Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2006 Archive

In this issue:
- Bay of Quinte Branch: Thanks And Congratulations
- Ontario Loyalist Day celebrations by many branches
- Loyalist Rose at Ottawa's Experimental Farm
- Clash of Empires Exhibit at Canadian War Museum
- Fixing old Photos
- Canadian Census Research Online
- CanQuotes from Canadawiki
- Officers of UELAC
- Remembering Ivan Mitchell UE, 1930-2006
- Last Post
      + SMITH McKay – Hazel May UE, 1902-2006
      + GRANT – Peter Stuart (Scotty), 1924-2006
- Queries
      + Response re Food the Loyalists Ate
      + More on the Blue Loyalist Plate
      + Joel Stone (1749-1833) was the Loyalist founder of Gananoque
      + Barnett Schnell

Bay of Quinte Branch: Thanks And Congratulations

It was with great pleasure that I attended the Bay of Quinte's 50th Anniversary and Loyalist Day event at the park at Adolphustown, June 17th. Congratulations to the Branch for reaching fifty years. This wasn't the first anniversary event, and it isn't the last. Thanks also for hosting such a successful event. It was a great community occasion, but it also drew in members and friends from as far away as Edmonton and Florida. It was nice to see the way the Branch has been honouring those members who have helped build it over the years - some for fifty years! Also worth noting, many other UELAC Branches came to support your efforts. That shows a real spirit of unity. This was my first event as President since the Conference, and it was such a pleasant way to begin! Tomorrow I look forward to attending the UEL Church Service in Adolphustown, and the ceremony in Belleville on the 19th.

...Loyally, Peter W. Johnson, UE

Ontario Loyalist Day celebrations by many branches

Kawartha Branch will be having their annual “Union Flag” rising at the City Hall, Peterborough at 10:00 am, Monday, June 19th, 2006 in honour of Ontario's Loyalist Day.

Branch members will be in period costumes and accompanied by the 1812 military re-enactors from Norwood and Kenner High Schools. Cogeco TV will have their large mobile truck there and will be taping a full production of our event. Also planning to attend are Mayor Sylvia Sutherland, MPP Jeff Leah and MP Dean Delmastro. Everyone is welcome.

...Pam Dickey and Chuck Ross

United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada, Hamilton Branch, will host UEL Day in Ontario, 11 a.m., June 19, at the United Empire Loyalist Monument, 50 Main St. E., Hamilton. Guest speaker H. V. Nelles of McMaster University. Call 905-632-6516 for more details.

On June 19, 2006, Kingston and District Branch, United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada, will present a Loyalist Flag for permanent display in the Stuart Room of St. George's Anglican Cathedral at 10:30 a.m. The presentation will be followed by a short tour of the Cathedral and then continue on to discover some interesting historical insights into the first grantees of town plots and the buildings existing on them in 1815. Entrepreneurs in the 1840s, expecting the seat of government and the riches it might bring, were somewhat thwarted in their developments. Anyone interested is invited to take part in these events.

...Barbara Bonner, UE

The Quinte Branch UELAC will have a Flag Raising Ceremony at the newly restored Loyalist Monument in Belleville. Program will consist of a walking parade forming across from Belleville City Hall, our youth Fife & Drum, colours, KRRNY, dignitaries & friends to the Loyalist flag pole donated to the City by our Bay of Quinte Branch UEL and is located beside the Loyalist Monument & Cairns situated at the corner of Front & Dundas Streets

Message of welcome from Her Worship, Mayor Sills, singing of the Royal Anthem by local singer Jeff Nelson during the raising of the loyalist flag by re-enactment members of the Kings Royal Regiment of New York. This will be followed by Rev. Maurice McLeod offering a prayer, speaker Harry Danford UE will elude to his private members bill which received Royal Assent on December 18, 1997 with June 19 being chosen as the date for United Empire Loyalist's to be recognized and an opportunity to celebrate their Loyalist heritage on that date as Loyalist Days in Ontario. The celebration will close with the singing of O Canada& the Loyalist prayer. Refreshments to include a decorated cake to honour the occasion. Mondays activities form up at 10:45 across from City Hall and the ceremony begins at 11:00 followed by refreshments.

...Janet Eggleton

Loyalist Rose at Ottawa's Experimental Farm

The Sir Guy Carleton Branch held an impromptu Loyalist Rose presentation ceremony at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa. The Maiden's Blush (Loyalist Rose) plant they had had did not survive the winter. Fred Hayward brought a Loyalist Rose from his garden to the AGM to donate to the Farm. On June 11th at 2 pm, a small gathering of Loyalists appeared to donate the plant to Brian Douglas and Sharon Saunders, representing the farm. Christopher, Rory, and Mairead Hayward McEwen, grandchildren of Fred's, spread some earth around the plant. Maj. Duff Mitchell told the story of the Loyalist Rose. George and Janet Anderson, and Sylvia Powers appeared in period dress. Also present were Annette Murray, Gary Bagley, Bill Powers, Sarah Hayward, Ed and Elizabeth Kipp. Photos from this event might appear in the branch website, and newsletter, as well as the Loyalist Gazette. Following the ceremony the children, who are quite familiar with the farm, showed us a fairy tree. Thanks to the Hayward family and Duff for making it all happen and to Ed for getting it on the website.

...Sylvia Powers, President

Clash of Empires Exhibit at Canadian War Museum

A new exhibit at the Canadian War Museum should attract the interest of many members of UELAC especially those whose ancestors fought in what is sometimes known as the French and Indian Wars.

Clash of Empires tells the story of the Seven Year's War­a conflict that begins with Britain and France fighting for imperial predominance in North America and later spreads to Europe, the West Indies, Africa and Asia. This war changes the world map, sets the stage for the American Revolution and is a decisive factor in the evolution of both Canada and United States.

The exhibition follows the course of the war from its beginnings in the Ohio valley in 1754 when a British and First Peoples' force, led by George Washington and Seneca chief Tanaghrisson, kills a French envoy. It continues through First Peoples and French attacks, and the British victories such as the Battle of the Plains of Abraham,, that bring the war to a close. A final section examines the consequences of the war for the British, French and First Peoples.

For Canada, this is the story of the British Conquest, which incorporated the northern section of New France into the British Empire. For the United States, it was a necessary prelude to the American Revolution. Clash of Empires unites these perspectives. It is a collaborative effort of the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh regional History Centre and the Canadian War Museum.

Almost 200 artifacts from 55 collections, including from the Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of Civilization, highlight the clothing, weapons, art, maps and documents of French, British, and First Peoples participants. Some of the artifacts include:

- A document signed by George Washington confessing to the assassination (“l'assassinat”) of a French envoy;

- A silver wine cup that belonged to Louis-Joseph de Montcalm;

- A selection of paintings by Dominic Serres';

- Benjamin West's The Death of General Wolfe – the most recognized image associated with the Seven Years War­on-loan from the National Gallery of Canada featured exclusively at the CWM venue.

Clash of Empires is presented at the Canadian War Museum from May 31 to November 12, 2006 and will travel to the International Gallery, Smithsonian Institution in the winter of 2007.

The Friends of the Canadian War Museum – Vol. 17 Number 2 May 2006

Fixing old Photos

I had some old and also some more recent pictures which had been damaged or had just faded over time. One recent picture had been written on in ink, and another had several folds or crimps. I found the site tintalasia.com, which specializes in photo repairs

I emailed the damged pictures to the website and they gave me quote and then repaired them. The work is awesome. One of the pictures was around 150 years old and you could hardly even see the face of the person. All you have to do is go to the site, email your picture and ask for a quote.

...Linda McLean, UE

Canadian Census Research Online

One group working on the Canadian census records is Automated Genealogy. The site is split into a few areas:

Index to the 1911 Census of Canada: We are indexing the 1911 Census. This site is far from complete but if you are interested in volunteer transcribing, all areas are now available and the transcription facilities are fully functional. Transcribed pages can be browsed, currently search facilities are only available at the enumeration district level. Please check the 1911 message board for progress reports. Go to the 1911 Census Index home page

Index to the 1901 Census of Canada: The site hosts a free, volunteer-produced online index to the 1901 Census of Canada. The index was transcribed from the census images provided by the National Archives of Canada and proof reading is ongoing. Anyone with a web browser and an internet connection can participate. Transcription of the index is complete with over 5.6 million lines transcribed. The index has links to the images of the original census forms, over 60,000 links to related records, and is completely free to browse or search! Go to the 1901 Census Index home page

[submitted by Bob McCarey]

CanQuotes from Canadawiki

Canadawiki announces a new portal area called CanQuotes, featuring over 5000 indexed Canadian Quotations by person and topic. Your contributions are welcome.

Canadawiki also invites Canadians to help build these Top 1000 lists: the Top 1000 Canadian Events and the Top 1000 Canadians.

Officers of UELAC

The new slate of officers of UELAC as elected and inducted at the Annual General Meeting on June 3, 2006 is now posted.

Remembering Ivan Mitchell UE, 1930-2006

Ivan Mitchell, Sir Guy Carleton Branch President, 1982-83

The lasting impression of Ivan that I carry with me is of a big jolly man. He was very musical and had a good strong singing voice, which gave a needed vitality to lead the singing of anthems at Branch meetings. For many years he was the valued editor of the Branch Newsletter. He had a dry wit. He once described the attitude of a former president of Sir Guy Carleton Branch toward original research as making photocopies!

His Mormon background gave him a sound understanding of the basics of genealogical research. For some time he led the Research Team of The King’s Names Project and carried the burden seriously. It gave me, as director of the project, a lot of confidence that the team was led by such a knowledgeable and responsible person, and I was grateful for it.

Ivan didn’t seem to have a care in the world. One would never guess that when he was in the Air Force he was an officer in the dangerous work of the Bomb Disposal Unit. Perhaps his most memorable experience was retrieving a suspicious brown paper parcel with great care from an almost inaccessible position, only to discover that instead of dismantling a bomb he was destroying some student’s lunch!

...John Ruch, UE, Hon. Pres. Sir Guy Carleton Branch

SMITH McKay – Hazel May UE, 1902-2006

Calgary Herald, Saturday, June 3, 2006. Hazel McKay UE of Calgary died peacefully on Sunday, May 28, 2006 at the age of 104 years, after a brief illness. She was born Hazel Wagar on February 20, 1902 in Parham, Ontario, of United Empire Loyalist stock. Hazel is survived by her children, Jack Smith of Salmon Arm, BC, Betty MacKenzie of Cobourg, ON, and Shirley Cooke of Calgary. She was predeceased by both her husbands, Ralph Smith and Carl McKay. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, 15 Colonel Baker Place N.E., Calgary, AB T2E 4Z3 (Telephone 403-261-7219).

GRANT – Peter Stuart (Scotty), 1924-2006

Peter Stuart (Scotty) Grant of Calgary, died peacefully on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 at the age of 82 years. Peter was born in New Liskeard, ON. He graduated from McGill University in Montreal with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Shortly after graduating in 1948, Peter and his wife Lois moved to Calgary. Peter was also active in the community, in particular with the Rotary Club of South Calgary. Peter is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Stuart and Jane Grant, and Morgan and Michelle Grant; a daughter and son-in-law, Nancy and Dan Lazar; He is also survived by a brother, Hugh Grant of New Liskeard, ON. Memorial tributes may be made directly to the Salvation Army, 420 – 9 Avenue S.E., Calgary, AB T2G 0R9

Response re Food the Loyalists Ate

Wendy is facing a big challenge if her menu is based on what the Loyalists would be eating the first couple of weeks after their landing. First one would wonder how long they were on board the ship starting from the embarkation in the New York harbour. I can offer three sources for her study.

Back in 1983, Lancelot Press Ltd of Hantsport, Nova Scotia published Loyalist Foods in Today's Recipes by Eleanor Robertson Smith. (ISBN 0-88999-183-9) As the introduction states, the reader is invited to "rediscover the fascinating foodways of 200 years ago as gleaned from diaries, letters, day books, yellow fragile pages, motley shades of browned ink, strange scripts, graceful handwriting and forgotten but descriptive phraseology." If you are thinking of the Spring Fleet, look in the section of "Fish" for alewives, gaspereaux and kiacks.

In April 2000, Kawartha Branch published its Hearth and Home 1784-2000 with an introduction by Connie Brummel Crook UE. This collection of recipes reflects the eating habits of the Loyalists who settled in what would be known as Upper Canada. You can learn all about boiled frogs mixed with wild rice or better still, Pioneer Honey Candy. Be sure to check out the recipe for Canned Moose. This book is still available from Kawartha Branch.

A third recommendation is Nothing More Comforting, Canada's Heritage Food by Dorothy Duncan and published by Dundurn Press in 2003. ( ISBN 1-55002-447-7). This is not a Loyalist source as much as it is a record of our heritage foods, both seasonal and regional. In addition to the pertinent recipes, Dorothy provides good background information as to the discovery and development of Canada's unique foods- potatoes, cranberries, corn. Another good recipe for the Spring fleet would be Solomon Gundy or Fish and Brewis.

Whatever she chooses, I am looking forward to reading the menu that Wendy plans for the Vancouver Branch.

...Fred H. Hayward UE

More on the Blue Loyalist Plate

Returning the Gazette's to the filing cabinet I noticed on the back of the Autumn 1969 issue the promotion of "the New U.E.L. Souvenir Plate - the blue series. The price of the plate then was $2.00, plus $.25, plus $.10 Ontario Sales Tax plus exchange on cheque. "Therefore, the total price for a mail-order souvenir plate is $2.35 in Ontario.

Joel Stone was the Loyalist founder of Gananoque, b. 1749, d. 1833

Originally from the Litchfield/Woodbury area of Connecticut, he was a farmer's son who by the time of the Revolution had set himself up as a prosperous merchant. He remained loyal to the British Crown, and was forced to flee to Long Island where he served as a volunteer in the local patrols, as a recruiter, militia captain and even for a time as a marine on a privateering ship. Eventually he made his way to Upper Canada where he secured lands at the confluence of the Gananoque and St.Lawrence Rivers, rising to prominence as a JP and a Militia Colonel along with other public offices. In the War of 1812, his personal property was again trageted by American forces as his reputation as an ardent "Tory" was still known.

I am currently putting together a website based on his life story and the settlement of Gananoque as part of a Public History project at the University of Western Ontario. I am wondering if anyone has information on other Loyalists from the Litchfield area, I have some names already from the Leeds and Grenville area. Also, I am somewhat short on images to display on the website. If anyone has any of a general nature - loyalist soldiers, events etc. that they would like to see included I would greatly appreciate it. Full credits would be given and links made to other sites. This is a non-profit project.

...Tim Compeau, MA Candidate, UWO {t_compeau AT hotmail DOT com}

Barnett Schnell

Also need help with Barnett Schnell (Snell) c1722-1781 or 1782 at James Island, Charleston, South Carolina. Was he a Loyalist? His two daughters married Adam Fralick, U.E.L. and his son George applied. His claim is in "United Empire Loyalists Second Report of the Bureau of Archives for the Province of Ontario, 1904".

I have 2 members descending from Adam Fralick, and would like to get a certificate from Barnett Schnell, but he doesn't show up in my 23 Loyalist books.

...Lynne Cook {lynnecook AT personainternet DOT com} how do I email her?

To protect the people who send in queries from unwanted spam email, the online edition of Loyalist Trails no longer uses direct hyperlinks for their email addresses. Simply rewrite "name AT website DOT net" as name@website.net and sent your email to that address. For example, "doug DOT grant AT insurance-canada DOT ca" is doug.grant@insurance-canada.ca. Contact Doug with questions, or to be put in touch with someone whose email address is not listed.