Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2010 Archive

In this issue:
- A Most Wicked Conspiracy, by Stephen Davidson
- Identifying Loyalist Ancestors With a Nod to the Upper Canada Land Books
- St. Alban's Tiles in UK Magazine
- Jarvis Pictures and Conversations, by Ann Jarvis Boa
- The Tech Side: Taming the Paper Tiger, by Wayne Scott
- Additions to the Loyalist Directory
- Last Post: Elizabeth Eleanor Watson, UE
- Last Post: Dora Isabelle Parry, UE
- Queries
      + Response re Mary Hogeboom reference to Revolutionary War or War of 1812
      + Picture or Likeness of Granny Hoople
      + Sourcing Proofs to George Valentine Cryderman and Christian Hartle
      + Seeking Home for Adams Family Bible

A Most Wicked Conspiracy, by Stephen Davidson

Loyalist history is littered with " almost heroes", and North Carolina's John William Llewellyn II is one of its earliest. This Anglican loyalist was a plantation owner and a cousin of Charles Cornwallis, the leader of the British forces in North America. When he helped to house British officers on his estate and gave supplies to the British army after it had captured the town of Halifax, North Carolina, rebel neighbours labelled the sixty-three year old Llewellyn a dangerous Tory.

In 1776, North Carolina's rebels drafted a constitution that raised the hackles on Llewellyn's neck. Determined to save his colony from ruin, he formed a secret society that drew members from across five of North Carolina's counties.

Llewellyn's secret society had lofty goals: the assassination of Governor Richard Caswell, the capture of a local rebel munitions magazine, the protection of patriot army deserters and the death of "all the heads of the Country". Naturally, an oath of fidelity to King George III was a prerequisite to joining the society. But there was also a personal element to the conspirators' goals. Llewellyn wanted to have his Baptist neighbour Nathan Mayo killed for his opposition to the loyalists of Halifax County.

The constitution of Llewellyn's secret society had something for everyone. Ardent loyalists opposed to an independent Thirteen Colonies were among the first to enlist. They resolved to join the king's army when it marched into North Carolina. But there was also a religious element to the secret society. Llewellyn felt that North Carolina's willingness to ally itself with France meant that the rebels would eventually make the Roman Catholic faith the colony's state religion. Finally, if loyalist politics and a fight against "popery" did not help to recruit members, then there was the conspirators' stance against a proposed draft. Since North Carolina's economy depended upon the uninterrupted harvesting of crops, this draft for recruiting rebel support was a great inconvenience for plantation owners of either political persuasion.

Llewellyn's secret society had all the hallmarks of a clandestine organization. A token of membership was a small stick with three notches cut into it. A conspirator could be sure that he was talking to a fellow member if, by alternating recited letters, they could spell out B-E-T-R-U-E together. Another countersign was to rub the left forefinger over the right arm, nose or chin before spelling out the society's motto.

Members of Llewellyn's secret society usually took their new recruits out into cornfields or wheatfields away from prying eyes to take their oaths of allegiance, and the society's meetings were usually held in a gourd patch. Thus, the loyalist conspiracy that was sometimes referred to as the Llewellyn Affair was also dubbed the Gourd Patch Conspiracy.

In the summer of 1777, the best laid plans of the secret loyalist society started to unravel. Their hope for "one bloody night of terror" came to a sudden end when rebels arrested a conspirator named David Taylor and discovered papers in his pockets that outlined the society's plans.

Llewellyn and his society members launched an immediate rescue mission, vowing to kill Taylor's rebel captors if need be. Thirty armed members of the gourd patch conspiracy attacked the jail in Halifax, North Carolina. Colonel Irwin, a rebel officer, gave this report of the outcome of the loyalist attack: "I am sorry to inform you that too many evil persons ... have been joined in a most wicked conspiracy; About thirty of them made an attempt on this place, but luckily I had about twenty-five men to oppose them, and I disarmed them."

Those who were not part of the botched attempt to free Taylor fled for their lives. Within a matter of days, the rebels succeeded in arresting Llewellyn and most of his fellow conspirators.

The Gourd Patch society may have had as many as 100 members at one time, but by September of 1777, the strength of the conspirators' convictions had definitely waned. Trial transcripts reveal that not all of the conspirators held Llewellyn's deep loyalist convictions. Some testified that they had only joined the plot to defend the Protestant faith; others claimed that they signed on because they opposed the draft.

General Allen Jones of the North Carolina militia commented on the conspiracy trial, declaring "I make no doubt but hanging a dozen will have an exceeding good effects in this state and give stability to our new government."

Most of the gourd patch conspirators were found guilty of "misprision of treason" (misprision is an old word for "wrong action" or "omission"). John Llewellyn alone was convicted of high treason. He was sentenced to be hanged "without the benefit of clergy".

Nathan Mayo, one of Llewellyn's intended victims and Llewellyn's wife Mary travelled by horseback to see Governor Caswell in the rebel capital of Hillsboro where they personally begged for a pardon. However, the North Carolina assembly wanted the sentence "carried into execution without delay".

In the end, Llewellyn's life was spared because of a letter written by the judge who presided over the Gourd Patch conspiracy trial. It was said that the pardon was granted to avoid "creating a poverty situation" for Llewellyn's children.

Humbled, Llewellyn kept a low profile for the remainder of the Revolution as well as in the years that followed. He died at the age of eighty in 1794.

In one of the many strange twists of loyalist history, John Llewellyn's daughter married one of Nathan Mayo's son. Then one of Mayo's daughters married a grandson of Llewellyn's. The Anglican loyalist who had conspired to kill a Baptist rebel ended up sharing common grandchildren with his former nemesis.

Somewhere in North Carolina there are Americans who can claim membership in both the Daughters of the American Revolution and the United Empire Loyalist Association as they look back to their common ancestors, the patriot Nathan Mayo and John Llewellyn, the leader of the gourd patch conspiracy.

To secure permission to reprint this article, email Stephen Davidson.

Identifying Loyalist Ancestors With a Nod to the Upper Canada Land Books

To prove one's Loyalist ancestry one has to provide documentation for each parent-child relation from the present back to 1783. To do this, one works from the present back to the past rather than the other way around.

Parent-child relationships from the present back to 1907 are most easily proven using newspaper birth, marriage and death announcements. From 1907 back to 1869, actual birth records are available from Provincial Archives. Later birth records are held by the Provincial Archives but privacy laws keeps them from being openly published. The Ontario birth records (1869-1907) are all on-line at Ancestry.com or one can get the original Ontario Archives microfilms at your local library through Interlibrary Loan.

Then it gets difficult. Prior to 1869, there are precious few government records available. The 1861 census states parent-child relationships but the 1851 census does not. Earlier censuses do not name children at all. From 1860 back to about 1825 one has to rely on veryy old newspapers, wills, probate files, occasional old church records for baptisms and marriages, and so on. Many people, including myself, have been stymied more than once by the dearth of information available from this time period.

Once we get back to the early 1800's we can rely on the Upper Canada Land Books to prove parent-child relationships. Sons and daughters of Loyalists were entitled to 200 acres of land provided they submitted a land petition naming their Loyalist parent. Further back one generation, the actual Loyalists were entitled to 200-1000 acres of land upon submitting a land petition stating the details of their military service for the Crown during the American Revolution. These petitions are all available on microfilms of the "Upper Canada Land Books" from Archives Canada at your local library through Interlibrary Loan.

So, in order to establish one's Loyalist ancestry, one often uses at least two Upper Canada Land petitions to establish (a) the actual Loyalist ancestor's credentials and (b) his relationship to his son or daughter.

The Brock University Library in St. Catharines, Ont. has a "Special Collections" section that maintains a variety of small but important collections. One of these, donated by the UELAC, is the full collection of Upper Canada Land Book microfilms including petitions and Land Committee minutes for the period 1787 - 1841. These are often consulted in person by people seeking recognition as descendants of original United Empire Loyalists from the time of the American Revolution. The Special Collections staff is remarkably knowledgeable and helpful.

When I was working on finding and proving my Loyalist ancestry, I had to order these microfilms from Archives Canada through Interlibrary Loan. Turnaround time is about 4 weeks so it is a slow and tedious process. When the Loyalist Association bought a set of these microfilms and placed them in Brock University Library's Special Collections, it gave me almost instant access since I live in Niagara Falls, Ont.

There is one small glitch in accessing the U.C. Land book microfilms. To locate exactly which microfilm contains a petition from an particular petitioner, one needs to begin by consulting a last name index. There are two such indexes, rather than just one, to the Land Book microfilms. One is on an Ont. Genealogy Society CD which can be purchased at a nominal cost. The other is on microfilms that accompany the Upper Canada Land Books' microfilms. Here is the problem: Neither index is complete! It is best to consult both indexes and hope they cover the all possible occurrences of your Loyalist's name. I have found one petiton that is not in either index and that was just by luck. I have no idea how many other petitions have failed to be included in either index but it's not a large number, I'm sure.

...Rod MacDonald, Niagara Falls, ON

St. Alban's Tiles in UK Magazine

Since the February report in Loyalist Trails, Graem Coles and Diane Berlet report they are making good progress on the creation of a book in 2010 compiling photos and biographies of the 64 memorial tiles of St. Alban's.

Their research on the manufacture of the tiles in 1889 led them to contact the Tiles & Architectural Ceramics Society of the UK for further information. The society was very interested in the tiles and ran a three page article in their semi annual publication, Glazed Expressions, a magazine containing a wide range of national and international articles dealing with tiles and architectural ceramics. It seems the tiles as works of decorative art are significant.

Graem and Diane would be happy to hear from readers who have any information about other existing Victorian memorial tiles or about export catalogues of the period advertising the availability of this type of tile. Could such a catalogue have been available in Canada? Records that exist for the export of tiles from the factories in Stoke-on-Trent during the late 19th or early 20th century would help them to learn more about the later tiles that arrived some time between 1889 and 1909.

The historical significance of individuals memorialized, is of course, the other aspect of the tile frieze. Information for many of the individuals memorialized on the tiles can be found in the Dictionary for Canadian Biographies. Others are a little harder to research but they are working at it. Most tiles are dedicated to a United Empire Loyalist who made a contribution to our fledgling new country, be it grand or humble.

Twenty first century technology has allowed Diane and Graem to computerize the accumulated handwritten biographies and add to their research with modern computer search programmes. They know however that the best information still comes from family descendents and would appreciate any information you can provide for their somewhat limited biographies. A list of the names and the biographical material already collected are available on their website.

If you are able to add information please submit it to Diane Berlet either by email at Dianeberlet4 AT aol DOT com, or by posted mail to 8 McWhirter Wharf Lane, RR 1, Bath, K0H 1G0.

Jarvis Pictures and Conversations, by Ann Jarvis Boa

Over the years, almost any occasion inspired members of the Jarvis clan to quote from the pages of Alice in Wonderland. So, of course, the title of this new book, Jarvis Pictures and Conversations, takes its cue from Lewis Carroll. At the beginning of Chapter One we read, "What is the use of a book," thought Alice, "without pictures or conversations?"

The Book: From the back cover: Letters, diaries, memoirs, and autobiographies provide intimate, interesting, and often humorous resources for this story of some Jarvises. We begin with ancestors who, typically, provide a wide background for the family: the English Mountains, the Irish Roes, and the Jarvises, who were refugees from the American Revolution. The experiences of one family, from the time of their arrival in this country in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, lead us through the evolving history of Canada, until shortly before World War II.

Ann has previously written the book My Eventful Life: Stephen Jarvis, 1756-1840 (Montreal, 2002).

The Reading: The Spring Newsletter of The Cathedral Church of St. James, on King Street between Church and Jarvis, begins, "on May 27, the Archives & Museum will be pleased to present author, Ann Jarvis Boa, reading from her latest book in the Cathedral at 2:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome."

For more information, or to order a copy of her new book, please contact Ann Jarvis Boa by email at anniboa AT aei DOT ca or by posted mail at 602 Grosvenor Avenue, Westmount, QC, H3Y 2S8.

The Tech Side: Taming the Paper Tiger, by Wayne Scott

Isn't technology wonderful? Many of us receive many emails a day, some with attachments. Helpful relatives send genealogy information from all parts of the world. Many documents can be opened, some can't because you don't have the correct software. It can be very frustrating having to search for a filter to allow your word processor to open and edit these documents.

A website called Zamzar will convert almost any file into a different file format. I have found this handy in converting MS Publisher files into a Word document without losing any of the formatting of the original. The turn around time from submitting your request to receiving the conversion can be a week or so. However, the process is accurate and looks like the original. Zamzar is free for casual use.

An easier way to convert files is to download the free Open Office 3.2. Open Office is an open-source program that is very close to Microsoft Office in appearance and capability ("Open source is a development method for software that harnesses the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in").

Rather than paying hundreds of dollars for the latest Microsoft Office upgrade, Open Office is completely free. It is a complete suite of productivity programs. There is a word processor, presentation, spread sheet, data base, drawing program in addition to many templates to make work easier. To date, over 100,000,000 copies have been downloaded.

Let's assume that you receive a document written in Word. It can be opened in Open Office by selecting File, then Open, then navigate to the file type you want to open, such as .doc and click on it. Your file will likely open in Open Office. From here you can edit or add to the file then save it. When saving, particularly if you will be sharing this file with others, you can select the Microsoft Word (.doc) extension. Then, when the document is sent to someone else, they can open it in either Word or Open Office. You can export the document to PDF if you want to send it to your Word Perfect friends.

When you open or save Microsoft Office, Word Perfect, or other documents, there can be a loss of some formatting. The process is not perfect. One of the ways to preserve the formatting is to save the documents you create as PDF documents and send them to friends. MS Office and Word Perfect will convert PDF files to their native formats, preserving most of the formatting. Just a word of caution, if you are sure your attachment recipient will be opening your document in Word, make sure that you save this document in Word format (.doc). Microsoft Office prior to 2007 will not open Open Office documents, I am led to believe.

For the Mac users there are a couple of Open Office versions. Open Office X11 is designed for OSX 10.3 or older systems. For newer Mac systems, OpenOffice.org Aqua is available here.

Another good reason to look closely at Open Office versions is that they have a small footprint. They can be added to your U3 enabled flash drive and used on any host computer. They make an excellent addition to productivity programs on your netbook computer.

When comparing Open Office to Microsoft Office or Word Perfect, you will not find that they stack up perfectly. However, when you consider the cost differential between the products, maybe you can live without all the bells, whistles and ribbons of the expensive alternatives.

You can email Wayne Scott to get in touch with questions or comments.

Additions to the Loyalist Directory

As time permits, we add information to the Loyalist Directory. The latest additions and updates are as follows:
- Appleby, John - from Linda Drake (Volunteer Wendy Cosby) with certificate application
- Cook, John Sr. - from Harold Cook (Volunteer Alice Walchuk)
- Dell, Basnet - by Linda Drake (Volunteer Wendy Cosby) with certificate application
- Dell, Henry - by Linda Drake (Volunteer Wendy Cosby) with certificate application
- Lawless, John - by Linda Drake (Volunteer Wendy Cosby) with certificate application
- Perry, Robert - from Catherine Fryer with certificate application
- Rogers, William - from Catherine Fryer, with certificate application
- Scott, Daniel - from Margaret Carter (Volunteer Alice Walchuk)
- Stover, Jonathan - from Linda Drake (Volunteer Wendy Cosby) with certificate application
- Van Camp, Peter - from Catherine Fryer with certificate application

Last Post: Elizabeth Eleanor Watson, UE

Long time Victoria Branch member Eleanor Watson, U.E., passed away on the 10th of May, 2010, at age 86. Active in the U.E.L.A.C. for decades, and for many years the branch recording secretary and treasurer, she received her U.E. certificate in 1984 as a descendant of Captain John Moore of Butler's Rangers and Dinah Pettit, daughter of Jonathan Pettit and Deborah Robbins.

Born in 1923, she lived in a classic Arts and Crafts house built by her father in 1913 in Victoria, B.C., in the suburb of Fairfield, until 2008, when she had to enter Hart House Seniors' Residence. She spent her working life in the government in Vital Statistics. She was a fountain of knowledge on the early history of Fairfield, having seen it grow from a few scattered houses separated by cow pastures, to a bustling built up suburb.

Pre-deceased in 1935, by her father John Percival Watson, who was also active in the early U.E.L.A.C., her mother (1960) and brother (1973), she is survived by two nephews and a number of grand nephews and nieces and many cousins. Nephews Richard and Albert Watson have both received U.E. certificates as members of the Victoria Branch.

Interment is to take place in the family burial site in Ross Bay Cemetery, near her former home.

...Dave Clark

Last Post: Dora Isabelle Parry, UE

Dora Parry (nee Gould) was born on 1 February 1924 in Welland, Ontario, and died suddenly on 22 April 2010 in Victoria, BC. She was predeceased by her parents, Abigail Alma and Arthur Errol Gould; husband, (Ret'd) Capt.George Ronald Parry; brother, Stanley Gould; and first husband, the late Capt. Richard F. Dickie of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment, killed during World War II in Kapelsche Veer, Holland. Dora was mother to sons, Richard Keith Dickie (Maria); Paul George (Darlene); Carl Patrick (Louise) and daughter, Georgia Anne; and grandmother to Parry Lee Dickie, Carmen Lee Parry and Jordan Spencer Parry.

Dora had a keen interest in genealogy and was an active member of The United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada and Military Museums of Canada. She was deeply loved and will be sadly missed by her family and all those close to her.

A Memorial Service was conducted by The Reverend Canon Andrew E. Gates at St. Paul's Anglican Church on Esquimalt Road. Burial will take place at Fonthill Cemetery in Ontario at a later date. Dora's Loyalist ancestor was John Carl, a soldier in Butler's Rangers.

...Joan Clement, Victoria Branch

Response re Mary Hogeboom reference to Revolutionary War or War of 1812

In reference to your query above, after reviewing the images you kindly made reference to, they are referring to the person's loyalty in the War of 1812. The ages of the people you mention at the time of the Revolution pretty much precluded them from serving in that war.

I believe however that the John Hogeboom you mention is perhaps the son of a Loyalist soldier by that same name. A John Hogeboom served in the Loyal American Regiment & Emmerick's Chasseurs from 1777-1783, spending most of the time as a prisoner of the Rebels, being taken prisoner on 3 January 1778 in Westchester County, New York. I have a prisoner list from Connecticut showing him being held in captivity there a few months later. He did not return from captivity until the very end of the war.

...Todd W. Braisted, HVP UEL, www.royalprovincial.com

Picture or Likeness of Granny Hoople

Granny Hoople or Mary (Whitmore) Hoople was captured by the Indians in about 1777 or 1778 (after her home was attacked, parents and one brother killed) and was a captive of the Delaware Indians for 7 years, learning how to live off the land, and the art of medicinal plants/natural healing. She eventually came to live in Osnabruck Twsp (one of her uncle's had moved there as a loyalist), married Henry Hoople and raised their family.

She tended an injured American Soldier after the Battle of Hoople's Creek (1813) and was given $300.00 by the American Government about 30 years later for this act of kindness. I am doing some research on her and am looking for a picture of her. I thought there might be one somewhere.

...Carolyn Goddard, UE

Sourcing Proofs to George Valentine Cryderman and Christian Hartle

I am researching my connections to two families thought to have been United Empire Loyalists. I would appreciate anyone responding to me if they know and may help to verify any of the following links below back to the first generation UEL settlers:

First Generation: George Valentine Cryderman (born between 1723 and 1729, probably in Germany and died about 1780 in Johnstown, Fulton County, New York) came to the colonies around 1755. By 1758, he had served in a colonial militia in New York. He and his family stayed loyal to the British. George Valentine married Catherina/Catherine Bernhardin or Bernhardt (who removed to Canada after the war). Some of his children from this and other marriages included the following:

1) Michael Cryderman -- served in the New York 1st British King's Royal Regiment

2) Joseph Cryderman -- also served in the New York 1st British King's Royal Regiment

3) Elizabeth Cryderman -- Was born about 1763 in Livingston, Columbia County, New York.

Second Generation: Elizabeth Cryderman married Christian Hartle (son of Johanne Hartle and Regina Falck), another Loyalist family from New York, prior to 1788. Christian was born on 14 November 1765 in New York. He died on 12 September 1845 in Athens, Leeds County, Ontario. Although he was too young to serve in the militia, several of his older brothers did as they were part of the Palatine settlers who came to the colonies earlier in the century. Christian and Elizabeth's children included:

1) Ann Hartle -- granted land on 8 November 1832 by

2) John Matthias Hartle -- granted land on 2 May 1836

3) Lucas Hartle -- granted land on 4 November 1818

4) Margaret Hariett Hartle -- born about 1802 in Ontario

Third Generation: Margaret Hariett Hartle married Munson Washington Cook about 1820, probably in New York, USA. They eventually moved to Michigan as U.S.A. Census records show them residing there in 1860. They died in Indiana around 1870. Margaret and Munson's children included the following:

1) Washington Munson Cook -- born around 1821 in New York

2) Jane Elizabeth Cook -- born on 7 Feb 1827 in New York, married Silas Thompson in Pennsylvania around 1843 and died on 21 June 1912 in Orchards, Clark, Washington.

Fourth Generation: Jane Elizabeth Cook married Silas Thompson in Pennsylvania around 1843. They moved around quite a bit as census records have them residing in Ohio (1850), Missouri (1870 -- 1880), and finally Washington (by 1900). Jane and Silas' children were:

1) Munson W. Thompson -- born in 1849 in Indiana and died in 1924 in Vancouver, Clark, Washington.

2) Margaret L. Thompson -- born about 1856 in Indiana, married Marion Francis Lounsbury in Steuban County, Indiana on 5 November 1878, and died prior to 1900 in Michigan.

Fifth Generation: Margaret L. Thompson married Marion Francis Lounsbury in Steuban County, Indiana on 5 November 1878. Margaret and Marion's child was:

1) Laura Jennie Lounsbury -- born in July 1879 in Flint, Steuban County, Indiana, married Edward Walton Williams on 21 November 1898 in St. Joseph County, Michigan.

I am almost certain as to the link from the Cryderman/Hartle family down to Margaret Hartle and her marriage to Munson W. Cook. However, from there, the trail is less certain. Due to Margaret and Munson moving around along with their child, Jane Elizabeth Cook and her marriage to Silas Thompson and their moves in the Midwest, it is very difficult to track to my Williams family. I would appreciate any information anyone may have to offer as I am trying to prove my Loyalist ancestry.

...Jason Williams

Seeking Home for Adams Family Bible

As President of the Little Forks Branch UELAC (near Sherbrooke in Eastern Townships of Quebec), I am in possession of an Adams Family Bible. As we are not related, I am posting this information with hopes of finding a descendant who would like to take possession of this keepsake. The large Bible is very old and yellowed but still in perfect shape. It bears the printing date 1834.

I have copied these names to the best of my ability given the age of the Bible.

ADAMS FAMILY BIBLE: with the following inscriptions in the centre pages.

Jarvis Adams, b: 09 Aug.1808 married on 20 January 1832 to Eunice H. Adams b: 4 May 1807 and she died 12 Jan.1890, age 82 yrs. 8 mos, 8 days

d: 25 Sept.1880 age 72 yrs. 1 mo. 16 days

Their children:

Marshall D. Adams b: 12 Sept, 1833 m: Nov.22,1868 Mrs. Lucy ? Stockwell

Maryette S. Adams b: 03 Dec.1835

James C. Adams b: 17 Sept. 1837 m: 22 Oct.1870 Lucinda Kellogg

William Henry Adams b: 07 Apr. 1841 m: 28 Nov.1867 Mathilda M. Whipple

Elmer B. Adams b: 27 Oct. 1842 m: 09 Nov. 1870 Emma Richmond

Jarvis Adams Jr. b: 02 April 1844 m:

1) 02 Sept. 1868 Joanna C. Wood. She died 14 Aug. 1872

2) 29 Apr. 1875 Maria Brickminster. She died 25 Dec. 1876

3) 14 Nov. 1878 Hattie Shrigley

Ira Herbert Adams b: 10 Aug. 1846 m: 31 Aug. 1875 Louise S. Perley

Philo E. Adams b: 21 Aug. 1849 and d: 08 June 1850

Mark Ellery Adams b: 26 Sept. 1852 m: 30 Oct. 1873 Alice Wyatt (sp.)

Infant daughter - stillborn b: 21 March 1851

If anyone can help with information about the family, thus telling us where they lived, or is a descendant or interested related party, please contact me.

...Bev Loomis, UE