UEL Bus Trips

Sir John Johnson Manor House Historic Site Committee
2010 Mohawk Valley Trip
In Memory Of Doris Ferguson, UE

Edward and Elizabeth Kipp and George and Janet Anderson are conducting another Mohawk Valley Bus Trip September 26 to September 29, 2010. This trip will be to raise funds for the Manor House Committee of the Sir John Johnson National Historic Site of Williamstown, Ontario. This Committee helps to preserve the Sir John Johnson Manor House built by Sir John Johnson, the founder and commander of the King's Royal Regiment of New York. This Loyalist Regiment conducted several successful raids into the Mohawk Valley. The soldiers of the First Battalion of the Yorkers settled in Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Counties of Eastern Ontario. The trip will be in memory of Doris Ferguson, UE who was a descendant of Sir John Johnson. She was a pillar of the Sir John Johnson Manor House Committee and of St. Lawrence Branch of the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada (UELAC).

The tour will begin at the Manor House in Williamstown and travel east in Glengarry along 401 through Eastern Ontario. This area was originally part of Lunenburg or the Old Eastern District. The tour will cross to the St. Lawrence River South Shore near Montreal, Quebec to visit St. Stephen's Church, Chambly and the Sir John Johnson Vault on Mont-Saint Gregoire. St. Stephen's Church has the original bell which Sir John Johnson donated in 1822. The Sir John Johnson Branch UELAC is restoring the vault on Mont-Saint Gregoire where Sir Johnson and several family members are buried. The bus will then head south to visit fourteen historic sites in the Mohawk Valley. The return trip will be via Interstate Route 81, the Ivy Lea Bridge and Highway 401 to Williamstown.

The Mohawk Valley visits will tentatively be St. George's Church and the Vale Cemetery in Schenectady; Fort Johnson; Johnson Hall, the Fulton County Courthouse and other historic sites in historic Johnstown; Guy Park Manor; the Old Stone Fort in Schoharie; Trinity Lutheran Church and the Dutch Reformed Church at Stone Arabia; Fort Klock, the Indian Castle Church, the Herkimer Home, Oriskany Battlefield and Fort Stanwix. Additionally the bus will pass and pause at many other sites where you will be able to take pictures.

Sir William Johnson, the father of Sir John Johnson founded the original St. George's Church. You will be able to see where the pew of Sir William Johnson was once situated. You will then be able to view the grave of Clarissa Putman in the Vale Cemetery. A visit will be made to Guy Park Manor, the home of Guy Johnson, a nephew of Sir William Johnson before he fled to Canada during the American Revolution. The next stop will be Fort Johnson, the second home of Sir William Johnson. The trip will then pause at Butlersbury, the original home of Loyalist Colonel John Butler.

We will then visit Johnson Hall which was the home of Sir William Johnson and Molly Brant. Sir John Johnson also lived there before he fled to Canada. Afterwards we will pass by the Schoharie Creek area, Queen Ann Parsonage and the Clarissa Putnam Home. Clarissa Putnam lived in this house after she and Sir John Johnson each went their separate ways. Queen Ann Parsonage was the home of Loyalist Reverend John Stuart. The Schoharie Creek area contains plaques to Fort Hunter, the East Indian Castle and Queen Ann Chapel. The communion set from Queen Ann Chapel was taken to Canada during the Revolution. The next visit will be to the Old Stone Fort at Schoharie which was the site of one of the battles of Sir John Johnson's Mohawk Valley raids.

The tour will now pass the Johnstown Battlefield where the last battle of the American Revolution occurred before visiting the Fulton County Courthouse and the Johnstown Historic Quadrangle. The Quadrangle contains the grave of Sir William Johnson and several historic sites. The Fulton County Courthouse is where Sir John and his Scottish retainers had to surrender their arms to the rebels in 1776. Its bell was rung when Walter Butler was killed at West Canada Creek after the Battle of Johnstown. St. John Church was founded by Sir William Johnson. The Old Colonial Cemetery contains some graves of Loyalist forebears. Afterwards in Johnstown the tour will pass by the historic Knox Mansion, Jimmy Burke's Tavern and Fort Johnstown. The Knox Family developed Knox gelatin. The historic Jimmy Burke's Tavern is the home of the local branch of the Daughters of the American Revolution. During the 1999 Loyalist tour, the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Loyalists enjoyed tea and a friendship cake here. Fort Johnstown was built by Sir John Johnson and used by the rebels during the American Revolution. The bus will then proceed along the Mohawk River via Palatine Bridge to Stone Arabia. At Stone Arabia visits will be made to Trinity Lutheran Church and the Dutch Reformed Church. People will also be given time to explore both cemeteries.

We will pause by the Old Palatine Church which was built on land granted to the church by the Nellis Family. The next stop will be Fort Klock. Some members of the Klock Family were Loyalists. Afterwards the bus will pause at the Fort Klock's Battlefield. Sir John's Yorkers fought the Battle of Fort Klock during one of his raids into the Mohawk Valley. The tour will then pass Nellis Tavern. Loyalist Henry Nellis is descended from this family.

The bus will also pause by the Montgomery County Archives and the Fort Herkimer Church. The Fort Herkimer Church is featured in the historical novel and film "Drums Along the Mohawk." The next visit will be the Oriskany Battlefield Historic site. Here you will receive an account of one of the bloodiest battles of the American Revolution where brother fought brother. The final visit of the tour will be to Fort Stanwix which British General Leger failed to take during the American Revolution. After lunch the next stop will be the duty free and then onto Williamstown.

This trip is open to Loyalists, friends of the Sir John Johnson Manor House Committee and the general public. The number of people is limited to 56 people. This four-day trip will cost $460.00 in Canadian Funds per person based on sharing double accommodation. Single accommodation will cost $600.00. Free parking is available at the Manor House in Williamstown. This fee will include transportation, hotels, and admission to each site. Meals and health insurance are not included. Participants should have their own health insurance and must have a valid Canadian passport.

If you are interested, please contact:

Wendy and Les Wert
P.O. Box 123
Williamstown, ON
K0C 2J0
Tel : 1-613-347-3098
E-mail: les_wert@sympatico.ca

You can register now by making a $200.00 ($300.00) non refundable deposit. The balance of $260.00 ($300.00) will be payable by July 1, 2010. Cheques should be made payable to the Sir John Johnson Manor House Committee.