Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2009 Archive

In this issue:
- Four Widows Appeal to the Montreal Hearings -- © Stephen Davidson
- Loyalist Church Service at St. Albans the Martyr in Adolphustown June 14, 2pm
- A Sketch of The Life of Randel “Randy” McDonell/McDonald U.E.L. by Jim Willis
- "Loyalist Tales From New York to Canada" by Mark Jodoin
- Phebe Huff/Hough Family Graves saved for Posterity
- Louks/Loucks Family Association Reunion July 17-19 Morrisburg
- Palatine Project yDNA Testing: Louks/Loucks Family
- 2010 Celebrations for the 300th Anniversary of the Palatine Arrival in America
- The Mystery of The Remains of Loyalist Descendant Gladys Winifred Fowler
- The First Shots of the American Revolution
- Additions to the Loyalist Directory
- Queries
      + Parents of Eve Bowman

Four Widows Appeal to the Montreal Hearings -- © Stephen Davidson

When the British government decided to provide financial compensation to their loyal American subjects at the end of the Revolution, it had the audacity to hold the hearings in Great Britain, expecting the loyalist refugees to cross the Atlantic to petition for aid! By 1786, the government realized that in fairness to the often destitute loyalists, it should convene the compensation board hearings in British North America. Thus it was that in the late 1780s, major settlements such as Shelburne, Halifax, Saint John, Quebec, and Montreal became vital destinations for displaced Americans who felt they deserved to be compensated for their loyalty. Among the petitioners who attended the hearings in Montreal were four widows who had endured a great deal during the Revolution.

When Margaret met her husband Thomas Evans, he was an English immigrant who had settled near Salisbury, North Carolina. The couple had four children, the oldest of whom, Samuel, was born in 1769. The Evanses owned five African slaves to work their 100-acre farm that supported 11 horses, 20 cattle, and "a good house".

At the outbreak of the revolution, Thomas joined the British, serving with the king's forces for six years. He raised a militia of loyalist soldiers which he led as their captain. this company fought from the Carolinas to Florida; during which time Evans was wounded in action. In her husband's absence, rebels came to Margaret Evans' home, stealing their livestock and making off with her furniture. Rebels took some of the Evans' slaves, but others ran away.

In 1783, Margaret and Thomas were reunited and settled with their four children in Canada. Thomas promptly sent off a claim for compensation to England, but the ship carrying his petition was lost at sea. It would be five years before the Evans' claims for financial aid would be heard. By the time Margaret stood before the compensation board in Montreal in 1788, Thomas was dead, and she had married a man named FitzSimmons. The newly formed family was living in the community of Rawdon.

Flora Livingston was the widow of Sergeant John Livingston, a Scotsman who had settled along the Delaware River. When John went off to serve with Sir John Johnson, rebels descended upon his property. They seized his calves, cows, hogs, bull, and horse along with the family's furniture, selling them to support their cause.

Flora and her only son Neil fled north to Niagara in 1780. Her husband continued to serve in the army right through until the summer of 1783. Tragically, with only months left before peace was declared, John Livingston drowned. Flora and Neil went to Coteau du Lac in the fall; by winter's end they were in the Cascades. Flora had to wait four years to seek compensation at the hearings held in Montreal in the fall of 1787. By that time she was "old and sickly and not able to attend". Neil appeared on her behalf to relate all that the family had suffered for its loyalty to a distant crown.

Sarah Glasford's late husband had also served with Sir John Johnson's First Battalion after leaving his farm in Tryon County. John Glasford had a 100-acre farm, had built a house for his wife and six children, and owned two cows, two oxen, and the usual collection of furniture and "utensils". At the outbreak of the war, Glasford took his family and joined Joseph Brant's band of loyal natives. The refugee family crossed into Canada at Niagara. They had lost all that they had ever owned.

Glasford's brother later testified that John had come "almost naked" across the British lines. After his discharge at the end of the war, John was reunited with his family, and settled in New Johnstown (modern day Cornwall, Ontario). Sarah's hopes for the renewal of a normal life were dashed when John died in 1787. It fell to Widow Glasford to journey to Montreal to seek compensation for her family's losses. The minutes of the hearings note that all six of Sarah's children were living with her and that her oldest son was 20 years old. The marginal notes that indicated the commissioners thought that the Glasfords were "a good family" would seem to indicate that Sarah's appeal was given a compassionate hearing.

Deborah Friel had stood before the same commissioners just months before Sarah Glasford. Her husband, John Friel, had come to America from Ireland 20 years earlier. When the war broke out in 1775, he left Deborah and their three children to fight with Col. Claus and Sir John Johnson. When he returned to Johnstown, Tryon County, the rebels imprisoned him for 18 days. This did little to deter his loyalty,and by 1777 John had once again left his family to serve the British army. He entered Canada through Niagara, dying in 1784.

In the intervening three years, Deborah and the children endured the trials common to those of other loyalist settlers. Her oldest daughter married Samuel Cox, but the young couple lived under the same roof as Deborah and her two young sons. When she sought compensation for her family's losses, Widow Friel was able to produce certificates attesting to her husbands' loyalty and services. How such fragile documents survived the rigours of Ontario's climate until they could be used to secure financial aid for the Friels is not recorded.

The stories of these four loyalist widows underscore the need for good historical novels. The documents of the period give the most meager details of circumstances that must have been incredibly trying. How did these women cope during the absences of their husbands? How did they provide food and shelter for their children? Writers with the gift of putting human flesh onto the skeletal details given in the transcripts of the compensation hearings would help a 21st century audience appreciate the amazing experiences that were so common to Canada's loyal refugee founders.

To secure permission to reprint this article, contact the author at {stephendavids AT gmail DOT com} how do I email him?

Loyalist Church Service at St. Albans the Martyr in Adolphustown June 14, 2pm

Our National President, Fred Hayward, will be giving an address at 2pm Sunday, June 14th at the Anglican Church St. Albans the Martyr in Adolphustown. This is The Loyalist Church so designated, to commemorate the landing of The Loyalists on the adjacent shore. The Loyalist service is held annually to mark the landing. St. Albans is a beautiful church with a magnificent rose window, newly installed a year ago. The service is followed by tea on the lawn. Please join us there if you can - it will be worth it.

...Lin Good, President Kingston Branch UELAC

A Sketch of The Life of Randel "Randy" McDonell/McDonald U.E.L. by Jim Willis

Randy McDonell/McDonald was my 4th great maternal grandfather. I am descended from him through my late mother Mary Elizabeth “Betty” MacDonald (Willis). After providing proofs of my ancestry directly back to Randy, it was his military service with a loyalist provincial regiment known as the First Battalion of the King’s Royal Regiment of New York during the American Revolution and his subsequent inclusion on the U.E.L. Supplementary List (1829) that allowed me membership in the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada in 1994.

Randy was born ca.1762 in the Mohawk Valley area of upstate New York then called the “Province of New York” in Tryon County. His military discharge dated December 24th 1783 states that his birth occurred within the “Parish of Stone Arabia” which is a small hamlet located near the village of Johnstown. It’s almost certain that his parent’s farm was located somewhere in this vicinity on acreage rented from local land baron Sir William Johnson. The Mohawk Valley was a very prosperous area where vast fields of wheat and corn were grown and dairy and beef cattle were raised. To date, Randy’s parentage has not been determined with 100% certainty. My research into this aspect of his life continues.

Nothing more is known of Randy until 1780 when he was about 18 years old. By then, the American Revolution had been underway for almost five years. He had probably spent those years working on his parent’s farm and furthering his education when circumstances allowed. It is likely that the McDonell’s loyalty to the Crown was either highly suspected or known to neighbours by that time. The divided community was in great turmoil as anti-British fervor gripped the rebels. With acts of hostility and frequent cruelty, the rebels harassed any fellow citizen holding political beliefs favouring the Crown. In reality, the rebel paranoia was not always without justification as many people with as yet undetected loyalist leanings, acted as spies and scouts for the British military right under rebel noses. And going one step further, loyalist “safe houses” had been established throughout the Valley and beyond.

Read this fascinating account of Randy's father in the Seven Year's War, Randy in the KRRNY, surveying the Royal Townships, his own settlement there subsequently and details of the family of Randy and Hester, the daughter of loyalist refugees Joseph and Mary Proctor nee Fanning who came into Canada from Balstown, NY soon after cessation of hostilities. Sixteen pages including notes are here (PDF format, as posted now in the Loyalist Directory)

[Submitted by Jim Willis UE]

"Loyalist Tales From New York to Canada" by Mark Jodoin

Again as the Membership Chair, I would like to announce the forthcoming achievement of one of the newest members of the Sir John Johnson Centennial Branch. There is a pleasant irony that Mark Jodoin's "Shadow Soldiers of the Revolution: Loyalist Tales from New York to Canada" is published by an up and coming American history publisher, History Press of Charleston, South Carolina and Salem, Massachusetts. Readers of the publication Esprit de Corps will recognize many of the book's personalities who originally appeared in Mr. Jodoin's history feature articles.

The subject matter has been enlarged and enhanced for a North American audience with new material including 80 images with more than 30 new maps, photographs, and sketches. He warned me that since the book's primary target audience is the northeastern United States, the spelling and editing reflects American usage. It will also be available in Canada, both online and in bookstores.

One highlight of the book is the foreword by David Wilkins, who until recently was the US Ambassador to Canada. Ambassador Wilkins points out, "If there was one thing I discovered during the three and a half years I was privileged to serve my country in Canada, it was this: most Canadians think they know everything about America, and most Americans think they know enough about Canada. The truth is, Americans and Canadians alike would be well served to know and understand one another a lot better."

Ambassador Wilkins took an interest in the book’s focus on Revolutionary War personalities, and the events that took place in the Mohawk, Champlain, Hudson and St. Lawrence valleys, all in relative proximity to our international border. Mr. Jodoin is proud to be the first Canadian author for History Press as well as an Associate Member of the Sir John Johnson Branch of UELAC. He is looking forward to attending several UELAC events in the coming months.

[submitted by Adelaide Lanktree, Past President, Sir John Johnson Centennial Branch.]

Phebe Huff/Hough Family Graves saved for Posterity

In 1785 Widow Phebe Huff was granted 200 acres of land, Lot 7 Con 3, Osnabruck Twp and she and her 12 year old son Samuel, became farmers.

The land was granted in response to Sir John Johnson's written statement "The brothers and sisters of the deceased, if any, are entitled to the same proportion of land that he would have received had he lived" referring to her son, James' service in the KRRNY even though he died in Feb 1784 before his name could have been placed on the UE List. Widow Hough as the original nominee was designated MC rather than UE.

As was customary in those days, farmers set aside a small portion of the farm as a Family Burial Ground. The Huffs/Houghs did, too, about 30' x 100' on the north end along the road and although it's not known when the first or last burial took place, the Burial Ground was patiently cared for with flowers and shrubs plus one large protecting tree and the grass cut frequently. However it was a lonely graveyard which wanted a fence, not only for protection against meandering cattle but also to add a decorative touch to the otherwise unpretentious corner of the hay field in which it was located.

The Hough family recognized the need and met those criteria with a unique Fence. There are no records of the source of the fence, its cost or exactly when it was installed but it was a beauty. About 3 feet high, made of sturdy wire with fancy maple leaves welded to the uprights about every 12 inches along its length. What a fine addition to the cemetery. (Picture 1) (Picture 2)

The cattle could only stand outside and look.

Memories are dim but there was at least one, possibly two, 'store bought' stones erected along with many wooden markers.

Even when that part of the land was sold on two occasions, it was with the caveat "Except the Family Burial Ground", which was understandably of great importance to the family.

Time passed and the farm was devised to later generations of Houghs.

Then, in 1931, the farm was finally sold without the vital caveat.

The new owner needed some fencing to repair the one at the back of the farm and so used the Burial Ground fencing. Thus both protection and beauty were sacrificed and the marauding cattle soon obliterated all semblance of a Burial Ground and in appearance it reverted to being just part of the hay field again. However the graveyard was never lonely as there were twenty eight people resting there. Who they are is uncertain, most likely all connected to the Houghs by blood or marriage. The bodies, male & female, adults and children were located simply by dowsing the graves.

The Fence continued to be a fence and stayed hidden from sight until 2005 when the present owner, in a discussion with one of the Hough descendants, recalled a most unusual piece of fencing at the back of the farm. It was certainly far too artistic to be just any fence, but when he was informed that there was a Burial Ground on his property he immediately made the connection and waded through bush and briers to cut two pieces of the Fence which he generously presented as souvenirs.

There's magic in that piece of Fence.

Pick it up in both hands, look through it. squint really hard and you'll see the rectangular Burial Ground with its attractive, protective fence around three sides, the flowers so carefully tended, the mown grass, oh yes, and the huge tree plus the 'store bought' stones and the many, many wooden markers in two parallel rows extending down just beyond the big tree.

The Burial Ground will always be there, unseen but for the magic of the Fence.

When in 2005 my cousin & I dowsed the Family Burying Ground, the present owners, who knew nothing about an FBG being in their farm, gathered sticks & branches and dutifully marked each corner of each grave. They are so intensely aware now and, I'm sure, will never plow the hay field.

...Don Maxwell {dmax47 AT shaw DOT ca} how do I email him?

Louks/Loucks Family Association Reunion July 17-19 Morrisburg

The biennial meeting of the Louks/Loucks Family Association, a Canadian-American group that includes many Loyalist descendants, will be held at McIntosh Country Inn & Conference Centre in Morrisburg, Ontario, over the weekend of July 17 through 19. Loucks Farm at nearby Upper Canada Village was once owned by some of the group's ancestors. Members of the organization are also descended from the well documented group of Palatines who left England for America in 1709--300 years ago. Registration for the LLFA meeting starts at $12 CDN/$10 US (or including Saturday dinner from $35 CDN/$30 US) with family discounts available. For more information, contact Luren Dickinson at {lurend AT msn DOT com}. how do I email him?

Palatine Project yDNA Testing: Louks/Loucks Family

Because the Louks/Loucks Family Association members are descended from the Palatines, several have recently gone through yDNA testing (which proves male-to-male ancestry only) as part of the Palatine Project sponsored by FamilyTreeDNA.com. The test results have confirmed some links while eliminating others. Rev. Douglas Loucks of St. Catharines, ON, the 5-great grandson of Loyalist Jacob Loucks who settled in Fredericksburgh, Ontario around 1790 with his sons, Abraham, Henry, and George (his 4-great grandfather) was one of those who participated in the testing. Results have shown that this line of Louks/Loucks family members is part of the haplogroup I1 that is predominant in extreme northern Europe and Scandinavia, as well as part of the subgroup M-253 which settled in northern Spain/southern France 15 to 20 thousand years ago before migrating north.

FamilyTreeDNA is offering special rates for those connected with the Palatine immigrants and has produced a special website dedicated to the results.

For more information, contact the volunteer (not paid) administrator for the project, Doris Wheeler, at {doriswh AT gmail DOT com} how do I email her?

2010 Celebrations for the 300th Anniversary of the Palatine Arrival in America

The Palatines arrived in America in 1710 and were originally settled along the banks of the Hudson River as indentured servants of the British. Many ended up staying in what is now central New York state. Because the colony of New York had the highest number of Loyalists, many United Empire Loyalists may have connections with the Palatines and may be interested in 300th anniversary programs being planned for 2010 to mark the arrival of the group in America. An important one will be sponsored by Palatines to America, which is planning a conference for June 17-19, 2010 in Fishkill, NY.

In October 2010, the New York Chapter of Palatines to America will be hosting another 300th anniversary celebration at Germantown, NY featuring "The Palatine Families of New York" author Henry Z. Jones. For more information, contact the group at: {newyorkpalam AT palam DOT org} how do I email them?.

...Luren Dickinson, Shaker Heights, OH

The Mystery of The Remains of Loyalist Descendant Gladys Winifred Fowler

For close to a century, the body of the 18-year-old has rested not in the earth of her native land but in a vault at Kensal Green, a historic cemetery used by British gentry since the 1830s. Her body was deposited in the catacomb beneath the Anglican Chapel at Kensal Green Cemetery on a temporary basis but remains there to this day. The Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery, a volunteer organization involved with the historical cemetery, want to know why the body of the Canadian daughter "of some prestige" was never returned to Canada. It's an international mystery.

In the centre of Hammondvale Community Cemetery, a square granite column bears the names of Loyalists Weeden and Elizabeth Fowler, their son Ammon and his wife Mary, the ancestors of the ill-fated Gladys Fowler. The American Revolution from 1775 to 1783 resulted in a large influx of Loyalist settlers along the St. John River and its tributaries in what was then know as Nova Scotia. The British colony of New Brunswick became a new, separate entity from Nova Scotia in 1784. The Fowler family arrived as Loyalists, in a group of 66 people who sailed from New York into Saint John Harbour in the late fall of 1783, led by Captain Thomas Spragg, who later settled in the Belleisle Bay area. The family memorial at Hammondvale Community Cemetery indicates Lt. Weeden Fowler was born Dec. 8, 1760 at Courtlandt Manor in New York and died May 23, 1791 at Hammond. He died at age 30, eight years after arriving in Hammond. He left behind a two-year-old son, Ammon, and a young widow, Elizabeth.

Read the full story here.

[submitted by Wendy Cosby, Vancouver Branch]

The First Shots of the American Revolution

A short story of the incidents at Lexington and Concord in April 1775 as shown in pictures with a commentary. Click here for the webpage.

[submitted by Don Matthias]

Additions to the Loyalist Directory

As time permits, we add information to the Loyalist Directory. The latest additions and updates are:

- Mattice, Adam - from Don Matthias with certificate application
- McDonell (McDonald, McDonel), Randel (Randy) - from Jim Willis
- Merritt, Joseph - from Marilyn Ann (Jones) Whatley
- Burt(t), Joseph - from Charlotte Frances Ayers
- Boon(e), William - from Charlotte Frances Ayers
- Nettleton, Amos - from Tim Fenton
- Nettleton, Daniel, including a 58-page descendants document - from Tim Fenton
- Knapp, Joseph - from Tim Fenton
- Boyce, Jehoida - from Carrie C. Mackenzie
- Dease, John - from Glen Slater
- Lane (Lean), John - from Marilyn Astle
- Nichols, William - from Charlotte Vardy

Parents of Eve Bowman

Again I am seeking information (proofs) concerning the parentage of Eve BOWMAN and her marriage to Matthias LAMPMAN, son of Frederick LAMPMAN U.E.L.

Most references that I have seen state that Eve BOWMAN, was the daughter of Jacob BOWMAN, U.E.L. of Stamford and was the wife of Matthias Lampman son of Frederick LAMPMAN, U.E.L. However, here is a transcription of a Land Petition by John MORDEN who states that he married Eve BOWMAN, and as the daughter of Jacob BOWMAN, U.E.L. of Stamford, she is entitled to a land grant.

To His Honor Peter Russell Esquire

President administering the Government of Upper Canada..etc. etc. etc. in Council

The Petition of John Morden

Humbly sheweth that your petitioner is married to Eve, the daughter of Jacob Bowman of Stamford returned upon the roll of UE Loyalists and as she has never received any land, your petitioner humbly prays your honour would be pleased to grant her 200 acres and your petitioner as in duty bound will ever pray.

John Morden York 3 July 1798

Source: Collections Canada microfilm C-2194 Upper Canada Land Book M, Bundle 4, Petition 280

It appears that there are several Eve Bowmans and one of them (probably the daughter of George Adam BOWMAN, the niece of Jacob BOWMAN U.E.L., and granddaughter of Jacob BOWMAN of Germany - George Adam Bowman is the brother to Jacob Bowman U.E.L.) was married to Adam Beamer 2 Jan 1798 in Niagara at St. Mark's Church by Rev. Robert Addison.( Source: Bill Martin's Transcripts of Niagara Church Records).

The big questions then are - who are the parents of the Eve BOWMAN who married Matthias LAMPMAN, son of Frederick LAMPMAN U.E.L., has anyone seen proof of this marriage, and are they buried in the St. John's Cemetery, Ancaster, ON, having been removed from the Cooley plot.

Thank you for any information that you can extend.

...Claire Lincoln UE {lincallofus AT msn DOT com} how do I email her?