst several historians (amateur and otherwise) about what exactly the uniform of the King’s Royal Regiment of New York (King’s Royal Yorkers) looked like. Many of you will have seen Gavin Watt’s re-enactment group in their green coats with blue facings (i.e. cuff, collars and lapels). There is some suggestion that the facings should be red. We know from artifacts in the Canadian War Museum that later in the war the Yorkers wore red coats with blue facings. We’re more interested in the early war period (1776-1779).

Do any of your members have any primary source information on what the uniform looked like? What I’m looking for is a letter, newspaper notice of deserters, diary extract, or ideally an artifact, that could influence this debate. If anyone has any information, or leads, please contact me.

...David G. Moore, UE, Appleby College History Dept., Oakville {dmoore AT appleby DOT on DOT ca} how do I email him?

Parents of Loyalist Edward West, Kingsclear, NB

At the present time I am trying to make a connection between my ancestor, Edward West dob 1789, born in Kingsclear to either William or Israel West, members of the 2nd Battalion, New Jersey Volunteers, Loyalist, who shipped to Parrtown on the ship Duke of Richmond in the Fall Fleet, 1783.

I am a member of the UEL New Brunswick branch. I have made 2 trips to the home province and have found so many relatives there. But no one seems to know where to go to find the records from the early days of Kingsclear. There is one distant relative, living in Woodstock, that has done research on his branch­brother to my great grandmother. But I have not been able to find out any info in the records on microfilm from the archives in Fredericton. We also checked, very briefly, in Saint John while we were there.

...Pauline West Keehn {pfkeehn AT innercite DOT com}

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