Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2007 Archive

In this issue:
- Loyalist Hymn Sing by Stephen Davidson
- "At The End Of The Trail" UELAC Conference 2007
- Index to Damages in New Jersey by the British and Americans, 1776 to 1782 by John D. Beatty
- The "Family Compact" Myth
- OGS Seminar 2007, Friday, June 1, 2007 to Sunday June 3, 2007
- DNA Testing Project to Record Loyalist DNA Signatures
- The David Library of the American Revolution
- Loyalist Directory Information Posted for John Dennis
- First Loyalist Baby of 2007?
- Last Post: Elizabeth Allen (Akin) Rawls UE
- Last Post: Harriet Donalda (nee Salsbury) K.G.H. R.N. Jeffrey
- Queries
      + Horace Hills and Charlotte Hills Beasley Painting Circle
      + Cricket in Early Canada

Loyalist Hymn Sing by Stephen Davidson

[In issue Newsletter 2006-48 Dec. 17, 2006 the following was published with a couple of Christmas Hymns. Herewith the more comprehensive everyday list]

I have to confess that I let my mind wander as I sing hymns on Sunday morning. I find myself wondering what my loyalist ancestors (whether they were Anglican,Baptists, Methodists, or Congregationalists) sang in their worship services. My eye wanders over to the writer's vital statistics just above the words and music in the hymnal, and I try to figure out if within that life time the writer could have created hymns that would have been sung in the American colonial period.

When I raised the question of loyalist hymns with a cousin, she passed along this postscript from a letter George Washington wrote on December 10, 1782: "P.S. If you will send Mrs Washington, Watts' Psalms and Hymns with the price, the Money will be remitted to you." It was a clue! Washington, like many loyalists, was an Anglican. His favourite hymns may have been sung by the king's loyal subjects, too.

Finally, I decided to do a "Google" search to see what Christians were singing in America in the 1760s and 70s. I found that there were two very prominent hymn writers for the period -- both of whom were English-- and that their hymns are still being sung today.

The writers were Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley. Their hymns were part of the Great Revivals in England and crossed the ocean with Methodists and Anglicans.

I've listed (below) some of their more familiar hymns which can be still be found in the hymnals of many denominations. Now that I have discovered these songs I won't be so distracted by daydreams of loyalists -- I'll be able to sing along in spirit with my ancestors as we sing "their" hymns. There'll also be the new understanding of the strength and comfort these hymns would have given the loyalist refugees.

See if there are any of your favourite (or at least familiar)hymns in the lists.

Some Well-known Hymns of Isaac Watts

• My Shepherd will supply my need
• Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
• O (Our) God, our help in ages past
• Joy to the world! The Lord is come
• From all that dwell below the skies
• This is the day the Lord hath made
• I'll praise my maker while I've breath
• When I survey the wondrous cross
• Alas, and did my Savior bleed ( aka At the Cross)
• I sing th'Almighty Pow'r of God
• Come, we that love the Lord ( aka We're Marching to Zion)
• Am I a Soldier of the Cross?
• When I Read My Title Clear

Some of Charles Wesley's more well known hymns:

• A Charge to Keep I Have
• And Are We Yet Alive
• And Can It Be that I Should Gain
• Blest Be the Dear Uniting Love
• Blow Ye the Trumpet, Blow
• Christ, from Whom All Blessings Flow
• Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
• Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies
• Come, and Let Us Sweetly Join
• Come, Holy Ghost, Our Hearts Inspire
• Come, Let Us Join Our Friends Above
• Come, Let Us Use the Grace Divine
• Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast
• Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
• Depth of Mercy
• Forth in Thy Name, O Lord
• Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
• How Can We Sinners Know
• I Want a Principle Within
• Jesus, Lord, We Look to Thee
• Jesus, Lover of My Soul
• Jesus! the Name High over All
• Jesus, Thine All-Victorious Love
• Jesus, United by Thy Grace
• Let Us Plead for Faith Alone
• Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending
• Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
• Maker, in Whom We Live
• O Come and Dwell in Me
• O For a Heart to Praise My God
• O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
• O Love Divine, What Hast Thou Done
• O Thou Who Camest from Above
• Praise the Lord Who Reigns Above
• Rejoice, the Lord Is King
• Soldiers of Christ, Arise
• Spirit of Faith, Come Down
• Thou Hidden Source of Calm Repose
• 'Tis Finished! The Messiah Dies
• Ye Servants of God

I am passing these along on the chance that you might one day want to choose songs that were known to be sung by the loyalists for a historic event. It's a handy resource to have.

[contributed by Stephen Davidson]

"At The End Of The Trail" UELAC Conference 2007

Be sure to bring some tissue because "You Be The Judge" will have you rolling in the aisles with tears of laughter. A tour of Mackenzie Hall "the Old Courthouse" will be followed by a delicious buffet dinner prepared just for us. Settle in and relax as you watch the trial unfold right before your eyes. It will keep you laughing in your seats as we participate and decided whether the defendant is guilty or innocent - a night that will not soon be forgotten.

The Conference is only 142 days away. Send your Registration Form in early to take advantage of the early bird fees. Click here for more details, including the Registration Form and Itinerary.

...Kimberly Hurst UE, 2007 Conference Chair, May 31st-June 3rd 2007, Windsor, Ontario, Bicentennial Branch

Index to Damages in New Jersey by the British and Americans, 1776 to 1782 by John D. Beatty

Genealogists researching the Revolutionary War period focus all too often on military service and pension records, failing to realize that the war generated a variety of other records of historical and genealogical value, including claims made by civilians for damages. New Jersey, a major battleground state, kept a record of the claims of its pro-American civilians who lost property either to the British army, to loyalists, or to the revolutionary cause. The original record volumes in the New Jersey State Archives, now available on three microfilm rolls at ACPL, offer a rich account of life during the revolutionary period.

The first roll contains a typescript index of claimants, arranged alphabetically. After each name is a column listing the county and specific place of residence (usually a town or township), a column with an "A" or "B", indicating whether the damages were caused by the Americans or the British, the number of the claim, and a final column (only occasionally filled out), listing the person's occupation or other remarks. The remaining two rolls consist of the original handwritten volumes containing inventories of items lost or stolen, as well as, for some counties, depositions of neighbors corroborating the claims, though these names are not in the index. The first of these two rolls is comprised of Franklin and Saddle River townships of Bergen County, as well as Burlington, Middlesex, and Somerset counties. The second contains Passaic and Essex counties (including the city of Newark), additional parts of Bergen, Burlington, and Somerset counties, and Morris County. The arrangement of each volume varies: some have page numbers, while others are arranged by claim number. It is sometimes difficult to determine what county is being examined as some volumes have nothing written on their title pages. Other volumes have tabs listing specific townships that help identify various sections. Follow the contents as listed in our microtext catalog.

The information in these volumes is well worth any challenges faced in using them. For example, in Somerset County, one finds: "Inventory of Goods and Chattels of Elizabeth Covenhoven, now but when plundered was Elizabeth Probasco, widow of Stoffel Probasco, dec'd, taken and destroyed by the British army and their adherents in the months of January and June 1777." The inventory that follows includes "1 negro man aged 30 years" valued at £90, as well as six milch cows, a field of wheat containing 20 acres, 1 hog, assorted pewter platters and plates, a brass kettle, and a tea kettle. In addition to information establishing a person at a particular location, these inventories offer incidental history about the contents of houses and farms, making them uniquely valuable for researching New Jersey during this time period.

To subscribe to Genealogy Gems, simply visit the website; scroll down toward the bottom of the first screen where it says, "Enter Your Email Address to Subscribe to "Genealogy Gems"; enter your email address in the yellow box and click on "Subscribe." You will be notified with a confirmation email.

[submitted by Nancy Conn, from the latest newsletter "Genealogy Gems" sent by the staff of Allen County Public Library, in Fort Wayne, Indiana]

The "Family Compact" Myth

Sometimes, if we read something often enough we are inclined to believe it. Until recently, what I knew about the "Family Compact" equals what is written on the Wikipedia website, that is:

"The Family Compact was the informal name for the wealthy, conservative elite of Upper Canada in the early 19th century…centred in Toronto. Its most important member was Bishop John Strachan; in fact, many of the other members were his former students, or people who were in some way related to him. The rest of the members were mostly descendants of United Empire Loyalists or recent upper-class British settlers.'

'Given that the Family Compact is viewed negatively stating that "the rest of the members were mostly descendants of United Empire Loyalists" misrepresents the truth. Two recently published books have taken this a step further. "Private Demons," by Patricia Phenix quotes "The Rock and the Sword: A History of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Kingston, Ontario," by Brian Osborne, when it says, "together with Niagara, and York, Kingston became one of the centres of military, political, and social control administered by the Loyalist elite known as the 'Family Compact'."

Statistical fact does not bear this out. From its creation in 1792 to its dissolution in 1841, the Executive Council [Family Compact] of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada had 36 members that served a total of 283 years. Of those, a total of 4 were UE (three having served with the Queen's Rangers and 1 with the King's Royal Regiment of New York). Those four veterans of provincial regiments, in the American Revolution, sat for 53 years, or 19% of the service on the Executive Council.

Four sons of United Empire Loyalists' served 12% of the time between 1792 and 1841. Speaking of Sons and Grandsons of UE's may not be relevant as further statistical analysis will probably prove that there were as many UE Grits as there were UE Tories in the Legislative Assembly.

(nb. of the two men hanged after the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837, one, Peter Matthews, was the grandson of Captain Peter Ruttan, the Adolphustown Loyalist)

At least 40% of the total service on the Executive Council was either Scottish born or Scottish descendants. For me to say that the Family Compact was controlled by a "Scottish Mafia" makes as much sense as saying it was "administered by the Loyalist elite."

...Brandt Zätterberg, Executive Director, UEL Heritage Centre & Park

OGS Seminar 2007, Friday, June 1, 2007 to Sunday June 3, 2007

The Ontario Genealogical Society will hold its annual Seminar in Ottawa Canada in 2007. The conference will be held at Algonquin College, with the accommodation, banquet and seminar all on the campus. Local transit can have you at Library and Archives Canada in less than twenty minutes. The weekend includes 37 lectures and eight workshops by prominent genealogists and historians from across Canada and the US.

Theme: Ottawa, the Nation's Capital for 150 years: The Peopling of Canada

Website: www.ogsseminar.org

Email: conference@ogsottawa.on.ca

Location: Algonquin College, 1385 Woodroffe Ave., Ottawa, Ontario

The first registration deadline for OGS Seminar 2007 is coming up on January 31st. If you planning to attend this conference in Ottawa June 1-3, 2007, and you want the best registration rates, have a look at our web site, print out the registration form and send it in by January 31st.

...Edward Kipp, Program chair

DNA Testing Project to Record Loyalist DNA Signatures

I am pleased to announce the establishment of a DNA testing project whose aim is to identify the Y-chromosome DNA signature of each Loyalist who served his country during the War of the American Revolution by using Y-STR testing of documented descendants in the male line, and further to identify his deep ancestral roots in ancient times via Y-SNP testing. Cross validation will be required such as testing the documented descendants of two sons of the Loyalist. An example can be seen here. A mtDNA Project for Loyalist direct female line lineages will emerge after the Y-DNA work is underway.

The testing will be completed by EthnoAncestry at their University of London, England laboratory. Discount prices will be established for this work. The testing will be supervised by world renown population geneticists Dr. James F. Wilson and Dr. Gianpiero Cavalleri.

Project work will begin in the first week of February. If you are interested in this Project kindly send me an e-mail at and I will place your name on a Project mailing list and communicate with you during the month of February. Please indicate your specific interests, and, if you are able to assist the Project Manager in any capacity such as website development, kindly outline what form this assistance could take. Thank you.

Plans include working closely with the United Empire Association of Canada with the ultimate goal being the establishment of a registry of the DNA signatures of all Loyalists who meet the criteria as established by the Association.

...David Faux, Ph.D., U.E., Descendant of Lt. John Young of the Six Nations Indian Department, {fauxdk AT yahoo DOT com} how do I email her?

[submitted by Ed Kipp, Sir Guy Carleton Branch]

The David Library of the American Revolution

The nucleus of books and manuscripts initially donated by Feinstone has now grown to include 40,000 printed materials in bound volumes and microcards, as well as 10,000 reels of microfilm containing original American, British, Loyalist, French and German records. The collections also hold a wealth of material on women, families, African Americans, and Indians. Facilities include the research library, a conference centre, and a residence facility for visiting fellows.

The library is particularly strong in materials from British sources, some of which are not available elsewhere in this country. It has underwritten the microfilming of collections that are relatively inaccessible. Significant collections from Britain include: American Loyalist Claims; Sir Jeffrey Amherst Papers; Lord Cornwallis Papers; Sir Frederick Haldimand Papers; Sir Guy Carleton (British Headquarters) Papers; Admiralty Secretary's Letters; Colonial Office Correspondence; Annual Army Lists; War Office Papers; Foreign Office Papers; and Home Office Papers. In addition to the complete Loyalist claims series, the library also has other materials from Canada and Britain on Americans who opposed the Revolution such as American Loyalist Muster Rolls; Ward Chipman Papers; and Documents Relating to Refugees. Information on German troops may be found in British records and Hessian Documents of the American Revolution.

Click here for more information.

[submitted by David Kemlo, Kawartha Branch]

Loyalist Directory Information Posted for John Dennis

John DENNIS, UEL, shipwright, born 1758 Philadelphia, died 25 Aug 1832 during a cholera outbreak in York (Toronto). With his father, Henry, fought on the British side during the American Revolution and, as a consequence, lost their lands in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Married in New York in 1781 to Martha BROWN, widow of Surgeon McLANEY or McLARY of the Royal Navy. Took up arms against the French in St Lucia, 1783. Settled in Shelburne and then Beaver Harbour, Nova Scotia later that year. By 1789 living in Pennfield, New Brunswick. Returned to the US in 1795 to farm in Alexandria, Virginia, but disliked the politics and returned to settle near the River Humber in Upper Canada, on a farm named Button Wood or Buttonwood. Granted 500 acres of land by the British government in return for building a ship at Kingston dockyards for use during the War of 1812.

Click here for the Loyalist directory.

...[contributed by Patrick Adams, {pjacommittee AT netscape DOT net} how do I email him?

First Loyalist Baby of 2007?

Newspapers and radio reports indicated that Tyler James Wannamaker was the first Bay of Quinte area baby of 2007, when he arrived at Belleville, Jan 1st. With a name like Wannamaker we know that a) his ancestors were German, b) they settled in New Jersey, c) they came to Canada in 1791, and d) he could be from the Loyalist branch of the family. Imagine! All that info, and I have never even met him!

...Peter Johnson UE

Last Post: Elizabeth Allen (Akin) Rawls UE

Toronto Branch member Elizabeth Rawls UE passed away on Dec. 21st in Georgia. She was the wife of the late Charles Rawls Sr. and a descendant of the Harris UE and Thum(Thorne) UE families. Elizabeth and her husband were regulars at many UELAC Conferences over the years, and amongst the most enthusiastic of our American members. In 1994 a gathering took place for a ceremony at Union Cemetery in Port Hope ON when Elizabeth had Loyalist references attached to her Allen family marker. Many would like to honour their Loyalist ancestors. She was one who did something about it! The Rawls were a most gracious and friendly couple, and they will be missed.

...Peter W. Johnson UE

Last Post: Harriet Donalda (nee Salsbury) K.G.H. R.N. Jeffrey

JEFFREY, Harriet Donalda (nee Salsbury) K.G.H. R.N. - Class of 1944 - At the John M. Parrott Centre in Napanee on Tuesday, January 2, 2007, in her 85th year. Beloved wife of George H. Jeffrey of Camden East. Predeceased by her parents Edgar Salsbury and Elda Clancy and her son Peter. Loving mother of Margaret Linger (Peter) and Sheila Jeffrey (Edward Stemborowski). Dear sister of Lloyd (Rita) of P.E.I. and the late Yvonne Everson, George and Maurice. Interment St. Luke's Cemetery, Camden East. In lieu of flowers, donations to the L&A Hospital Foundation or the Napanee Salvation Army.

Mrs. Jeffery was a descendant of the Loyalist families of Henry Mitts, Jacob H. Gordonier, Johann Jacob Schmidt, Elias Huffman, William Reed, Peter Wartman, Michael Grass, Barnabas Day, and Gilbert Purdy; all familiar names in the Cataraqui Townships that surround the Bay of Quinte.

Harriet Jeffery was a former Bay of Quinte Branch Genealogist who, until recent years, also prepared the Branch newsletters for mailing. Mrs. Jeffery was also a Past-President of the Lennox and Addington Historical Society.

...Brandt Zätterberg

Horace Hills and Charlotte Hills Beasley Painting Circle

I wonder if any reader has information on Horace Hills, UE who died on March 31, 1848. He was a builder in Hamilton. Horace's brother, Albert, was an architect and is featured in the Dictionary of Hamilton Biography. Horace had one son born about the time of his death. Horace's daughter Charlotte Hills Beasley was my great-grandmother. I am U.E. because of my ancestor Richard Beasley who is a character in the historical novel I am writing.

But my interest in Horace Hills is because of Charlotte whose watercolours from the early 1880s I am publishing. I want to fill in her background and also piece together information about her painting circle. Marion Shaw, whose husband, Colonel George Shaw, founded the UE organization in Toronto, was a member of her circle. A Mrs J. Stewart was also a member. Rumour in my family has it that Homer Watson painted with the group. If any reader can throw light on any of these persons, I shall be grateful.

...David Beasley {davus AT kwic DOT com} how do I email him?

Cricket in Early Canada

I am trying to write a book on Canadian cricket and have so far discovered that the game was prevalent in the mid 19th century. In 1844 the first ever cricket international was played, between Canada and the United States, a full 30 years before the first Ashes contest between England and Australia. An English team under George Parr toured Canada in 1859 and a second tour took place in 1872, under the leadership of WG Grace. Grace predicted that cricket would thrive in Canada and at about this time Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir John A. McDonald, declared cricket to be the country's national sport.

I believe that the arrival of loyalists from the US must have played a crucial role in the development of cricket in Canada. Does anybody know of any evidence to support this hypothesis?

...Patrick Adams in the UK, descendant of Loyalist John Dennis, {pjacommittee AT netscape DOT net} how do I email him?

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.