Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2006 Archive
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"Loyalist Trails" 2006-35 September 3, 2006
In this issue:
- Progress at Birchtown
- Mohawk Bus Trip Oct 1-4
- "The Palatine Immigration to the Hudson River in 1710 - with the assistance of Queen Anne of England" (CD)
- Rose House Museum
- Friends and Enemies: The Colonial Albany Social History Project
- CD – Canada: The Loyalists of America and Their Times
- New Book Presents Innovative Study of Historic Camden Battle
- "Thoughts of Our Canadian Soldiers at War," by Brian Jones
- Last Post: Bill Hitchcox
- Queries
+ Benjamin Hilton, Jr.
+ Elizabeth (Betterly) Carson
+ Compensation for Seizure of Loyalist Lands
+ Response re John Hamm
Articles
Debra Hill, Registrar of the Black Loyalist Heritage Society reports that preparations are being made to have Lou Perry, President of the Halifax Branch make the presentation of the UELAC donation to the Recovery Fund some time in September. She is excited that the new copier/printer/fax/scanner arrived on 28 August and the technicians are coming on August 31 to get it installed and networked. There is still much to do. To support the restoration efforts of the Black Loyalist History Society at Birchtown, click here.
...Fred H. Hayward, VP-UELAC
There are still a very few spaces left for the Mohawk Valley bus trip October 1-4. Don't miss this opportunity to visit part of our Loyalist heritage, with seasoned tour guides George and Janet Anderson and Ed and Elizabeth Kipp. George indicates that several people have expressed interest, so don't delay. The description of the trip can be seen here.
...George Anderson UE {andrew1 AT magma DOT ca} how do I email him?
by Doris Cline Ward - "An American-Canadian-American." who was born and educated in Canada, and of Loyalist and Patriot descent.
Covers 600 years of history from 1400 to 2000, showing the development of the conditions of people from medieval times before the advent of printing, to the global situation of people in the 21st Century. It follows a 'real-life' case study of one couple in Palatine Germany, Rupert and Elizabeth (Bundtin) Nelles, and their decision to "get up and leave a situation no longer bearable."
In six parts, it covers the centuries with vivid pictures, maps and brief, historically accurate text, showing:
(1) their Origins,
(2) their harsh experiences travelling to the Hudson River that caused the death of Rupert Nellis and many others,
(3) the settlement of their descendants along the Mohawk River,
(4) the break-out of the American Revolution and their descendants' share in it - both as patriots and as loyalists
(5) the Loyalists' experiences in Upper Canada as they struggled against becoming "just another little England!" to Home Rule, first, followed by Canadian Citizenship in the 1920's in a country that by that time reached from the Atlantic to the Pacific "doing it their way!" as they sang "O Canada - Glorious and Free!"
(6) Accomplishments of Nellis/es descendants of both the Loyalists in Canada and the Patriots in the USA as they each contributed to the building of the gigantic infrastructures of their two countries, and as both sent "thank-you's" in turn to England during World War 2 as they combined to prevent Germany from taking over the United Kingdom.
It is a story to be proud of - in two countries - a way to catch up on the nitty gritty historical details in both countries, and a template for writing anyone else's Palatine family accomplishments during the same time frame, on both sides of the border.
And most importantly, a lesson in future global attitudes essential for young people in both countries who will be in charge of diplomacy on the world stage in years to come, useful for teachers to emphasize.
Approximately 1 hour viewing. Silent version, for use at home or in libraries 4th grade level through college and senior adults. Some color; some black & white visuals.
$20.00 US pstpd $23.00 Canadian, pstpd. Either accepted. For ordering details, contact {dorisward AT aol DOT com}. how do I email her?
"That which we call a Rose by any other name would smell as sweet..." (Romeo & Juliet).
During the weekend of the 26th and 27th the Rose House Museum in Prince Edward County, ON hosted its first Rev War event. The Museum is southeast of Picton, located east of Waupoos in North Marysburgh. The area was settled originally by German Regulars (Rose and Minaker for example), and British Regulars, followed a little later by Loyalists. Included this weekend were members of the King's Royal Yorkers, The Company of Select Marksmen (British Regulars), the King's Rangers, Butler's Rangers, Brant's Volunteers, and of course some German Regulars. I am sure I have missed one or two at that. Music was provided by the Loyalist Fife & Drums. From the reenactors' point of view, it was considered such a good event, that it is hoped that it will be repeated in the future. Until such time, you might wish to take a pleasant drive down to Waupoos and check out the site, which also includes nearby Rose Cemetery.
...Peter W. Johnson UE, President, UELAC
Friends and Enemies: The Colonial Albany Social History Project
Most outsiders viewed colonial Albany as a cultural monolith - whose greedy merchants and disagreeable townspeople have been defamed to the world as "___ Dutch __!" Like all stereotypes, that characterization is based on limited and superficial appreciations of the everyday community and its people. The Colonial Albany Social History Project was formed to understand the community on its own terms - by comprehending the individual and collective lives of its diverse peoples or minorities. Together, they made up a community majority that gave colonial Albany its unique character.
Because the people of colonial Albany, from its leaders to its rank-and-file citizens, were so diversely constituted, they should not be expected to speak with one historical voice on matters so important as their relationship to the British empire (of which they were a part) or to the British monarchy (to whom most native sons and daughters felt no inherent allegiance). To say that Albany was predominately pro or anti British on the eve of the American Revolution is to oversimplify a complex story that began with the founding of the community more than a century before.
That complexity leads us to believe that a fuller story may be told through the individual lives of its diverse people. In many ways, this website and the Colonial Albany Social History Project itself is dedicated to explaining why the people of colonial Albany rejected a way of life under which they had prospered and instead became supporters of a "crusade for American Liberties" that turned colonists into revolutionaries during the 1770s.
This essay provides basic access to the stories of those Albany people who did not support the revolutionary movement and thus were branded as "Tories" or "Loyalists." It also will serve as a point of departure for a more in-depth look at "Loyalism in Colonial Albany" in the future!
We begin by offering two dramatic acts that begin to reveal how things were shaping up in the colonial city. The first concerned resistance to the Stamp Act in 1766 while the second signaled the "beginning of the end" in June of 1776.
Albany's historically visible loyalists were a relatively small group. They numbered perhaps fifty and mostly were men. A substantial number of other community people did not support anti-British and then Revolutionary measures and activities. However, at this point, the best parts of their stories remain historically mute! The visible/historically prominent loyalists fall into five general groups: Royal officials; those with economic ties to the royal government or the British economy; the spouses of the first two groups; and a larger but less definable number of "passive loyalists" and would-be neutrals. Yet another notable group of non supporters left Albany prior to the outbreak of hostilities.
Royal officials included Mayor Abraham C. Cuyler, Stephen De Lancey - the city and county clerk, Sheriff Henry Ten Eyck, postmaster John Monier, justice of the peace John Munro, and the Reverend Harry Munro - rector of St. Peters Anglican church.
Royal adherents included merchants John Stevenson, James Dole, and William Kane; skippers William Pemberton, Robert Hoaksley, John Roff, and John Fryer; and innkeepers Richard Cartwright, Benjamin Hilton, Jr., and James Furnival.
Spouses and widows included: Jane Edger, Genevieve Masse Lydius, Janet Glen Cuyler, and the notorious Widow Clement.
Passive loyalists and would-be neutrals included native sons Baltus Lydius, Dr. Henry Van Dyck, Gysbert Fonda, Cornelis Glen, and the Van Allen brothers.
The most prominent of a long list of those who left included George Wray, States Dyckman, John Macomb and his son-in-law Francis Pfister, Thomas Swords, the Jessup brothers, the Robertsons, and the Tunnicliffs. Suspected Stamp Tax collector Henry Van Schaack returned to his native Kinderhook several years earlier.
This website already has introduced you to a number of individuals whose lives are the community-based cast for the early Albany story. More than 3,000 early Albany people lived through the so-called era of the American Revolution. Their individual and collective stories are central to The Other Revolutionaries: The People of Albany and American Independence, 1763-83, a major research and programming initiative now being undertaken by the Colonial Albany Project.
Stereotypes! Use your imagination! Most of the outside observers, on whose written accounts descriptions of the Albany community historically have been based, did just that instead of seeking to understand the often bewildering actions and events that prompted their presently bewildering (in the face of historical evidence) conclusions and observations. In time, this website will consider the statements made by each of the large number of outside observers from Isaac Jogues to Timothy Dwight and beyond.
[submitted by Bill Glidden]
CD – Canada: The Loyalists of America and Their Times
Charles Geo. Ross UE OF Kawartha Branch recently distributed information about "Canada: The Loyalists of America and Their Times from 1620 to 1816" – Volumes. CD-WIN/MAC from AMERICAN-REVOLUTION-D@rootsweb.com, 18 August 2006.
"In just two volumes this book, published in 1880, covers an enormous sweep of North American history and does so while encompassing events both at the national level and at the very personal level. An absolute necessity for those tracing their Loyalist roots."
We have found that the original books are listed in Lt. Col. Smy’s Bibliography and Toronto Branch has the two volume set on its Research Shelves. However, the message was regarding the CD set. This has been reviewed by Paul Bunnell.
New Book Presents Innovative Study of Historic Camden Battle
Charleston, SC: On the 226th anniversary of The Battle of Camden, The History Press is proud to present a new look at one of the most influential battles of the Revolutionary War in Jim Piecuch’s The Battle of Camden: A Documentary History. This engaging book presents the Battle of Camden as never before: through the eyes and words of American and British participants and contemporary observers.
On August 16, 1780, British and American troops fought in this frenzied, bloody battle. Although a loss for the American troops, the battle at Camden inspired renewed determination in Patriot forces to resist British advances, and the lessons from their defeat were applied to secure future victories that finally allowed the Patriots to triumph in the South.
In this exciting new work, the events leading up to the conflict, the combat itself, and the consequences of Camden are all described in striking detail. But Piecuch’s Camden is not simply an analysis of the Battle itself, but rather an exploration of its wider effects in America and Europe with consideration to such notable figures as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Lord George Germain.
Jim Piecuch has a Ph.D in History from the College of William and Mary and has been an author and teacher for over fourteen years. He has written numerous published articles and papers on the Revolutionary Era and has been featured in several historical anthologies. This is his first book.
The Battle of Camden: A Documentary History
ISBN: 1-59629-144-3
Format: Paperback
Pages: 160
Price: $24.99
Release date: September 2006
The History Press, based in Charleston, South Carolina, and Gloucester, Massachusetts, brings a new way of thinking to history publishing: producing regional history titles by excellent historians and striving to make these books available to a wide audience. By publishing high-quality history and heritage titles with a strong regional base, The History Press plays a part in the revival of interest in local and regional history that is underway. See historypress.net for more.
"Thoughts of Our Canadian Soldiers at War," by Brian Jones
In 2003 I wrote and published a book entitled "Thoughts of Our Canadian Soldiers at War", a collection of short stories that pay tribute to the men and women who went off to war from the Boer War to the Korean War and peacekeeping duties that Canada has played an integral part in the world. I wrote this book to help encourage lifelong learning by our younger generations of what our brave soldiers and veterans have done for us. "Thoughts of Our Canadian Soldiers at War" (Updated Version) has seven additional stories to help better reflect a wider contribution by our diverse cultural makeup. If you are interested in purchasing a copy or copies please contact me at the above address or e mail. The cost of one copy is $8.00 per book plus postage - cost for multiple copies can be arranged.
...Brian Jones (YNH Books) {brian DOT jones6 AT sympatico DOT ca} 10 McConnell Lane, Newmarket, ON, L3Y 7M1
HITCHCOX, William Dudley - At the Cama Woodlands Nursing Home, Burlington on Wednesday, August 30, 2006, in his 85th year. Beloved husband of Norma Hitchcox. Hamilton Branch is sorry to note the passing of Bill Hitchcox, husband of Norma UE (whose Loyalist ancestor was William Van Koughnet).
(Information about Benjamin Hilton Jr. by Stefan Bielinski.) Benjamin Hilton, Jr. was baptized in September 1749. He was the son of Benjamin and Mary Price Hilton. He was known as Benjamin Jr. to prevent confusion with his well-known father.
This innkeeper's son grew up on Albany's southside, was listed as a private in an Albany militia company in 1767 and later served on the city night watch. In September 1774, he was one of the founding members of St. George's Masonic Lodge in Schenectady.
Benjamin Jr. helped out at the family establishment where he came into frequent contact with English speakers and began to identify with the royalist perspective on colonial life.
Although he contributed three shillings for the relief of Ticonderoga in May 1775, he would not follow his neighbors down the road to Revolution.
About that time, he was appointed lieutenant of a new militia company but refused to serve. Losing his father as he was coming of age, Benjamin Jr. already had begun to express his feelings of opposition to the crusade for American liberties. His letters to prominent Tories were not appreciated! In January 1776, the twenty-seven-year-old was placed under house arrest. In June, he refused to sign the Association and subsequently was deported to Hartford, Connecticut. His inflamatory written rhetoric made his freedom in Albany impossible. Even the support of his uncle, revolutionary stalwart John Price, could no longer save him.
In November 1779, a New York newspaper announced that he had married Susannah Griswold at Hempstead Plains. In 1781, he was again denounced as a loyalist.
In 1784, he settled in Wolfville, Nova Scotia where he resumed Masonic activities.
During the 1790s, he sold his family's Albany real estate. We seek information on the rest of the story of Benjamin Hilton, Jr.
Sources: The life of Benjamin Hilton, Jr. is CAP biography number 1876. This profile is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.
Query: We seek information on the rest of the story of Benjamin Hilton, Jr., to Stefan Bielinski: {sbielins AT mail DOT nysed DOT gov} how do I email him?
[submitted by Bill Glidden]
I have been researching the life of William Carson (1743-1829). He was a private in the 29th Regt of Foot from at least 1765. He was discharged a Sargeant in 1784 and was granted land in Marysburgh, Prince Edward County, Ontario. I have detailed information on his military career as well as information on his land holdings and his family in Ontario.
My interest in William is that, while stationed in Boston just prior to the Revolution, he married Elizabeth Betterly, the sister of my ancestor, William Betterly. I am trying to find out what became of Elizabeth, and, perhaps by posting a query in your newsletter, I may be able to obtain some information that could help with this search.
...Larry McGrath {LRMcG AT aol DOT com}
Compensation for Seizure of Loyalist Lands
My grandfather, a UEL descendant who was living in Brandon MB at the time, was involved in the 1920's or 1930's in some sort of group claim for compensation for the confiscation of Loyalist lands during the American Revolution. I assume the action was organized by the UEL Society. Do you know what became of this action? If you don't know, do you know where I might find out?
...John G Batho {gerbato AT shaw DOT ca} how do I email him?
Saw your query in Loyalist Trails. Always nice to see questions about a soldier that I know a lot about. I won't cite sources for my information, but if you care to correspond, I can direct you to the material.
Military sources agree with John's birth year of 1757. John first served in Col John Peters' Queen's Loyal Rangers (QLR) in 1777. Part way through that campaign, John transferred, along with a great number of other men, to the Loyal Volunteers (LV). It would seem that John had been amongst the first wave of LV's to join with Burgoyne. All of those men were attached to the QLR for administration, and then, when the commander and balance of the LV's arrived in August, those first wave men left the QLR to join their original regiment. This event caused no end of grief in later years.
In 1778, a reinforced company (100 men) was selected from the residue of the LV and placed under the command of Captain Robert Leake, an LV captain. This company was known as Leake's Independent Company (LIC) and was assigned to serve with the 1st battalion, King's Royal Regiment of New York (King's Royal Yorkers or KRR NY). LIC saw extensive service from that time forward as the de facto 11th Company of the KRR.
John Hamm is found on a LIC muster roll in 1781.
In Nov 81, many of the smaller corps underwent a major reorganization. LIC was absorbed into the 2nd battalion, RR NY, with Robert Leake as the battalion's senior captain. As the men of LIC had seen extensive service, they were distributed amongst the companies of the 2nd battalion to supply a fabric of experienced men.
John Hamm is returned as a Private soldier in Captain William Redford Crawford's Company in 1782. John subsequently was promoted to Corporal and served as such in 1783&84, although in which company has not been determined.
Military records show that John was settled in Cataraqui Township No.3 (CT3) Fredericksburg in 1785&86. He was on his own, i.e. without a family. A later 1786 roll shows him as settled one township to the east, in CT2 Ernesttown. Such movement was quite common.
Reid's book, "The Loyalists in Ontario" gives his wife as Elizabeth Densbaugh, born approx 1763 and died 04May1845.
As to John's date of marriage, it would seem that the 1786 CT2 roll indicated he was still single at that time, assuming that ___ Ham is in fact John.
If you are interested in the history of the KRR NY, you might consider this book.
...Gavin K. Watt H/VP UELAC
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.