Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2012 Archive

In this issue:
- Travels Amongst the Loyalists: 1813 – by Stephen Davidson
- First Generation in America: Richard Raymond (1630-1692) by George McNeillie
- In the Archives: Summer 2012 (Part 2), by Christopher Minty
- Sir John Johnson Centennial Branch Captures Media Attention with Summer Outreach
- Update on the UELAC Ontario Graphic Licence Plate Project
- Re-enactment Battle of Queenston Heights Oct 13/14
- Canadian Geographic Offers Education Materials About War of 1812
- From the Twittersphere and Beyond
- Additions to the Loyalist Directory
- Your Assistance is Requested for the Loyalist Directory
- Queries
      + Was Isaac Hendershot a Loyalist? An SUE? First Proofs
      + Iram Murray and Family
      + Was John Butler a Slave-Owner?

Travels Amongst the Loyalists: 1813 – by Stephen Davidson

In July of 1813, Lt. Colonel Joseph Gubbins prepared himself for his annual inspection tour of New Brunswick's militia regiments. His diary notes that "in consequence of war having been declared against Great Britain by the government of the United States, it was judged expedient" that the militia in eastern part of New Brunswick be "placed on as efficient a footing as possible...and to make a report of the state of that extensive district."

Fortunately for us, the British officer did more than simply record the state of the colony's militia. During his travels amongst the loyalist settlers of New Brunswick, he also captured a moment in time.

Gubbins began his tour in Westmorland County that bordered Nova Scotia. He had visited there two years earlier, making observations about the natural world as well as the local militia. "When the present inhabitants of this country came to it in 1783 ... there were no small birds to be seen and the consequent stillness of the woods was a subject of regret." But in the early 1800s, the "warm weather bring{s} back a great variety, as melodious, numerous and distinctive as those of England."

Gubbins inspected the renovations that a local militia was making to old Fort Cumberland, located on a hill overlooking the border between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Gubbins recognized that the fort "in future wars will probably be a position of great consequence". He recalled that "this fort was attacked during the American Revolutionary War by a desultory party of the rebels...they were however easily repulsed and dispersed." (This was the site of the only battle fought in Nova Scotia during the War of Independence.)

Although the local militia was composed of loyalists and their sons, their attitudes were not those of their English forefathers. The men refused to take their hats off when they met the English engineer who was supervising the fort's renovations. This so offended the engineer that he wrote out an order stating that the men must remove their hats in his presence. This only increased tension and impeded the progress of the fort's repairs. New Brunswick's loyalist settlers were not Americans, but they weren't exactly British either.

Gubbins travelled up the Northumberland Strait coast to attend an assembly at the mouth of the Richibucto River. The presence of Acadians, who lived in Shediac, 50 miles away, was not required. However, Gubbins was very pleased to discover that "all the able bodied part of the male population" was preparing to attend. As he continued up the coast, Gubbins came upon a militia "almost entirely composed of persons of French extraction."

Here was a most welcomed ally in the War of 1812. "As for their loyalty to the British Government," wrote Gubbins,"when contending with the United States, we need be under no apprehension, for there appears to exist a hatred, resembling a natural antipathy, between the bigoted French and the irreligious or fanatical Bostonians (as the Americans are called by them."

In Kouchibouguac, Gubbins met Jacob Kollock, a loyalist from Delaware. As well as serving as a supervisor of roads, Kollock also was the major for the local militia. He had persuaded his neighbours to build a blockhouse to defend the community during the war.

Kollock pointed out one of his men to Gubbins. During the last winter, the man had gone hunting birds out on "the immense field of ice" which forms in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. High tides and a wind separated the ice from land, drifting out into the gulf so far that the hunter lost sight of land. A storm broke up the ice, but the man was able to find footing on a sufficiently large ice floe. "The agony of his mind may be better conceived than described," wrote Gubbins.

The hunter's neighbours gave him up as lost, but his tearful wife persuaded them to go look for him. After searching all day, the neighbours were about to give up when they spied a dark spot out on the water and "found it to be the object of their pursuit. The man was almost bereft of reason, but at the time {Gubbins} saw him, he was in good health". Such were the men who made up the militias of New Brunswick in the War of 1812.

After passing through Newcastle, Gubbins headed up the Mirimichi River into the interior of the province. He stayed at an inn owned by John Astle, the local militia captain. The "inn" was just one large room; Gubbins stayed in a corner of the house partitioned off by a curtain. This caused the British officer to record that "militia titles do not convey great ideas of rank or respectability in this quarter of the world." He further noted that John Coffin, a loyalist eventually promoted to the rank of general, was once fined for selling rum without a license and sold cabbages in Saint John's market.

A day later, Gubbins was in Doaktown, a settlement with a saw mill operated by the local militia's major. Ephraim Betts had once served in the Second Battalion of Delancey's Brigade during the American Revolution. Although Gubbins might have felt that the loyalist had fallen down the social ladder, Betts was the justice of the peace, the overseer of the poor, the supervisor of the fisheries and the county's commissioner of roads.

In general, the militias of eastern New Brunswick had impressed Lt. Col. Gubbins. However, none were ever called upon to defend their colony against American attack during the War of 1812. In the years ahead, the militia would play a ceremonial and social role in New Brunswick rather than a defensive one. Joseph Gubbins and his family returned to England in 1816. He died in Southampton sixteen years later at the age of fifty-five.

(Gubbins' New Brunswick Journals 1811 & 1813, edited by Howard Temperley, was published in 1980 by New Brunswick Heritage Publications.)

...

First Generation in America: Richard Raymond (1630 – 1692) © George McNeillie

[Editor's Note: It may be helpful in providing a perspective for the study of our Loyalist ancestors' history to learn a bit about their progenitors in America. Many had been settled there for over 140 years by the time of the American Revolution and were long-established members of their respective communities. In his history, W.O. Raymond catalogues the early days of the Loyalist branches in his family tree. Over the next several months, we will join him in his explorations. It is amazing for us in the era of the Internet to think that Raymond compiled his research entirely through laborious excursions to libraries, by poring through primary and secondary sources and through correspondence with family members. Although modern scholarship has yielded some new insights, most of his work was remarkably accurate.]

Our first ancestor in America was born in the County of Essex in England, about the year 1602, and came to Massachusetts in 1630 or 1631 – only some 10 years after the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock [Note 1].

In the year 1622, Sir Fernando Gorges and Captain John Mason, a London merchant, were joint grantees of all the land along the coast of New England between the Merrimac and Sagadahoc rivers. The next year they attempted to establish a colony and fishery at Pascataqua [sic] river. This grant was divided in 1629. Sir Fernando Gorges took all that part east of the Pascataqua [sic] river and called it Maine, and Mason took the part between the Pascataqua and Merrimac and called it New Hampshire.

Mason formed an association called the "Company of Laconia." The company sent out, in 1630, to Portsmouth in New Hampshire, Ambrose Gibbons, William Raymond and other stewards (or overseers) and forty servants. Between 1623 and 1630 a considerable number of men were sent over by Mason and his associates in unsuccessful attempts to establish fishery and other business in their colony. Among those who came were William and Richard Raymond. Both were from Essex and it is believed that they were brothers.

Richard Raymond was made Freeman of Salem, Mass. on May 14, 1634. On January 2, 1636, the town granted him half an acre of land at Winter Harbour "for fishing, trade and to build upon". The place is now known as Winter Island in Salem Harbour. The same year he received a grant of sixty acres at Jeffries Creek, now known as Manchester. But the amount of land owned by Richard Raymond was more than this, for we find entries under various dates from 1634 to 1640, of allotments of land to him. See the following extracts from ancient records: -

"16.11.1636, Mr. Raym't to have half an acre of land at Winter Harbour."

"Anno 1636. To 10 Rich'd Raym't f. [180]" [Note. The 10 appears to refer to some book or page; the f. means freeman, the [180] probably signifies number of acres.]

"8th, 9th mo., 1637. Itt is ordr'd yt Mr. Petter Jno. Halgrave, Richard Rayment, and Samuel More are to receive their farmes layd out by Jno. Woodbery, Jefery Masye, Connett and ye rest."

"30th mo. 1640. Alotment of lands to Families. If six in a family or more, 1 acre. If 4 or 5 in a family ¾ of an acre. If less, ½ an acre. 6 in his family Rich. Raymond, 1 acre."

"March 25, 1659. Granted unto Richard Raymond one hundred acres of upland and ten acres of meadow ground, which land is laid out in Wenham bound, butting upon Pleasant Pond the great swamp and the ten acres of meadow in the great meadow. This was a former grant omitted to be entered."

"18th, 9 mo. 1657, Agreed with Joseph Miles to keepe the towne cowes this summer, that is to keepe them to the 20th of Oct. next at 4s. 6d. p. head, only for cowes, to be payd in butter and wheat & Indian corne, as in former yeares. To p'vide help himself _ to begin…of May & to be charged upon the p'sons that have cowes to be kept [here follows a list of persons including "Rich. Raym't. 2 cowes"]

Trifling as many of the preceding items may seem, they nevertheless shed some light upon the story of our first ancestor in America at the time of the founding of New England, nearly three hundred years ago.

Richard Raymond is described in a legal document in the year 1659 as "a Planter and Inhabitant of Salem withine the Massachusetts Colony in New England." At the time of his arrival in America he was a young man of about 28 years of age. He was from time to time interested in several vessels, including the "Good Ketch Hopewell" and the "Black Eagle". It is said that he made voyages to Barbadoes and the West Indies. The New Haven Colonial Records, edited by Hon. Charles J. Hoadly, contain quite a long account of the court proceedings in 1659 on the part of Richard Raymond of Salem against Capt. John Penny of the ship "Roe-Buck" for seizing his vessel the "Black Eagle". The proceedings fill more than twenty printed pages. The trial took place before the Court of Magistrates in February, 1659, and was referred by the Court of Magistrates of Connecticut to the Honourable Court of Admiralty in London, to be there brought to an issue. The sympathy of the magistrates apparently was with Raymond and they were of opinion that "no act of Parliament prohibiting neighbourly commerce between adjoining colonies of Duch and English, in a time of amity betwixt the two states of England and Holland, hath ever been sent over either to be promulgated in order to prohibit ye sending or selling to such Duch neighbours provisions or victualls for their necessary use and lively-hood, which is the substance of all the trade betwixt us."

The proceedings in this action are quite interesting, but only the barest reference to them is here attempted.

In 1660 Richard Raymond sold one quarter part of "the good Ketch called the 'Hopewell' of Salem, of the burthen of thirty tons, now riding at anchor in the harbour of Boston."

NOTE 1: W.O. Raymond was apparently unaware that his wife, Julia Nelson Raymond, was directly descended from four Mayflower passengers: John and Joan Tilley and their daughter, Elizabeth (who married fellow passenger John Howland). The editor only discovered this connection in 2007.

Excerpt from Book of Family History, by The Ven. William Odber Raymond, LL.D, FRSC. © 2009 George McNeillie – all rights reserved [published here with permission; see footnote].

...George McNeillie

In the Archives: Summer 2012 (Part 2), by Christopher Minty

In the last piece, I touched briefly upon a response due to be published by Samuel Loudon that was swiftly put down by the Committee of Mechanics in New York, noted in the diary of Charles Inglis on 20 Feb. 1776. In a "normal world" the destruction of a pamphlet that "professedly vindicated the Congress" would be enough for one entry, but not during the tumultuous times of Revolutionary New York.

Later in the same diary entry, Inglis notes that "Goveror Tryon's Effigy was carted thro the City to the Fields by a Mob" and was then "hung upon a Gallows, & afterwards burnt". Tryon had been Governor of New York since the early 1770s, replacing John Murray, Earl of Dunmore. His entry into New York politics was welcomed with open arms, as nearly every provincial politician or society tried to curry favour with him, in one way or another. Tryon was then the path to political power or security, but now he was being viewed with disdain and even hatred. His effigy was burnt because "he promised speedy support to the Friends of Government" in New York. It would seem, therefore, that by this time in Feb. 1776 New York City was not a particularly pleasant place for a Loyalist, or someone who held government sympathies, and through the prism of Charles Inglis we can again monitor the situation in New York.

On 4 April 1776, Inglis noted that "The two Frederick Philipses [Frederick Philipse III, Lord of the Manor of Philipsburgh, and his nephew, of the same name]" were attempted to flee New York for England. They had even secured permission from the Provincial Congress, as long as they took "an Oath of Secrecy". The Oath contained "the oath of Allegiance, that the person [travelling] went only on his own private Business, [and] that when he arrived in England, he would make know[n] to the King or one of his Secretaries, & to them only, all Conspiracies, Treasons, &c & all persons concerned in them, in America, of which they had any Knowledge". But, unluckily for "The two Frederick Philipses", Gen. Putnam prohibited all persons going aboard any ship, "on pain of being deemed Inimies to their Country". As a result, "both the Philipses [had] to lay aside their intended Voyage."

Life in New York City at this time was not easy for a Loyalist, especially for ones of prominence and wealth such as Frederick Philipse III. Philipse had been at the mantle of New York life for decades and owned a vast manor in Westchester County occupied by 273 tenants, many of whom would become Loyalists. Life in New York at this time, before the British occupation, was extremely difficult, as prominent men like Philipse were catapaulted down the social hierarchy and felt compelled to leave. Philipse was not alone: Rev. Dr. Myles Cooper, President of King's College and noted Loyalist, left over a year earlier in May 1775, because of the daunting situation prominent Friends of Government faced in not only New York, but the American colonies. In our next piece we shall look at some of the atrocities committed towards Loyalists in New York during the American Revolution.

...Christopher F. Minty, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Stirling

Sir John Johnson Centennial Branch Captures Media Attention with Summer Outreach

Like other UELAC Branches across Canada, the SJJCB took every opportunity to spread the Loyalist word throughout the region from Cowansville to Farnham and at other undocumented events. However, some Branches may be envious of the media support from the "Townshipper" journal to an interview by CBC Radio "Breakaway"¯ host, Jacqueline Czermin. SJJCB also appreciated the support of two second branch members, Robert Wilkins, President of the Heritage Branch and Okill Stuart, Past President of both Heritage Branch and the Dominion (94/96). The previous week, Okill had represented UELAC once again on the Reviewing Stand during the Battle of Plattsburg Commemoration.  To see the photographs and the article, click here.

To listen to the eleven minute CBC interview of Adelaide, Louise and Okill with the history of the Sir John Johnson Family Burial Vault Restoration, click here.

Update on the UELAC Ontario Graphic Licence Plate Project

Requests have continued to come in over the summer – currently, we have received requests for 130 sets of Ontario graphic licence plates with the UELAC badge. We are still short of our target of 200, but we move ever closer. It has been our intention to re-evaluate the membership's interest and make a decision about proceeding this fall.

Therefore, if you are interested in ordering a set of these plates for about $100, or giving them as a gift, it is important you notify us soon. Once again, we do not require any money until we can determine if there is enough collective interest – but we do need to hear from you. If you have already put your name on our list, thank you. I will be contacting everyone with an update in the next few weeks.

Members and supporters – please encourage those in your Loyalist circles. Details can be found on the Dominion Projects page. To request a set of plates, please send your name, address, and phone number to plates@uelac.org, or call me at 905-486-9777.

...Ben Thornton, Toronto Branch

Re-enactment Battle of Queenston Heights Oct 13/14

For those following the 1812 activities and commemorations, keep October 13 and 14 open. A Re-enactment of the Battle of Queenston Heights will be held in Queenston, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Lewiston, New York on the 13th followed by a re-enactment of the Funeral of General Sir Isaac Brock at Fort George on the 14th. Brock's funeral drew over 5000 mourners at the time and the American forces acknowledged his death across the river with a multiple cannon salute ordered by his adversary at the Queenston battle, Major-General Stephen Van Rensselaer.

October 13, 2012 marks the 200th anniversary of the historic Battle of Queenston Heights. Join us at Queenston Heights where historic interpreters and musicians, re-enactors, merchants and suttlers will make history come to life! Take a tour of the battle site, and climb the 235 steps to the top of Brock's Monument to get a bird's eye view of battle site. Don't miss the re-enactment of the Battle of Queenston Heights, which will be starting at 3:00 pm. Following the re-enactment, there will be a ceremony commemorating those who fought and fell during the War of 1812. After the ceremony, Brock's body will be taken away on a horse drawn wagon, followed by a spectacular fireworks display on the heights to commemorate the life of Sir Isaac Brock.

Hundreds of re-enactors will be participating in the funeral procession of Major General Sir Isaac Brock, and his fallen Aide de Camp, Lieutenant Colonel John Macdonell. The funeral procession will carry the bodies from the Courthouse in Niagara-on-the-Lake towards Fort George National Historic Site, the original resting place of Upper Canada's Fallen Heroes. A commemoration of the life of Brock and MacDonnell will take place at Brock's Bastion, Fort George, followed by a Drumhead service, music by the Fort George Fife and Drum Corps, and a musket and cannon salute from inside Fort George, and across the river from Old Fort Niagara. Closing ceremonies will take place inside Fort George, honouring the 200 years of peace and friendship that has existed between Canada and the United States.

Click here for more information.

...David Moore (with the Canadian Fencibles) and Paul Federico

Canadian Geographic Offers Education Materials About War of 1812

As you may have seen in recent issues of Canadian Geographic, with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage and the assistance of Library and Archives Canada, CG Education has been working on creating a host of educator resources surrounding the bicentennial of the War of 1812. These items include a Giant Floor Map (11m x 8m), a kit of replica documents from 1812, Portrait Cards of 27 influential figures of the War, Model Ships, and a freestanding Timeline.

We are pleased to announce that we are now taking orders for the coming school year. If you are an educator, or know someone who is, please visit Canadian Geographic Education website for full product descriptions as well as information on the ordering and shipping processes.

All items will begin shipping in September. Quantities are limited so be sure to check it out soon!

...Canadian Geographic Education Executives

From the Twittersphere and Beyond

• Battle of Germantown story of General Howe's Dog and the gentleman Geo. Washington
• Built, Burnt, Back: The War of 1812 in Toronto
• BruceGreySimcoe Counties Celebrate War of 1812; explore their website
• Marking Loyalist Cemeteries Brings Greater Awareness. Butler Branch and Pelham Church (Caption under photo)
• Master and Commander of PR; Taking the US Navy to Task
• Delaware Indian tells story of his ancestors' plight; Gathering marks 1812 removal of tribe
• Maryland: Educational tools available to better teach importance of War of 1812
• 1812: A perfect war for politicians
• War of 1812 brought back to life in Grimsby Doors Open

Additions to the Loyalist Directory

As time permits, we add information to the Loyalist Directory. The latest additions and updates are as follows:
- Comer, Jacob – from Gerry Tordiff
- Finkle, George Sr. – from Gerry Tordiff
- Gardiner, George – from Gerry Tordiff
- Hicks, Lewis – from Gerry Tordiff
- Ostrom, Roelof (Rulijuh, Ruliph, Ruliffe, Ralph) – updated by Gerry Tordiff
- Peterson, Nicholas Sr. – from Gerry Tordiff

Your Assistance is Requested for the Loyalist Directory

One of the objectives of UELAC is to preserve our Loyalist Heritage. We often think about museums and archives when we think about heritage. But so much of that story is in family history and genealogy; each of us has some small part of that in our own collections.

To make the Loyalist history more comprehensive, we developed the Loyalist Directory where a few, or a lot, of details about individuals involved in the Loyalist period can be stored and made available to the online world – which today is a lot of people.

If you have not done so already, would you contribute to the Loyalist Directory. If a description of your Loyalist has been published in your branch newsletter, that would make a good contribution. If you completed your Loyalist certificate application on the computer version, that would be excellent. If you have a little spare time and would enter what you have readily at hand into a template of the directory record, that would be super. We have online and Word, email and spreadsheet versions, or just submit by email. Sent a note to loyalist.trails@uelac.org and instructions will be returned to you.

As you can see above, Gerry Tordiff has provided data about six Loyalists, and others have contributed as noted in most issues of this newsletter over the last weeks, months and years.

Give us a bit of your time, and help increase our Loyalist legacy.

Thank you in advance for your asistance – every little bit helps.

...Doug Grant, Loyalist Information Committee

Was Isaac Hendershot a Loyalist? An SUE? First Proofs

The family name is HENDERSHOT. My grandmother on my father's side was Clara Hendershot. She was the daughter of Wilber Hendershot, and Wilber was the son of Philip Hendershot, and Philip was the son of Isaac Hendershot. Children of Clara Hendershot and Harvey Hildreth included my father Hugh Wilbur Hildreth, born September 7th 1910..died May 31st, 1982. Then I am the only child of Hugh Wilbur Hildreth, who married Evelyn Clara Leonard, (born January 22nd 1918) – they married July 9th 1941 in Atwood, Ontario. Evelyn died January 18th, 1999. I was born Sharon Clara Hildreth, July 1st, 1944.

I have a Binbrook book (entitled TWEEDSMUIR HISTORY, BINBROOK TOWNSHIP 1948). compiled and edited by Louise Bell, a project of the Binbrook Women's Institute, which notes "that the original Hendershot stock were Pennsylvania Dutch, and they moved from the US as United Empire Loyalists and settled in the region of Oakville. . . . then some time later Isaac Hendershot moved to Brantford, then to Elfrida in 1848." He had 5 children, one of whom is Willber, who in turn had 7 children, one of whom is Clara who is my grandmother. Note that in this book Wilber is listed as Wilfred, but I believe this to be incorrect since I have found his burial in Trinity Church Cemetery, Elfrida, along with his wife, and also Philip and Isaac, but his stone clearly says his name was Wilber and the dates match up. I now realize, since this gentleman was my father's great grandfather, my father must have been named after him, as Wilber is his second name.

Clara Jane Hendershot was born 22nd of November, 1885 and died January 30th, 1963. A daughter of Wilber Hendershot and Elizabeth Neal, she married Harvey Hildreth on February 24th, 1909 in Binbrook.

I did find a great deal of information on your website, the marriage dates, death dates and burial locations of all the Hendershot's I have mentioned. Isaac was born March 22, 1789 but I don't have a death date. Philip Daniel was born in either 1822 or 1827 (two dates given)..and died Sept. 17th, 1906. Wilber was born Nov 6, 1851 and died June 20, 1916, and he married Elizabeth Neale I believe in 1877.

Other than that this booked "claimed" Isaac was of Loyalist stock (we know books are printed with incorrect information, and that the Late Loyalists really weren't Loyalists as we define them), I am looking for more information to determine if he was or was not a Loyalist or SUE. Also any other family information for the early generations would be appreciated.

...Sharon Kresak

Iram Murray and Family

I have one of those elusive ancestors who is on and off in different places and who disappears from time to time.

Iram Murrey was listed in the Vermont Pension/Claims book for war of 1812. He is described as living in Moreau, NY, and had participated under Capt Spencer fighting for the 29th Infantry.

I have found reference to Iram Murray in:

1790 Argyle, Washington County

1800 didnt find him

1810 in Moreau, Saratoga County, NY

1816 he is on the returns of Adolphustown, Ontario, Canada

From that point further, I find nothing specific. However, I did find a newspaper article in 1826 about lands formerly owned by himself and his son John C. Murray of Moreau, NY. Iram's son Hiram seems to be the only one from the family that stays in that area. Hiram was born in Moreau about 1805 and dies in the same place in 1875. His will lists all his neices and nephews (as he was a batchelor) but all his siblings have passed and he fails to mention any of them.

Iram's wife was Lydia Murray.

Their children were:

John C. m. Bersheba ? He died 1838 in Macomb Co, Michigan

Abigail m. Sylvester Hayford. She dies ca 1811 in either Parma, NY or Clinton Co, NY

Unknown daughter who had son named Peter Moore

My Ancestor Daniel C. Murray 1798-1851 Peoria Co, IL

Hawley Murray 1802-1877 in Morrow Co, Ohio

Hiram born 1805 Saratoga Co, Ny d. 1875 Saratoga Co, NY.

All the above are accounted for in NY except Abigails bunch and Peter Moore.

Any information about the Murray family of the Ft Edward Area would be much appreciated.

...Nancy Ellen Robinson

Was John Butler a Slave-Owner?

A recent article in Loyalist Trails noted that Loyalists brought more than 3,000 slaves with them when they fled to Canada. My maternal ancestor, Captain – eventually Colonel – John Butler, founder of the Butlers Rangers left a large estate in the Mohawk Valley. How can I find out if he owned slaves? If so, did he bring any of them to Niagara. If he did, what happened to them?

...Jim Houston