Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2006 Archive

In this issue:
- Message from New UELAC President, Peter Johnson
- History Channel items from last week
- Reenactors Dream: Fort Montgomery for Sale
- Celebrate Quinte Loyalists 50th Anniversary
- Index to New Jersey Marriage Records 1848-1867 Online
- "Research Loyalist Ancestors" Online Course: Instructor Brenda Dougall Merriman, CG, CGL
- Aboriginals and the Canadian Military: past, present, future
- Last Post: Jack Lewis UE
- Queries
      + Food the Loyalists Ate
      + Matthias Rose Family
      + When was Land First Offered?
      + Blue Loyalist plate: What would be its current worth
      + Information on Ebenezer Pratt Family
      + Response re Johnson Bush

Message from New UELAC President, Peter Johnson

Firstly, congratulations to all involved with the Conference. Everyone had a great time. Thanks also to Doug Grant for his two productive years as President.

How do you catch me?? Shortly I will be adding a new phone line strictly for UEL business, and will publish the number when available. Otherwise email is the best bet.

I do, however, beg your indulgence on one thing. As some of you know, I live in the Quinte area, and work in Toronto, so I see my emails only on weekends. This is not a lengthy problem, as of June 29th I will be home (retired), so will have easy access to my email any day from then on. I will also be away the 24th of June weekend. A very busy month, but it will pass. Thanks.

...Peter W. Johnson, UE, President, UELAC {johnsonue AT sympatico DOT ca} how do I email him?

History Channel items from last week

Unfortunately those History Channel items (George Washington; The Revolution) are on the American History Channel, not the Canadian one which is historytelevision.ca. But maybe we will see those programs featured here later on.

...Brenda Dougall Merriman, CG, CGL

Reenactors Dream: Fort Montgomery for Sale

This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to own Fort Montgomery, which is a rare and historic property. An incredible 6,900 Feet of Waterfront on magnificient Lake Champlain, NY. Fort Montgomery Estates is located between U.S Route 2 & Route 11, Rouses Point (Clinton County), New York,12979. The property is directly adjacent to the Canadian Border.

Dating back to the first half of the 19th century, Fort Montgomery, with over 70 fireplaces, is now available for purchase, offering excellent investment potential for a variety of uses. The imposing stone structure more than 40 feet high is beautifully set out in Lake Champlain and connected to an island measuring approximately 1,300' in length by 500' in width. A 700-foot-long causeway connects, the island to the mainland.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the fort is in need of restoration. Funds may be available through various government agencies for partial or total renovation.

Bidding has closed but today, June 7, there are pictures and a description, etc., still posted. Click here to see the eBay listing for Fort Montgomery.

Celebrate Quinte Loyalists 50th Anniversary

The Bay of Quinte Branch of the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada will be celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of the United Empire Loyalist Heritage Centre and Park on Saturday, June 17th, 2006 at its Loyalist Landing and Market Days. The Park was established by the province of Ontario on June 16th, 1956 and was opened by then Premier Leslie Frost. The Park is located in Adolphustown, Ontario along the shores of the Bay of Quinte, on the historic Loyalist Parkway, old Highway #33, and marks the site of the original landing site of the Loyalists in the Bay of Quinte area in 1784, and the first burial site of the Loyalist settlers in the area.

The event this year will feature activities for all ages. There will be civilian and military re-enactors demonstrating life during the Loyalist period. The King’s Royal Yorkers will be doing some military drills in the morning and a tactical display from the period in the afternoon. In addition there will be a re-creation of the original landing by the Loyalists in bateaux boats, and the drawing of their first lots. There will be entertainment provided by the Scottish Country Dancers from Belleville, Grampa's Goodtime Gang from Picton, and the newly formed Loyalist Fife and Drum Corps, consisting of young musicians performing as they would have done over 200 years ago. For those interested in local history and researching their family tree, there will be a variety of other United Empire Loyalist Branches, Genealogical and Historical Groups and commercial vendors with displays and items for sale, as well as providing help with your research. Food and beverages will also be provided on site, or visitors can bring along a picnic lunch to enjoy in the park.

The day’s activities begin at 10:00AM and the event will wrap up by 4:00PM. All activities will take place in the Park at Adolphustown. Admittance for the day is $5.00 per person. For further details on the event, visit their website: click here.

...Brian Tackaberry, President, Bay of Quinte Branch

Index to New Jersey Marriage Records 1848-1867 Online

The State of New Jersey began collecting marriage records on May, 1 1848. The Secretary of State has now computerized the records for May 1848 through May 31, 1867 and has placed the index online where it is available to everyone.

Data entry from the 1848-1867 hardcopy indexes for most of the counties has been completed and has been verified against the original returns. Index data for the following counties is currently being checked and should be considered preliminary and possibly incomplete: Middlesex, Ocean, Salem, Somerset, Union, Warren

I found the online index to be very easy to use. You can search by the name of the groom and/or bride, county of registration, and/or the year of marriage. I first did a search for my own surname simply by filling in the name in the space for "Groom's Name" and leaving all the other spaces blank. I was soon rewarded with two entries. I then did the same thing by searching for brides of my surname but found that there were no entries.

Here is a typical entry from a groom's search that illustrates the sort of information available:

Groom: Eastman, Franklin Wilson

Bride: Elisabeth Granville

Marriage Place:

Marriage Date: 29 July 1851

Registration: Monmouth County

Reference: Raritan Bk. X : Pg. 38

The Reference obviously lists the book and page number at the New Jersey State Archives where the original record may be found.

My search was simple, specifying only a surname. For more common names, you will need to include first names by entering the search as Surname, Given Name. An example would be: Smith, John.

Keep in mind that the online database is only an INDEX and does not contain all the available details. To find all the available information, you need to obtain a photocopy of the original record by filling out a Vital Record Search Request form and sending it to the New Jersey State Archives, along with a fee of $10.00. The form is available on the web site and may be printed on your printer.

For more information or to search the online Index to New Jersey Marriage Records, 1848-1867, click here

...Pam Dickey, Kawartha Branch

"Research Loyalist Ancestors" Online Course: Instructor Brenda Dougall Merriman, CG, CGL

Online Course from The National Institute for Genealogical Studies.

The course describes what it meant to be a United Empire Loyalist in the context of the American Revolutionary War and how it affected his ensuing life. We also discuss the membership and lineage requirements of the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada, with some attention to their application form. The bulk of the course material covers the basic, contemporary sources that help identify a Loyalist ancestor during and after the war: military, claims, land, and other records that assist with documenting your family. Students are advised to consult the Documents area to see samples of such records. Overviews of the British North American colonies where the Loyalists came for resettlement include Upper Canada (Ontario)-where the original U.E. (Unity of Empire) tradition took hold-the Maritime provinces and Lower Canada (Quebec). We give further references to books and websites, but keep in mind about the latter: websites occasionally disappear, or they may be revised !

At the basic level, this course should assist researchers who are beginning their quest for information and documentation.

PLEASE NOTE (For students with packages): If you have courses remaining in a package of course, click on the name of your package found in your briefcase area. When the registration form is completed, the fee will be $0.00. (Librarianship courses can only be taken from the Librarianship packages.)

PRINTED COURSE MATERIALS: If you have an elective binder kit and would like to receive the printed materials, please send us an e-mail at {orders AT genealogicalstudies DOT com} how do I email them?

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to either call us toll free 1-800-580-0165 (or in the Toronto area 416-861-0165) or send us a message at {info AT genealogicalstudies DOT com} how do I email him?

...Louise St Denis, National Institute for Genealogical Studies

Aboriginals and the Canadian Military: past, present, future

21-22 June 2006 Kingston, Ontario at Royal Military College, Canadian Forces Base Kingston: Click here for the Canadian Military's web page about the event.

The Canadian Forces Leadership Institute is pleased to celebrate National Aboriginal Day 2006 by hosting the first conference on Aboriginal contributions to the Canadian military experience. This event aims to celebrate, raise visibility and increase awareness of Aboriginal contributions to the Canadian Forces. It also endeavours to build bridges between these communities and develop ideas that will help strengthen Aboriginal-military relations in the future. The conference is open to all, and there is no conference fee.

Last Post: Jack Lewis UE

COLLARD - John Lewis (Jack), UE -- Peacefully at the St. Joseph Health Care Centre on Sunday May 28, 2006 in his 78th year. Beloved husband of Muriel for 56 years. (Niagara Falls, St. Catharines)

Food the Loyalists Ate

The Vancouver UE Branch is planning a Loyalist Landing in one of our members backyard (it will be a small bateaux). We would like to prepare the kinds of foods the loyalists would have eaten the first couple of weeks after their landing.

What I am looking for, is not the recipes ... but the foods the loyalists ate ... if I can find out what they carried with them on their journey to their new land, I can figure out what to make i.e. I know they carried 'dried beef' ... I can figure out how to make that ... I just need to know what other kinds of foods they took with them ...

...Wendy Cosby Hallinan {wendyhallinan ATS shaw DOT ca} how do I email her?

Matthias Rose Family

Mathias Rose (not sure which but possibly both Sr. & Jr.) served with Jessup's Rangers 1781 as privates. I would like to know where they lived prior to the War. I think they lived in Saratoga, New York according to some of the research I have done. I have a feeling that they ended up in Ernestown because of land grants.

I would really like to know anything regarding:

- Mathias Rose Sr. born 1726 died May 25 1809,

- Mathias Rose Jr. born 1755 and died December 11 1831,

- Samuel Elliott Rose born May 5 1793,

- George W. Rose born March 12 1818 on lot 28, Concession 5 Sydney Township, lived in Madoc Ontario, married to Amy Ketcheson, settled on lot 10 Concession 8 Madoc and died 1897. Is buried in Hazzard Corners Cemetery north of Madoc.

- William Robinson Rose born in Madoc May 16 1860 - died February 26 1945 - married to Rosanna Rikley

- Jacob Frederick Rose born January 13 1889-died September 2 1960 and he married Flossie Reigh Eggleton December 28 1910 in the Township of Sydney, of the village of Foxboro, County of Hastings .

Where did they actually live? Where might they be buried? We are also interested in information about the Rose family before the American Revolution.

..."Diane Rose" {diane DOT rose AT ocdsb DOT ca} how do I email her?

When was Land First Offered?

Would anyone know just when the Loyalists knew they would be eligible for free land during the American Revolutionary War? As the war started or during or when everyone was called to Ontario in 1784?

...Beth {GlassbyBeth AT aol DOT com} how do I email her?

Blue Loyalist plate: What would be its current worth

With reference to my earlier emai, and after reading your Loyalist History section, the inscription on the reverse of the plate is the declaration by Lord Dorchester allowing all Loylaists to use the U.E. initials after their name. There is no date of manufacture on the plate but it was made by Woods & Sons, Burslem, England. The plate is white with Blue picture and writing.

...Irene Wright

Irene has the plate and is offering it to us, so an idea of its current value would be help us decide whether to acquire it.

...Doug

Information on Ebenezer Pratt Family

(Here is information on the George Pratt Family. George was born after the Revolution, so was not himself a Loyalist. Could Ebenezer have been a Loyalist?)

Ebenezer Pratt born abt 1750 and Wife Ann (unknown) had sons, George b. 1786 (the alleged Loyalist), son Grove b. 1792 an another son, Ebenezer Jr. no dob.

George Pratt b. 1786 married Olive Wood whose father was John Wood from Kitley. She had brothers, Cryil Carpenter Wood, no info and John Nelson Wood b. 1813 and Amos Wood, no info.

George Pratt's oldest son also named Ebenezer b. Dec. 1816 married Nancy Agnes Smythe (Smith) daughter of Peter Smythe b. 1784 in Elizabethtown, Leed Co., Ontario. and Mary Agnes Read b.1784. Both died in Elizabethtown, Leed Co., Ontario. Mary Agnes Read's father was William Read b. 1748, not sure where and mother Agnes Russell.

The 1801 census in Kitley & Bastard, Leeds Co. has Ebenezer, wife Ann and 8 in family which includes this George. 1804 actually names all of them in Kitley Twp., Leeds Co. Where they came from before Canada is the $64,000 question that all the Pratt researchers are trying to figure out. Best guess is Mass. George's's first son was born 1816 in Kitley and I have no idea when they went to Canada.

The only confirmation I have regarding George Pratt's military involvement is a Canada Land Petition "P" Bundle 2, 1843-1844 (RG 1, L3, Vol. 441)

Johnstown District: To wit: Ebenezer Pratt of the Township of Kitley in said District Yeoman maketh oath and saithe that he verily believes his claim (as the eldest son and heir at law) to the grant of land to which his father the late George Pratt deceased was entitled as private in a Flank Company of the Second regiment of Leeds militia during the late war to be equitable and correct that he this desponeth is not aware of any adverse or other claim or title existing fir the said lands or part of any other heirs or persons whosoever and that the land grant remains unlocated. Sworn before (unreadable) in the (unreadable) this eleventh day of January 1843.

Signed: Ebenezer Pratt (son of George Pratt)

Earlier information that I have stated that George Pratt age 27 was on roll of Captain Duncan Livingston's Company in 2nd Regiment of Leeds Militia on January 29, 1813 (Col Joel Stone's Papers).

Any further information on the Pratt family would be appreciated.

...Sharon Pratt Patton {sharon2u4ever AT hotmail DOT com} how do I email her?

Response re Johnson Bush

I working on getting a location for this little settlement. Current opinion is southwest of Johnstown, NY. Give me a couple of days and I should have it nailed.

...Gavin Watt, HVP UELAC

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