Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2006 Archive

In this issue:
- UELAC Web Site Redesigned
- Livingston Books
- The Queen - the new Movie
- Kawartha Branch at the International Plowing Match
- Mohawk Valley Bus Tour - The Leader-Herald Press Coverage
- Mohawk valley Bus Tour Visits Oriskany Battlefield
- Dufferin Heights Monuments Re-dedicated, by Townships Heritage
- Comments about Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone
- UELAC Member Remembered At A Reenactment
- Spooked About A Branch On The Family Tree
- "Ancestors in the Attic", a New Genealogy Series Hosted by Jeff Douglas
- Revolutionary Boost For New England Local History
- Queries
      + UELAC Transactions
      + Response re Cyrenius Parks
      + Clarification: Clergyman's Period Clothing
      + Follow up: Research for Film on Queenston Heights
      + Response re novels (Jock Elliott's query)

UELAC Web Site Redesigned

Over the last three months we have spent some considerable time redesigning the uelac web site. As many new topics had been added over the last two or three years, finding things on the site and navigating around it were becoming more difficult. The primary intent was then to help visitors find content of interest more readily.

The address is the same: www.uelac.org.

We certainly welcome comments and constructive criticism, as we are always looking to make it better yet. There is always room for improvement. We would be especially appreciative if you would tell us about any bad links. Just copy the url of the page where the bad or broken link resides and give an indication of which link is bad (copy it, note which paragraph it is in etc.). Send a note to doug.grant@insurance-canada.ca

Web Site Committee: Ed Scott and Doug Grant

Livingston Books

Earlier this year Pam Tessier, Penetanguishene Museum and Archives made an offer that many people could not refuse-free books. Upper Canada Sons and Daughters of United Empire Loyalists, Vol. 1 written in 1981 by Ruth Livingston and History of New Oswegatchie and the Blue Church Cemetery, 1780­1986 by Edwin A. Livingston were offered by their son to Pam at no cost except shipping charges. As a result of this information being made available to various genealogical based web lists, there was a big rush of applicants. I immediately asked for at least 28 copies of each for the Branch libraries. Unfortunately Pam was unable to determine who represented what in her distribution. This week I received what she had left over after meeting the request of individuals. I will take them with me to the Dominion Council meeting on October 28 and distribute them to the Branches whose requests were not met indirectly by Pam Tessier. The big problem will be determining which Branches who missed out on the original distribution. If you or your Branch received either book, please contact me before the 26th.

...Fred H. Hayward {fhhayward AT idirect DOT com} how do I email him?

The Queen - the new Movie

This month, Christian Parlee of the Alliance Atlantis Motion Picture Distribution sent Dominion Office thirty tickets to view a screening of The Queen on October 4 in Toronto. The movie is described as “an intimate, revealing and often humourous portrait of the British royal family in crisis immediately following the death of Princess Diana staring Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II, James Cromwell as Prince Phillip and Michael Sheen as Tony Blair” Click here for a review of the film. Previous commitments prevented the attendance of many UELAC members for this “surprise” event but those who were able to make it thoroughly enjoyed the production.

...Fred Hayward UE

Kawartha Branch at the International Plowing Match

The International Plowing match was a wonderful event for Peterborough County, but the work involved was just a little overwhelming. Our UEL display was in the corner of a tent. 15 x 15 by 25 x 10, sort of like a big "L" shape. We had a tremendous response and the branch volunteers (Joan Lucas and Jean Lake ) came away with over 135 names of potential people who wanted to follow up on their UEL heritage. I worked the both every day as well as did several other members, plus I helped with the set up and take down. Pam Dickey and I lived at the plowing match for 8 days in a friend's trailer. Pam was in charged of the quilting tent which turned out to be one of the largest and most successful tents ever at a plowing match. By Wed. they had over 15,000 visitors and some 10,000 came in on the three remaining days in spite of the rainy weather. Peter Johnston was with us for the Wed and I think he was even amazed at the response by the crowd. I also was involved in the Greater Harvey Historical Society display. We had a great time but we were all very tired when it was all over. Some of us came down with a flu or cold afterwards, but it is the season.

...David Kemlo, Kawartha Branch

Mohawk Valley Bus Tour - The Leader-Herald Press Coverage

Loyalists research history in local area: The Leader-Herald, Johnstown NY, Thurs. Oct 4, 2006

By CHRISTINA CHAMBERLAIN, The Leader-Herald

JOHNSTOWN ­ Fifty-two members of the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada are touring the Mohawk Valley to learn more about their ancestry. The members attended a Loyalist Banquet at the Holiday Inn Tuesday in Johnstown.

Wayne Pettapiece, of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and his wife, Irene, attended the tour for their first time. Wayne said he was interested in knowing the stories behind his ancestors’ decision to stay or leave during the American Revolution.

The Loyalist Mohawk Valley Bus Tour was organized by George Anderson and Edward Kipp. The tour departed from Ottawa and made a pickup at Cornwall. According to a news release from Anderson, “United Empire Loyalists were residents of the American Colonies who remained loyal to the king during the American Revolution and migrated to Canada.” According to the group’s mission statement on its Web site, the purpose of the organization is “to preserve, promote and celebrate the history and traditions of the Loyalist epoch in Canadian history.”

Irene Pettapiece said she had Loyalist descendants from the Mohawk Valley area. She said she found out about the tour on the Internet. “I’ve enjoyed the people and the information they can give us,” Irene said.

Grace Lumbers, of London, Ontario, Canada, has participated in a local tour in the past. “Our family settled in Schenectady in the 1600s and I wanted to see the old section,” Lumbers said. Lumbers found many items related to her family during her visit to the Stockade section of Schenectady Tuesday. She located two photos of ancestors and a piece of wood from an old house of her ancestors that was demolished.

The recent tour is Gordon Reoch’s third. He has ancestors with the last name Carkner who came from the area. Reoch and his wife intend to return to the area on their own next year for more research and tours, he said.

Peter Scarlett of Ottawa, Canada, said he is a descendent of Archibald Thompson, a forefather of the wealthy Canadian Ken Thompson. He said the group is important for “keeping our heritage alive so our children will know where they came from.” Scarlett’s ancestry leads him to the Cherry Valley area. This was his third tour. “I enjoyed going through Schenectady,” he said. “If I hadn’t seen Johnson Hall before, it would have been the highlight.”

The tour visited 12 historic sites. Local stops on the tour include the Johnstown Battlefield, Johnson Hall, the grave of Sir William Johnson, Fulton County Courthouse, Fort Klock, the Saltsman’s Hotel, Nellis Tavern and other locations.

Tuesday’s banquet featured guest speaker Wade Wells, a program and special events coordinator at Johnson Hall.

Along with the 52 Canadians making the trip, one man from Boston joined the loyalists. Anderson said many of the loyalists have colonial ancestors who lived in the Mohawk Valley. The group will end its tour visiting the Oriskany Battlefield State Site.

Susan Moss of Ottawa was a first-time attendee of the tour. “It’s been a lot of fun,” Moss said. “I’ve learned a lot about the history.” She said she was aware of loyalist ancestors, but not where they were located. “On this tour, I found that one rented land from Sir Johnson,” Moss said. She found rental records dating back to the 1700s. Moss said she has visited New York before, but not the local area.

Kipp said the first tour he and Anderson organized took place in 1998 to the Mohawk and Schenectady valleys. Since the initial tour, the duo has organized seven more. Kipp encouraged loyalists to learn more about the time period and to educate people about the loyalist perspective.

Fulton County Regional Chamber of Commerce & Industry President Wally Hart gave some welcoming remarks to the visitors.

UELAC Immediate Past Dominion President Douglas Grant also made remarks. Grant challenged the group to contribute in some form to their loyalist heritage.

Fulton County Historian Peter Betz and Johnstown Historian Noel Levee spoke during Tuesday’s banquet. Betz informed the loyalists he would do all he could to maintain international communication. Both historians looked back on the loyalism and patriotism in the Mohawk Valley. “It’s nice your group and ours can get together today and celebrate history,” Levee said.

Wells gave an overview of the American Revolution in the Mohawk Valley. “Eighteenth-century history has always been a passion of mine,” Wells said.

[submitted by George Anderson]

Mohawk valley Bus Tour Visits Oriskany Battlefield

(October 4) A quick note to say hi to all and let you know George Anderson and his merry band of Loyalists stormed Oriskany Battlefield this morning. The weather cooperated, as did the mosquitoes (or lack thereof) and a good time was had by all. The visit ended in a draw (as once before if I recall correctly), and as the bus was full upon leaving, no prisoners were taken on either side.

It’s always a wonderful treat to have our Canadian cousins venture down to visit this special place in both our histories, especially as friends and allies. Thank you again for all your kind regards these many years. Many said they left with a much better understanding of what occurred at Oriskany and a greater appreciation for the hardship and sacrifices endured by all sides. And we greatly appreciate the donation, as well as the tour book! They both will be put to good use until we see you again.

Each time after this visit, I promise myself to get a bus tour together for the rebel militia side of the Oriskany family to visit those Canadian sites connected with this story line. As you know best what you’ld want us to see and appreciate, if someone would be kind enough to send me a list of recommended destinations, I would be happy to start working on that. And if there are any remaining questions or requests, please feel free to email me once you get home. Cheers and best wishes!

...Nancy Demyttenaere, Regional Historic Preservation Supervisor, Oriskany Battlefield and Steuben Memorial SHSs {Nancy DOT Demyttenaere AT oprhp DOT state DOT ny DOT us} how do I email her?

Dufferin Heights Monuments Re-dedicated, by Townships Heritage

(October 10, 2006), Matthew Farfan -- Last weekend, beneath a brilliant blue sky, a crowd of over a hundred onlookers, together with dignitaries, veterans, members of the armed forces, and descendants of the area’s pioneers, assembled to witness the re-dedication ceremony of both the Pioneer Monument and the War Memorial, located at the summit of Dufferin Heights.

For a description of the event and some pictures, click here.

[This project was assisted by Little Forks as a Branch Project.....submitted by Bev Loomis UE]

Comments about Nova Scotia and Sierra Leone

My younger brother, Stephen was still a student in University at the time he spent his summer in Sierra Leone. This was about two years after the murder of john Kennedy, and many locals who were not wearing their village cotton print shirt were wearing a portrait of Kennedy.

Stephen met people who claimed to be Nova Scotians, and according to the National Geographic, there are church memorials to some original Nova Scotians. Times have changed society since then. Stephen brought me a carving blackened with shoe polish, of a lady dressed in straw and wooden mask, known as a Bundu Devil. Since this object did not fit my less eclectic display of knick-knacks, 2 years ago, I donated the carving to the Agnes Etherington Art Centre ( Queen's) as that gallery has a good collection of African carvings of better quality.

In Sierra Leone, village Moslems, make a "prayer rug" in their yard out of pebbles. Most Nova Scotians live in Freetown, and their understanding of Brits helped soften the way in international politics. When photographers visited our convention in the days of Howard Warner (to photograph descendants of refugee ex-Americans) I told them of the Nova Scotia Blacks who were given a chance to relocate at Freetown. Within the two years National Geographic wrote an article on Freetown Nova Scotians. The transportation was subsidized by a Bible Society. - about the same time that the British Government gave transportation to some Treasury Loyalists, who were not economically happy living in Britain.

...Philip Smart UE, Kingston Branch

UELAC Member Remembered At A Reenactment

For the past fifteen years a War of 1812 reenactment has been held at Chatham ON at the beginning of October. Known as 'The Faire At The Forks' because of the Thames River, this year marked the closing of this event. As it is one of the last reenactments of the season, several reenactors who passed away during the last year were remembered. Among the names was Bev Nichol UE who came every year and was a sutler, (a merchant with such goods as would appeal to the discerning reenactor).

...Peter W. Johnson UE. President, UELAC

Spooked About A Branch On The Family Tree

Recently I was in store belonging to a well known chain, and there was an abundance of merchandise for the Hallowe'en market. There was a selection of styrofoam grave markers, and one caught my eye, as it was inscribed with the name. Cornelius VanAtter. If I may refer to my James Johnson and Margaret Redner family, wherein the children were born between 1791 and 1819, one of the younger daughters married, (you guessed it), Cornelius VanAtter, (also known as Vannatta). This Cornelius was born about 1812 and died in 1862. He was the son of a Cornelius too. Had the sytrofoam marker been priced reasonably I probably would have purchased one as a curiosity. The wife of the younger Cornelius was descended from Loyalists from New Jersey.

...Peter W. Johnson UE, President, UELAC

Ancestors in the Attic, a New Genealogy Series Hosted by Jeff Douglas

Got any secrets in your family tree, skeletons in ye olde ancestral closet? Were your ancestors sinners or saints, royals or rogues? Now you can dig into your family history with Ancestors in the Attic presented by Reader's Digest Canada, airing Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT beginning October 18, 2006 on History Television.

Produced by Toronto's Primitive Entertainment and hosted by Things That Move's Jeff Douglas, Ancestors in the Attic is an irreverent, fast-paced new series that takes viewers on a road trip across Canada and on a worldwide search for their ancestors. Part personal drama, part forensic investigation and part historical revelation, Ancestors in the Attic reveals to Canadians, in an intimate and dramatic way, not only their roots, but also the diverse stories that make up the history of our country.

Ancestors in the Attic presented by Reader's Digest Canada was based on an idea by Dugald Maudsley and his father, Don Maudsley, who has a keen interest in family history. "I challenged my dad to come up with a great story to prove that genealogy was ready for prime time," says Maudsley, who is also a producer and writer of the project. "He came up with two from our own family - one about a murder-suicide and the other about an unusual piece of land. That was pretty dramatic material, and History Television thought so too."

For more than a year, Ancestors in the Attic has gathered unsolved family mysteries submitted by Canadians and, over 15 half hour programs, the program's team of professional Indiana Jones genealogists will crack them. The results are often unexpected; the revelations startling.

Host Jeff Douglas and staff genealogist Paul McGrath travel the world pursuing family legends, tracking the genealogy of families, reuniting lost kin, and revealing simple ways to break through genealogical brick walls. At the same time a panel of professional genealogists – Dr. Kevin James, Fawne Stratford-Devai, and Ryan Taylor – combine their considerable talents to take viewers on a forensic journey that unlocks the answer to a particularly difficult mystery – the true identity of a murder victim, the final resting place of a war hero, the location of an ancestor's antebellum plantation.

The stories of Ancestors in the Attic cover the entire breadth of Canada from Coquitlam, B.C., to Carbonnear, Newfoundland, and from Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories to Chatham in southwestern Ontario. The series also crosses oceans to actively help people uncover the secrets in their family tree. By telling the story of one person's search for their ancestors Ancestors in the Attic not only delves into a slice of Canadian history, it reveals the connections that bind us as individuals, families and as a nation.

Ancestors in the Attic presented by Reader's Digest Canada is produced by Primitive Entertainment in association with History Television, produced with the assistance of the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. The series is produced by Dugald Maudsley, Kristina McLaughlin and Michael McMahon, and executive produced by Michael McMahon. Executive for History Television is Michael Kot.

Click here for the Global Gazette's review of the show; click here for the show's main website.

[Forwarded by Fawne Stratford-Devai, and Gloria Oakes, Hamilton Br. and Dave Rolls Edmonton Br.]

Revolutionary Boost For New England Local History

By ERIK ARVIDSON, Lowell Sun Statehouse Bureau

BOSTON -- An area of Northeastern Massachusetts that extends from Greater Lowell to Northern Worcester County would be designated as a National Heritage Area under legislation that is advancing on Beacon Hill. Local officials, preservationists and historians have for years sought to recognize the significant historical role played by communities north and west of Boston where the Colonists rose up against the British and ignited the American Revolution.

A swath of Massachusetts that includes 37 cities and towns, stretching from Malden to Gardner, along with eight communities in Southern New Hampshire, would be designated the Freedom's Way National Heritage Area, under the proposal. The area includes Lexington and Concord, where Patriots fought with British troops in April 1775, sparking the war, along with many cities and towns north and west where the Colonists lived.

The official designation as a National Heritage Area, of which there are now only 27 nationwide, would be a boost to tourism and make the historical structures and landmarks within the communities eligible for state and federal funding, officials said.

[article from the Lowell Sun, submitted by Charles Ross UE, Kawartha Branch]

UELAC Transactions

I recently received a question about UELAC Transactions. Generally, could someone tell us what periods transactions were published, and what did they contain?

More specifically, could someone supply a copy of the following:

"Queen's Rangers, First American Regiment, Nominal Roll of Officers, 1776-1783,". United Empire Loyalists' Transactions, (1935), pp. 104-109. I would like to obtain copy of these pages as I am doing research on the Queen's Rangers. Please advise.

If anyone has same and could make a copy of those pages, let me know doug.grant@insurance-canada.ca and I will put you in touch with the person doing the research.

...Doug

Response re Cyrenius Parks

I show a Cyrenius Park/s was married to Elizabeth Hoffman. He was born Dec 22, 1752 and died Aug 22, 1828. He had nine children....but no Nathaniel?

...Karen Windover UE

I am curious about the outcome of this query as I am a Cyrenius Parks descendant. At the mention of his name I should draw your attention to a project sponsored by the U.E.L. Heritage Centre & Park in Adolphustown, Ontario. A committee was formed earlier this year to complete a restoration of the Parks Cemetery (North Fredericksburgh) in time for the 225th anniversary in 2009. Other Loyalist names in that cemetery include Shewman, Huffman, and Loyst. To date, just over $3,000 has been raised through direct appeal to Parks and Loyst descendants. Anyone wishing further information on the Parks Cemetery 225 Project can contact me at {1784 AT uel DOT ca} how do I email him?.

...Brandt Zätterberg, Executive Director, U.E.L. Heritage Centre & Park Reg. Charity No. 889 242 863 RR0001

Clarification on EarlierRresponse to Clergyman's Period Clothing

Just for clarification, Neil Thomsen is the chaplain of the King's Royal Yorkers, or in full, the King's Royal Regiment of New York. That regiment was an entirely different organization than the King's Rangers. Both units served in the same theatre, but almost always on quite different duty stations.

...Gavin Watt, Honorary VP UELAC

Follow up: Research for Film on Queenston Heights

I thought that you would be interested to know that a Jarvis and a Ridout (and many others) have participated (peacefully) in the making of a documentary about the death of General Brock at Queenston Heights. As stated the work will be shown on History Television later this year or early next year. It has been a most interesting and enjoyable experience for me.

...Ann Jarvis Boa

Response re novels (Jock Elliott's query)

Jeff Shaara has written two excellent novels about the American Revolution. Rise to Rebellion and The Glorious Cause.

While not a novel, David McCullough's "1776" is a must-read. Also "His Excellency George Washington" by Joseph J. Ellis.

In the summer my wife and I are costumed guides at the General Henry Knox Museum. It is one of my functions to deliver the Orientation Lecture. And I chuckle to myself and wonder if my audience realizes that they are not only listening to a Canadian, but a Loyalist as well.

...John Charters, UE

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.