Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2006 Archive

In this issue:
- Camp Security: Can you help?
- A Bit of Canadian Loyalism in North Carolina
- Bay of Quinte Branch UELAC: Broader Community Promotion - A Feasibility Study
- Queries
      + Loyalist Directory: Basnet Dell
      + Response re Elizabeth Everett's family
      + Loyalist Heritage Sites in Nova Scotia
      + Banks in New Brunswick

Camp Security: Can you help?

My apologies for not responding to you in a much more timely fashion. There really is no excuse other than hoping certain events would transpire that I would have more information to send you.

We are attempting to open discussion with the developer to purchase the property that we know for certain has remains of Camp Security. If you have not already been to our web site, I would suggest to go to campsecurity.com for background information on the site.

This past summer myself and the vice president of Friends of Camp Security went to the Pennsylvania State Historic Museum to view the artifacts that were removed from the site during the 1979 archeological dig. We had originally been saying that there were approximately 3000 of these artifacts. By the time we went through the main exhibit and then into the basement archives, we discovered that the artifacts number between 10,000 and 15,000, most of which are in the same plastic bags that they were placed in when they were removed from the site. They have never been cataloged and the State official said that they do not have the funding to do so. Our hope is to find and possibly fund a college graduate student to complete this task.

Friends of Camp Security is in the process of obtaining our own tax exempt status. Currently we have been operating under the "umbrella" of Historic York, Inc. We are also in the process of developing an informational brochure. This would be distributed throughout the local preservation and tourist locations in York, PA. I will be happy to send you one when it is completed. It will most likely take about a month for completion.

We are also attempting to compile a listing of prisoners and guards who were at Camp Security. Perhaps this is a way that you could assist. How many of your members can trace their ancestry to the Camp. This year marks the 225th Anniversary of the opening of the Camp and we would like to do something commemorative of those who spent time there.

We are also investigating airiel infared testing of the area. Since we are not permitted access to the site this may be the only way to survey the site.

Of course, as always, all of this takes $$. We have been fortunate that some folks have generously offered their services on a pro-bono basis (including our legal and advertising consultants). We are anticipating doing some fundraising this year and will have to match any grants that can obtain toward the purchase of the site.

Specifically, the very best way you and your members can help the preservation of this site is to:

1. Reach out to your governmental agencies to put pressure on the US and Pennsylvania State governmental agencies for the preservation of this site.

2. Compile a listing of any members and their ancestors who were at Camp Security.

3. Help with any fundraising efforts within your own country or monetary contributions toward our efforts are greatly appreciated.

4. Promote awareness of Camp Security.

If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Again, my sincere apologies for taking an unforgivable amount to respond to you.

Sincerely, Carol Tanzola, President, Friends of Camp Security, {carol AT jvtanzola DOT com} how do I email her?

[submitted by Alvin Huffman]

A Bit of Canadian Loyalism in North Carolina

As a Canadian from families of UEL and Pioneer days, I was surprised to find myself back in the United States as an American citizen once again. However, I have made good use of my Canadian background and education in Niagara Falls, ON and Toronto University to promote all the down to earth presentation of Canada to my American friends and relatives that I can.

When we started the Old Buncombe County Genealogical Society here in Asheville North Carolina over twenty-five years ago which was to include a genealogical library I was in at the beginning as Charter President, and insisted that it cover more than just material for Western North Carolina. It was a well known fact that WNC was populated by English, Germans and Scots Irish and people already had books to donate that covered those three immigration topics. Accordingly, we soon had resources related to New England, Pennsylvania, Tide Water Virginia and South Carolina. It wasn't long before our Scots Irish researchers needed to reach back to Northern Ireland, the Germans were very receptive to European roots, Tide Water Virginia and New England researchers wanted books from the United Kingdom and Ireland, and many people here had come north from South Carolina and needed that connection.

And sitting there cataloging those early contributions was one who had a consuming desire to research in Ontario since that was the source of her early Canadian roots, leading back to United Empire Loyalists and early German pioneers. With shelves overflowing at home, some of the books were soon added to a Canadian shelf. Others contributed sets of early French Canadian families, both in English and in French. Occasionally a book arrived about Halifax and New Brunswick. And it wasn't long before we had retirees here from northwestern USA who could see their names along the Atlantic Coast but found gaps in research material between them and New York, Ohio, Vermont and Massachusetts. They hadn't realized that their families had probably spent some time building up Ontario, for instance, and then moved on to Michigan when it opened for settlement and our library was equipped to show them this new route to study. They couldn't do it all here, of course, but we pointed to the direction they could go.

Our collection of materials, books and CDs, are mainly of Ontario, although books are coming in about the exploration of the west in preparation for the building of the transcontinental railways, etc. plus the books on the early Atlantic Provinces and the French Canadians. Our Society's Web Site was recently awarded a certificate of achievement for being an excellent site. Its address is obcgs.com and our recent accomplishment is putting our library catalogue on line. We invite Loyalist readers in Canada to peruse the materials we have on Canada and the Palatines of the Mohawk Valley, the Palatines of Ireland, and the research books we have for studying their European origins. We have an excellent Research Team which would be happy to be of service.

Palatine Loyalists would find a warm welcome at the Old Buncombe County Genealogical Library in Asheville, NC in person or by email. Check our website for current address because we are growing rapidly and may have to find a new "home" in the next few months. Tell them you heard about us from Doris Ward, expatriate, author of the CD: "The Palatine Emigration of 1710 to the Hudson River and the Mohawk Valley."

...Doris Ward {Dorisward AT aol DOT com} how do I email her?

Bay of Quinte Branch UELAC: Broader Community Promotion - A Feasibility Study

Bay of Quinte Branch and their UEL Heritage Park have worked diligently to expand and improve their facilities and to attract more people to them. They have woked closely with community, local government and provincial government to further that objective. Last Fall a feasibility study was completed and presented. A one page executive summary of "Loyalist Settlement Experience", and if you wish the full report, can be viewed online at http://www.pelacfdc.ca/story.php?id=27 Congratulations to Brian, Brandt and others in the group who worked hard on this. It is great to see such good progress.

...Brandt Zätterberg {Zedmap AT aol DOT com} how do I email him?

Loyalist Directory - Basnet Dell

I have just reviewed the UELAC listing for my ancestor Basnet Dell. I believe that he is listed as "Barnett Sr." but that is a minor matter, since his given name has been spelled in the records more ways than his/my surname. The listing shows his status as "suspended". Can you explain what this means? The notes say "Suspended by Order In Council of 21st January 1824." Is there an on-line source where I could get a copy of that OIC?

I notice others are listed as "expunged." I do not understand the distinction between these two terms.

I have seen him called both Barsnett and Bassnett. He had two sons - who fought with the British army, Henry, who is shown on the list, and Adoram.

Adoram and his brother Henry were both soldiers in the same Battalion. Adoram died on Staten Island in May 1778 (probably either killed or died of wounds) and was buried on Staten Island, according to records filed by brother Henry in his petition for a Crown Grant of land as a discharged soldier.

...Harry Dell, Texas, {mahdell AT earthlink DOT net} how do I email him?

Response to Query: Elizabeth Everett's family

If your Everett settled in western Quebec (Ontario) after the war, you don't have far to look. The first one that springs to mind is Lieutenant Peter Everett of the 1st battalion, King's Royal Yorkers. See details below.

From the revised edition of Cruikshank & Watt, "King's Royal Regt of New York"

Everett, Peter Born - America Enlisted - 28Oct76

Highest rank achieved - Lieutenant, 2nd Senior.

History of service - Volunteer in the Col's Coy, '76. Rank'd as Ensign,

5Aug77. Ensign in the Maj's Coy, '77. Rank'd as Lieut, 14Nov81. Lieut in Grenadier Company, '82&83.

Place of origin and trade - NY farmer.

Where settled - In 1785, RT2. In 1786, RT1, officer only. Family details unknown.

From Larry Turner's, "Voyage of a Different Kind - The Associated Loyalists of Kingston and Adolphustown"

Everett, John.

He was appointed the captain of a company of Associated Loyalists who came from New York City to Quebec. He married Mercy Purdy, a daughter of Gilbert Purdy Sr. Their known children were: Esther, Charles and Mary. Three of

their children were born before the evacuation of NYC. Esther married Peter Grass, son of Michael.

John and Mercy settled CT1 - Kingston in 1784.

...Gavin Watt

Query: Loyalist Heritage Sites in Nova Scotia

My name is Amy Strong and I am a student at the Nova Scotia Community College-Truro Campus. I was just wondering if you could answer a question for me. What community in Nova Scotia has a heritage site connected with the United Empire Loyalists? Thanks for your time!

...Amy Strong

Tell Amy to do a Google search for Black Loyalist Birchtown and she will find photographs and details re the Heritage plaque, etc. It is a Parks Canada site. There are also other photos and interesting details re the Black Loyalists.

In Shelburne we also have a Heritage Plaque and there are about 20 original Loyalist homes. A photo and architectural details of one of these houses is shown on the Shelburne County Genealogical website – under the Heritage inventory listing. If you send me her E-mail address I will take a photo to send her of the Shelburne tablet.

...Eleanor Smith

Your query about Black History Month was passed to me by Doug Grant. There is a Black Loyalist Heritage Society in Birchtown, Shelburne County which is very active. The Black United Front operates a museum in the Wesphal area of Dartmouth. Those are the only ones that I am aware of.

...Lew Perry UE, President, Halifax-Dartmouth Branch

Banks in New Brunswick

What was the first bank in what is now Saint John City, N.B.? The information is needed for a book to be published in Sussex N.B.

...Phil Turner {pbtme AT mfx 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.