Loyalist Trails UELAC Newsletter, 2011 Archive

In this issue:
- Conference 2011 Deadline Approaching
- The Fair American, A Loyalist Privateer: Part One -- © Stephen Davidson
- John Moore (1730 - 1827): Fourth Generation in America © George McNeillie
- Celebrating National Volunteer Week
- "Looking Back" at Sir John Johnson
- Jean Rae Baxter, Author of Broken Trail Reveals Research
- Tories -- The Review
- Sir Conrad Swan, UELAC Honorary Vice-President
- Canadian Royal Provincials
- Society of Colonial Wars Hoping To Start an Ontario Society
- UELAC Vancouver Branch in the St Patrick's Day parade -- March 20, 2011
- Book: Toronto of Old, by Henry Scadding
- War of 1812: Battle of Longwoods
- The Tech Side: Open Source Revisited – by Wayne Scott, UE
- Additions to the Loyalist Directory
- Queries
      + Missing a Proof in the Burt Family Lineage
      + Loyalists in the Port Hope and Cobourg ON area

Conference 2011 Deadline Approaching

The deadline for enjoying a reduction in hotel as well as registration and event rates at the United Empire Loyalists' Association's Conference 2011 is fast approaching.

After April 30, 2011, full rates will be charged for rooms at the three designated conference hotels -- the Holiday Inn Express, the Travelodge and the Comfort Inn -- in Brockville. A reduction in rates for registration, events and tours will also end on April 30.

Click here for the Conference website.

The Colonel Edward Jessup Branch welcomes you to Eastern Ontario at the St. Lawrence River community of Brockville. Conference 2011 will feature interesting historical tours of this region rich in Loyalist heritage and a dinner cruise through the beautiful 1000 Islands.

The third of a series of articles describing interesting historical facts about Brockville and the surrounding region of the St. Lawrence River and the 1000 Islands where Conference 2011 "Catch The Spirit" of our Loyalists’ Ancestors will be held. Hosted by the Col. Edward Jessup Branch, the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada’s annual Conference will be held from June 2 to 5.

The Fair American, A Loyalist Privateer: Part One -- © Stephen Davidson

An often neglected chapter of American Revolution's naval history is the role played by loyalists' sailing vessels. Known as "privateers", these ships had a variety of missions. From the mundane --but vital-- job of transporting firewood to British garrisons to the more exciting attacks on patriot ships to guerilla raids on rebel port towns, loyalist privateers distracted and demoralized patriots This freed the ships of the Royal Navy to attack crucial rebel fortifications. Like their loyalist owners, little is known about the tory privateers. However, one ship, The Fair American, has a fascinating story which can be pieced together by an examination of documents from the Revolution. Her story begins in 1778 and involves some of New York's wealthiest loyalist women.

Although they could not fight on the battlefield, colonial women certainly did their part in the war effort. Patriot women sewed uniforms for the Continental Army while loyalist women organized themselves to raise money for the royal cause. Inspired by their sisters in England, a group described as "the principal loyal ladies of New York" started a fund raising campaign for a unique project. Earlier that year, King George III's wife, Queen Charlotte, and the Marchioness of Granby had spearheaded a group of wealthy women to help in the war against American rebels and their French allies. Using their own fortunes, they purchased a privateer named the Amazon.

By January of 1779 the unnamed "principle loyal ladies" presented the British command in New York with a New Year's gift -- a 16-gun brig bearing the name The Fair American. This ship had been a patriot privateer in the opening years of the Revolution. Following her capture in battle, the New York City women bought the brig and outfitted it for loyal service along the Atlantic seaboard. The fact that a number of patriot vessels also carried the name The Fair American did not seem to concern the women who bought the brig, and she successfully served the royal cause until the end of the Revolution by that name.

There were many types of tall ships during the 18th century. A brig such as The Fair American was distinguished from other vessels by having only two masts that supported square sails. The upper sails were smaller than the lower, allowing the crew to raise or lower them for greater maneuverability. A skilled captain and crew could turn a brig about more quickly than any other type of sailing vessel. This made the ship an ideal choice for conducting raids. A brig could be anywhere between 23 and 50 metres long, up to 480 tons, and could carry up to 18 guns. It was larger than a schooner and required a smaller crew than brigantines.

Up until 1778, the British government had discouraged loyalists from engaging in privateering as it caused such deep resentment. Privateer raids were, after all, simply government sanctioned looting and pillaging. But when the British realized that there was no hope of making peace with the rebels through negotiations, they allowed their loyal colonists to begin making raids on patriot coastal towns and cArgo vessels. It was seen as "any means of making war a greater curse".

James Rivington, the editor of the loyalist newspaper, the Royal Gazette, could not resist adding some personal observations to the news about The Fair American when it was launched in 1779. After describing the brig as "a formidable fast-sailing privateer", he said that while the ship's purchase "reflects great credit on the patriotism of the ladies, ought to be considered by the rebels as a proof of the flagrancy of their own insolence and obstinacy, in rejecting such generous offers of reconciliation, as to excite the indignation of the fair sex, whose natural characteristics are gentleness and benevolence." Rivington then printed a 34-line ode to The Fair American. It included the lines:

Assured be, that every honest man

Will idolize The Fair American ;

Brave loyal tars, and hearts of oak, will vie

For you to fight or conquer, live or die

True to Rivington's prediction, eighty-five "brave loyal tars" made up the newly commissioned privateer's crew. William Burton, a New Jersey loyalist, became the brig's captain. It did not take many months for The Fair American (and the other loyalist privateers who joined her) to become major irritants to the patriot forces as they blocked the shipment of vital food supplies to the north.

In response to loyalist privateer attacks, the rebel Colonel Silas Talbot, recruited 60 volunteers to man the sloop, Argo, in May of 1779 to "punish the New York Tories who were equipping privateers against their own countrymen and working great mischief in Long Island Sound". The Argo managed to capture two loyalist raiders, the Lively and the King George, as well as two English privateers sailing from the West Indies. However she failed to seize The Fair American, the loyalist brig whose launching had been celebrated in poetry. This must have been particularly galling for Talbot; he had been the captain of The Fair American prior to her capture in 1778 when she was a patriot privateer, the General Washington.

The Fair American was soon making her presence felt along the Atlantic seaboard. Brief references in period documents offer glimpses into her war service. Thanks to the fact that The Fair American was on the losing side of a 1782 sea battle off of Delaware, the brig was immortalized in a painting that today hangs in the American Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The story of that sea battle will be told in next week's Loyalist Trails.

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

John Moore (1730 - 1827): Fourth Generation in America © George McNeillie

Some further light is shed upon the fortunes of the Moore family in the correspondence in the old mahogany cabinet, extracts from which will now follow:

(1). Letter of Mary Moore to James Moore.

Newtown, 15th September, 1785

How painful, my dear Brother, has been your long silence. How many anxious hours has it cost us, and how many conjectures have we formed about it? Alas! Sickness, the thing we most feared, has been the cause of it. But you are I hope by this time enjoying the health without which not wealth, nor all the grandeur in the world could render us happy. Your dear Betsey [his wife] we have likewise heard has been ill. Remember us all very affectionately to her, with warmest wishes for her health and a long continuance of it. "Our Sister Betsey [Elizabeth Moore] intended to join the little circle around your fireside this winter, but I believe she has deferred her visit till Spring, when she will go (without something unforeseen should arise to prevent), attended by Papa. She has just set out for Staten Island and begs, with the rest of the family, to be remembered to you.

Farewell! That you may ever be happy is the sincere wish of your affectionate sister -- Mary Moore.

(2.) Letter of Anna (Moore) McVicker to James Moore.

New York, 16th June, 1787

My dear Brother -- I wrote you some time in February, since when my Father has received several letters from you, and is sorry to find you are not quite happy in that country. I know nothing would give him more pleasure or afford more satisfaction to your friends than to have you return and settle among them, could it be done with any prospect of advantage to yourself. But this my father thinks cannot be. He often talks of coming to you -- if not altogether at least for one twelve-month, and if my Brother Sackett were at home, I believe he would put his intentions into execution. I told you that Sackett had gone to sea with Captain Craig, and was not expected to return until next September. We have not heard from him since he sailed, which was the very day I wrote you. This letter I expect will be delivered you by Mr. Totten, who can inform you of any particulars relative to all our friends -- who is married? who is dead? &c. My Father and all the family are well. Sister Betsey is now with me and just preparing to go to Staten Island. Mr. Dougan has the fever and ague, and my little James has just recovered from it. This is all the sickness we have had lately in the family.

I long to see you all but must wait with patience for some favourable turn of fortune for that happiness. I am sorry to hear that Dick [probably a Negro servant] was so unwell as to be unable to assist you, as the loss of his labour to you must be considerable.

Uncle Moore's family are all well except Sally, who has a lame foot, occasioned by a sprain, and only waits for recovery from that to be married. Betsey begs her love to you and family -- Benjamin is very well and lives still in William Street. Mr. McVicker is very well and as usual is up to his eyes in business. He begs his love to you, your wife and little one. The weather here has been extremely wet and cold till within a few days. A great part of the Indian Corn has been hurt, and I believe it will be a bad fruit year.

God bless you and send you a happier country and better Government than we are at present blest with. Adieu.

Yours affectionately, Anna McVicker.

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

Celebrating National Volunteer Week

This message dated April 10, 2011 is from His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, on the Occasion of National Volunteer Week.

OTTAWA -- I believe that in Canada, helping your neighbour is more than a duty; it is a source of pride. This spirit of giving, which often develops at a very young age and helps to define our collective identity, forms the very basis of any dynamic society.

Each of us has a vital role to play in building a smarter, more caring nation. And to realize this vision to which we aspire, we have a responsibility to our youth, who are filled with determination and have so much energy to be channelled into good works.

They need role models, guides and advisors. They need the generations that have come before them -- older peers, adults in their prime, seniors who have long served this country-- people who are giving generously of their time and of themselves, right across Canada, in service to their fellow citizens.

During National Volunteer Week, I invite Canadians to think about how they can make a difference in their communities and get involved. Let us take this opportunity to recognize and celebrate the work of all volunteers.

...David Johnston, Patron, UELAC

"Looking Back" at Sir John Johnson

The early story of Sir John Johnson and his arrival in Quebec was featured in the Looking Back column of the Montreal Gazette, 9 April 2011. Joseph Graham, author of Naming the Laurentians: a history of place names 'up north', focused on the role of the Johnson family in both upper New York province and Quebec, drawing the reader to the 1807 acquisition of Seigneury of Argenteuil. He also hinted at Sir John's role in resettling the Loyalists, his position in the Legislative Council of Lower Canada and leadership of the Six Township Battalions in the War of 1812. As we approach the bicentenary of the War of 1812, perhaps Mr. Graham will write further articles on this important leader in Canada's history. For the article, click here.

...FHH

Jean Rae Baxter, Author of Broken Trail Reveals Research

When her first historical novel The Way Lies North was published, Jean Rae Baxter found herself in high demand as a speaker both with UELAC Branches as well as heritage groups. Her presentations to grade seven classes were also well received because she brought with her a wealth of images and details that made the Loyalist epoch come alive. Jean does extensive research into making sure that her novels are historically accurate right down to the cover design. Find out more about the writing of her historical novels here (PDF).

...FHH

Tories -- The Review

To begin the review of a new book with reference to the author's acknowledgements is a rather strange way to get to the actual writing. With Tories: Fighting for the King in America's First Civil War, the inclusion of names familiar to the UELAC membership stresses the rich resources consulted by the author, Thomas B. Allen. "Thomas W. Braisted, UE, founder of the On-Line Institute for advanced Loyalist Studies, answered numerous inquiries, especially those concerning Loyalists who served in military units. Paul J. Bunnell, UE, editor and founder of the Loyalist Quarterly Newsletter, also educated me about contemporary Loyalists and why they put "UE" after their names.... Stephen Eric Davidson UE especially helped me understand the pride of present-day Loyalists. His work on the Loyalists past is a model for genealogists, for he adds human details and family stories to the "begat, begat, begat" of traditional genealogies." He also credits such familiar sources as the Harriet Irving Library at the University of New Brunswick, The Loyalist Research Network and the David Library of the American Revolution as well as Pat Kelderman UE, a past president of the Thompson Okanagan Branch who shared her genealogical research.

A week after the book was first mentioned in Loyalist Trails( 2010-45: November 7, 2010 ) Stephen Davidson drew my attention to another quote by the author that would "warm the cockles of the heart of any member of the UELAC -- an organization dedicated to connecting people to their loyalist ancestors."

"By gleaning information from genealogies, I defied the belief of an historian who, writing in the early twentieth century, said that he eschewed family recollections as sources because they rest on "the lowest rung on the ladder of evidential credibility". I found that it is on that rung that the understanding of Tories and Rebels begins."

In this review, Colin Morley UE of the Col. John Butler ( Niagara) and Hamilton Branches initially presents the biases he held when he read Tories: Fighting for the King in America's First Civil War. He doesn't spend time with the acknowledgments but reports what readers need to know about the content. If you haven't read the book yet, perhaps his assessment will give you further encouragement.

To read Colin's review, click here. For other Loyalist reviews, click here.

...FHH

Sir Conrad Swan, UELAC Honorary Vice-President

No mention of the UELAC Armorial Bearings is truly complete without the reference to the contributions of Sir Conrad Swan, KCVO, PhD, MA, FSA. What is unique about his position as UELAC Honorary Vice-President is the little known fact that he was given this position almost five years before the Armorial Bearings were recorded with the College of Arms in London in 1972. His biography also shows many interesting connections to other Canadians who have served either as a Patron, Honorary President or Honorary Vice-President. For more information, here is your link.

...FHH

Canadian Royal Provincials

Todd W. Braisted, one of UELAC's Honorary Vice-Presidents, continues to work tireless south of the border ever expanding his American Revolution resources. On Friday 8 April 2011, his article on the Canadian Royal Provincials was posted to the e-newsletter of the David Library of the American Revolution. The introductions states that "Todd Braisted, the reigning authority on Britain's Loyalist Forces in America during the Revolution, contributes a clarification on the differences between Royal Provincial Troops with the British Army in Canada and those with the main British Army in the Thirteen Colonies. This entry is intended to provide some clarifications to accompany our catalogs for the WO28 records covering Loyalist troops in Canada, adding some additional context to their story. For those wanting to know more about the Canadian Royal Provincials, the Library's collection includes copies of the Carleton and Haldimand Papers."

To read Todd's article, click here.

...FHH

Society of Colonial Wars Hoping To Start an Ontario Society

I'm a member of the Bicentennial Branch of UELAC. I'm also a member of the Society of Colonial Wars, based out of USA. They have a General Society and then a large number of State Societies. They are now trying to start an Ontario Society of Colonial Wars.

The Society of Colonial Wars is for males 18 years or older who are lineally descended from someone who served in a military or civil capacity in the colonies that became the United States, in the period between from 1607 to 1775. Many of our loyalist ancestors served under the crown in the French and Indian Wars and their ancestors served in many of the even earier Colonial conflicts.

Please pass this information along, through newsletters or directly to those who might be interested. More information can be found at www.gscw.org.

Anyone who would like to join can contact me and I can help them become a member.

...Adam Gaines, UE

UELAC Vancouver Branch in the St Patrick's Day parade -- March 20, 2011

With an absence of one year -- on account of 2010 Olympics security concerns - our UELAC Vancouver branch participated once again in the Annual St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Vancouver. Our participation in this parade is a part of Vancouver branch's Outreach and Education program.

This year we were fortunate to be positioned right behind a contingent of the 78th Fraser Highlanders' Regiment, which bears the same flag (the 'George') as our UEL flag.

In tandem with us were members of the British Columbia Genealogical Society -- appropriately so, since a number of our UELAC Vancouver branch members also hold memberships with that group.

When on the march, some of our members distributed Loyalist information handouts to the parade watchers. Even some of our young members distributed a "colouring page" handout to children watching the parade.

Noticeably, several in the crowd took photos of us as we passed. See some pictures here.

...Marvin Millis, UE, Vancouver Branch

Book: Toronto of Old, by Henry Scadding

Toronto of Old, Collections & Recollections, illustrative of Early Settlement and Social Life in the Capital of Ontario, by Henry Scadding DD. Like so many early books, this too is available online, free of charge. It is well indexed. To see, go here.

Another good source for heritage and history information is Ontario (Upper Canada) History On-Line Resources.

..Donna Magee.

War of 1812: Battle of Longwoods

This winter after an extensive review of the event leading up to the Battle of Longwoods March 4, 1814, Glenn Stott and I came up with the following brief description of the events leading up to the battle and the battle itself. Some people know about the Battle of Longwoods, a few have attended Heritage Weekend which features a reenactment of the Battle of Longwoods, but very very few know of the events leading up to the conflict.

The Battle of Longwoods of March 4, 1814 was the consequence of several actions. Following the Battle of the Thames and destruction of Moravian Town, General Harrison returned to Detroit to assess the situation and found:

1. All the food had been either taken or destroyed by the British upon their evacuation of the town.

2. Most buildings other than the homes of the citizens had been destroyed

3. Wood for heating was non existent

4. The only source of food and supplies was from Dayton, Ohio, a 200 km trip by pack horse through the 60 km Black swamp.

5. For lack of food and supplies it was necessary to dispatch most of his troops to other forts who had food and supplies for the winter.

During December 1813, January and February 1814 over 700 soldiers in Detroit died from unknown disease(s) likely exacerbated by poor diet and accommodations, possibly food poisoning.

Regularly troops were sent into Upper Canada to rustle cattle and seize grain to feed the troops in Detroit. The Detroit residents (75%) of French descendent were able to get some supplies from their relatives who lived across the river.

In February 1814 word was received in Detroit from sympathizers in Delaware that the British had a established a camp in Delaware using buildings of Ebenezer Allen at the junction of the Thames River and Dingman Creek (Belvoir).

Captain Holmes and a party of 80 or so men were sent into Upper Canada to determine the size and objectives of the British at Delaware and other potential British encampments. They traveled along the Talbot trail to about Port Alma, the trail becoming impassible he headed north toward the Longwoods Road.

Another 60 man contingent from Detroit was on a scavenger hunt for food and met up with Holmes on the Longwoods Road together they headed towards Delaware.

Captain Stewart had called a meeting of the major players in the British community for about first of March at Delaware. Included were the various Indian parties who were requested to take ammunition and weapons to the Natives in the Michigan territory. Matthew Elliott as head of the Indian Department was trying to convince the Natives the British would not abandon them. They were not convinced and as a result, Stewart had to meet with them.

At 20 Mile Creek the Western Rangers headed by Captain William Caldwell (junior) and the American contingent crossed paths and a minor skirmish resulted. Caldwell and his men withdrew. That evening March 3, 1814 a request for reinforcements was sent to Delaware. Captain Stewart sent Captain Basden to join Caldwell and stated he would join them later. The reinforcements of about 200 regular soldiers, militia and warriors arrived at 5:00 pm on March 4, 1814 headed by Captain Basden and the battle of the Longwoods began. The battle lasted for about an hour and a half. The British were soundly defeated.

The Americans withdrew back to Detroit gathering up over 100 head of cattle along the way to replenish the supplies at Detroit.

The British withdrew to Burford leaving the settlers with no protection from marauding American raiders other than the local militia.

This year Heritage Weekend will be held April 30 and May 1.

...Marvin Recker

The Tech Side: Open Source Revisited – by Wayne Scott, UE

Many of us drool at the thought of owning the latest version of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat or Premier. The same goes for a full version of Microsoft Office or even Word. These programs often cost in the hundreds of dollars and have features that far exceed our needs and sometimes our expertise.

When Bill Young contacted me and suggested an article on Open Source programs, I decided to revisit the subject of free software for our computers. I would like to thank Bill for a nudge in this direction.

Adobe Photoshop is the program that has set the standard in photo editing. Originally it was written for the Macintosh operating system and then redesigned for the Windows environment. Now, it is written expressly for both Windows and Mac. That being said, the latest programs sell for about $699.00 from Adobe. Because of the steep price, many users turn to Adobe Photoshop Elements. This is a watered down version of Photoshop with some of the popular features of the full Photoshop version. This program is aimed at the home user and sells for about $90.

A well-known program that was designed to do most of the things that Adobe Photoshop does is called GIMP (Gui Image Manipulation Program). It has been around and updated many times over many years. It is available for free. The latest versions are quite robust and will satisfy most of your photo editing needs. Versions are available for both Mac and Windows platforms.

Gimp is a great program. People that are familiar with Photoshop, appreciate Gimpshop as an alternative. This version looks and feels similar to the original Photoshop program.

Another Adobe contender is Inkscape. This program is very similar to Adobe Illustrator. It is a 2d vector graphics editor – a full featured drawing program. If you have used Illustrator, you will appreciate this program It also is available for both Mac and Windows platforms.

One of the best-known examples of Open Source programs is Open Office. It was written to give users the functionality of Microsoft Office, but with no cost. The program keeps evolving and is used by many corporate offices as an alternative to the $280.00 Home Office version. Mac users are encouraged to download NeoOffice, which was written for the Macintosh platform. There are other versions of open source office suites available on the web. One recent version to become available is called LibreOffice.

There are many video editors on the market of varying quality. The latest free version of Kino, is full of features. It is fairly intuitive and easy to use. At this time it is only available for Windows, but Mac users will soon be able to download a version.

A very robust video editor is Cinefx. This program is very high quality and has features not found in some commercial programs. With Cinefx you can play back, edit, encode, and have a number of animation and visual effects tools Use this program to create professional looking digital media on your desktop.

Being able to create PDF documents is a bonus. With this ability, you don't have to worry about what computer platform the recipient has: Mac, Windows or Linux. A PDF, portable file document, is a good way to send photos also because a pdf file is a smaller file size. A tutorial in using pdf photo documents is available here. Here you can also download a copy of PDF Creator. Another PDF creator is GhostScript. This is a Windows/Mac program. With it you can create a PDF document from almost any Windows or Mac desktop publishing or writing program.

Here are some things to consider before downloading Open Source software. First of all, Open Source programs are designed by advanced computer users/programmers. Some of the criticism stems from users not being able to understand the help files, if they exist. It is also true that Open Source developers form communities who peer edit software, but do not work as hard at explaining the ins and outs of their programs.

Some Open Source developers close up shop with little or no notice because of funding. Open Source programmers depend on donations to keep them going. Really great programs usually receive sufficient funding to keep them going. New programs and their communities really struggle in the beginning. Maybe this is the reason that time isn't necessarily put into updating help files. I suggest that you read the FAQ files and any manuals on their websites prior to downloading so that you are sure of what you are getting.

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:
- Burt(t), Benjamin (and brother David) - from Charlotte Ayers
- Goodwillie, Joseph - from David Clark
- Sills, George - from Linda Smith with certificate application
- Wetmore, James - from Marilyn Whatley

Missing a Proof in the Burt Family Lineage

In my research for proof of Loyalist descent on my father's side of the family, I have one link for which an acceptable proof is proving a challenge.

The family of my ancestor, Henry Burt, has been documented in great detail in a book compiled by Henry M. Burt and Silas W. Burt, published in 1893 after a reunion was held in Springfield, Mass. on the 3rd of Oct. 1890, celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the settlement of the Henry Burt family from Harberton, Devonshire, England, who arrived in the Connecticut valley in 1640. 150 representatives of the family from 11 states and the District of Columbia were present. A list of those present and even a menu of the dinner is included. Speeches were given by several Burts of distinction with high offices in their part of the country, and full transcripts are in the book -- "The Life and Times of Henry Burt at Springfield, Mass"

In a research study by Rev. Canon Gerald E. Burtt of Maine about his Loyalist ancestors, some of whom returned to the States in the 1920's, he added the following comment -- "It is interesting to note that in the book, 'The Life and Times of Henry Burt' by Henry Burt and Silas Burt, no mention is made of the Ridgefield Ct. Burts after the beginning of the American Revolution. The book covers most descendants of Henry (1) through 1893, but no mention is made of the Burts who became Loyalists. The American Patriot Burts may have been embarrassed about their Loyalist relatives. Whatever the reason, the authors chose not to discuss them."

Benjamin Burt (son of Seaborn Burt) b. 1741, Connecticut, died 10 August 1785 at Burton, New Brunswick; his wife was Rebecca (Follett?). They had 7 children – Benjamin Jr. Joseph, Rebecca, Sarah, Huldah, Darius & Gould.

Joseph Burt, Loyalist (born 1765 in Connecticut, married Elizabeth Burnett in 1791 in NB and died in 1859 in Douglas Parish, York Co. New Brunswick). They had eleven children, the fifth being Benjamin.

Benjamin b. 18 May, 1799; married Elizabeth Crouse 7 April 1819; died of accidental poisoning on farm near Burtt's Corner 18 January 1879; both are buried in Burtt's Corner Cemetery.

I descend from Benjamin through his son Israel, and his daughter Mildred who married Charles Inch. Their son James Inch was my father,

The proof I need is the connection from Joseph Burt and Elizabeth Burnett to their son Benjamin b. 1799 and d. 1879 in N.B.

Som information about the Burt Family History (PDF) has been posted in the Loyalist directory.

I would appreciate any help obtaining the missing proof. At my young age of 95, I would find it a challenge to go from my home in Regina SK to do research in New Brunswick

...Charlotte Ayers, Saskatchewan Branch

Loyalists in the Port Hope and Cobourg ON area

I am organizing a bus trip to the Port Hope and Cobourg area on Sat. August 27. A person in the area who works as a professional guide has helped organize what looks like a great day, seeing sites we have not sen on two previous trips to the area.

As it is a loyalist bus trip, it would be great to talk about Loyalists, or sons and daughters of Loyalists, who settled roughly in the area between Newtonville on the west, Grafton on the east and Rice Lake to the north. If you know of any such people and could share that, it would be most helpful. A paragraph or two about the Loyalist family would make it even better. Thanks for your help.

...Doug Grant, President, Gov. Simcoe Branch