Click the "Reload" button
The Old United Empire Loyalist List
Appendix B
Entrance
Signed by J. WILLIAMS, C.C. page 129, Copy of the "Old U.E.
List" preserved in the Crown Lands Department in Toronto.
Complete "Index" at the bottom of this page
This list has the names of the family heads of over 6,000
"American born Loyalists, British & German Soldiers" of the American
Revolutionary War. With residence (where they settled), military
service, dates of Grants and Petitions, and families where known. A
"Supplementary List" included (+) has the names of about 2,000
people. Added later to correct some of the missing in Appendix B.
The book was first written in 1885 for the "Centennial of the Settlement
of Upper Canada", names collected from various Land Boards and Muster
Rolls. The book has been revised and reprinted several times since its
first print, with no doubt ommissions of names and information to
save space and time. The List is not complete, many names should be on
this list which are not and errors are evident.
The Book really should not have been called "The Old United Empire
Loyalists List", because not all "Loyalists" are listed. Others such as
the British and German Hessien soldiers listed should not be included,
because they were not born in the American Colonies. They came to fight
for the King of England, deciding to stay in Canada, their descendants
do not qualify for U.E.L. status.
If you find a name in this list you must research yourself to prove
your ancestor was born in the American Colonies. Be sure to look for
alternate spellings of a surname, because many are spelled wrong by the
original transcriber, some have been corrected by me where known.
Don't take this list as gospel nor with a grain of salt either...
But realize it's Importance to the early history of Upper Canada. These
pages are an excellent resource. These names give you an excellent
insight into who settled in Ontario in it's earliest creation. A good
tool in proving your ancestor was a "Loyalist" if his name can be found. Even though your
ancestors name may not be in this list, he may be on Muster Rolls and
very early Land Petitions. I encourage you to search elsewhere if you
believe your ancestor was a "Loyalist".
"The Order In Council"
After the American Revolutionary War, the new settlers in Ontario were
given free land. Depending on what "rank" you were in the Army or Navy,
the more land you recieved, but sometimes that seems to be untrue.
Some would recieve much more land than the "rank" deserved and
others did not recieve what they deserved.
On November 9, 1789 in Quebec, the "Order In Council" was ordered. Land
Boards were to provide 200 acres of land to each child of American
Loyalists... To sons, as soon as they reached the age of 21 years, and
to daughters at age 21 years or at marriage. Many young children came
into Ontario without a father, but if they could prove their father was
Loyal to the King and they were born in the American Colonies they also
recieved land, some times only 100 acres. This was called the
"Order In Council", commonly seen as "OC" and "O.I.C.". These initals
will often be seen in lists of Loyalists and seen throughout this
Index.
The O.I.C. date provides us with important clues. Men recieved the
O.I.C. Grant at age 21 years. But O.I.C. dates make it difficult with
daughters, because it could be either a birth date or a marriage date,
both dates were often used. However the O.I.C. date still provides
clues for estimated birth dates. A very important tool in comparing
your own ancestral dates, therefore more proof that your ancestor was a
Loyalist.
Petition
This word is seen throughout this List. It simply means the person is
asking permission by the O.I.C. Council to be given free land. There
were no Land Deeds as we know them today. To see a typical Land Petition
please visit the following link.
Land Petition
Provisioned
Means "Rations" such as blankets, food, tools and etc, as well as final
"pay" if it was due.
Supplementary List
Over 2000 names were added after the first List was recorded, which
should have been included in the first transcript. Under the heading
"Names inserted on the U.E. List by Order of the Honourable Executive
Council". I have added these names in the orginal List with the
abreviation
+ infront of each name. But it doesn't
mean these + Insertions are from the same family. Again you must
research yourself to verify any name found in this Index.
There are many excellent resources: The National Archives of
Toronto, many Loyalist histories in print, Muster Rolls of each Regiment.
"The Loyalist Institute" online, "The Loyalist Cultural Center" in
Ontario as well as New Brunswich and Nova Scotia Archives.
Note: These new settlers were given free land, but a British
Soldier always came first, not the "Loyalists". Many times land was
given and worked by the Settler for weeks, months and even afew years.
But a Soldier would "pull rank" and take the land from the person who
had recieved it first. Also land was given and not mapped out properly.
This land could have been over water so it was impossible to work and
had to be abandoned. The British still had their "tricks up their
sleeves" taking no heed to the welfare of those early American Settlers
called the "Loyalists". The only sure way to call the land your own was
to purchase it.
The British seemed to be totally unprepared for the massive surge of
American born Settlers and the migration was so swift, it took the
British by surprise. The first years was a terrible time for the newly
founded country. The first winter was very hard on the "Loyalists".
Thousands made their way into Upper Canada within a very few short
months.
It was cold, muddy and soon the snows came. There was no real solid flat
land, every where was lakes and forests. Most lived in tents that first
winter and many died from the cold and starvation. The British gave
them food and blankets, which was not enough. But the "Loyalists" were
a hardy bunch. They settled in and worked their fingers to the bone
clearing land to create farms and towns, eventually the towering
cities of the coast lines facing America. If it were not for the
"Loyalists", Ontario would not have prospered into the Province it is
today.
Some Abreviation Explanations that may be found in this
List:
|
+; Supplementary List, name inserted
|
K.R.R.N.Y. & R.R.N.Y.; King's Royal Regiment of New York
|
|
P.L.; Provision List Kingston
|
L.B.S.; Land Board Stormont
|
|
L.B.M.; Land Board Mecklenburg
|
L.B.A.; Land Board Adolphustown
|
|
L.Bd.L.; Land Board Lunenburg
|
L.B.K.; Land Board Kingston
|
|
P.L.N.J.; Provision List New Johnstowne
|
Expunged; Removed from the U.E. List, not Privileged, not Loyalist
|
|
P.L.N.; Provision List Niagara or Nassau
|
P.L.2d.; Provision List East District
|
My ancestor
Harmanus Wannamaker, was born in New Jersey,
only 7 years old when the War started. He is reconized as a "Loyalist
Settler" but he was not U.E., even though it clearly states on his Land
Petition that he was a "Loyalist". Three of his eldest brothers, (all 7
brothers born in New Jersey), fought for the "4th Battalion New Jersey
Volunteers", along with several cousins and are "true Loyalists", as
seen throughout many of the NJV Muster Rolls. Yet only the eldest
brother Peter Wanamaker is listed in this Book. Harmanus and another
brother Andrew, were "Granted" 200 acres each in 1791, adjoining
Peter's land, near Ameliasburgh, Prince Edward county, Ontario.
*Note: There is a Jacob Nanamaker in this list which is in dispute by
some historians and Wanamaker family members. Some believe this spelling
with an "N" is an error, believing this is the 4th Wanamaker brother. I
will be taking a very close look at this in the future. I believe this
is not the 4th brother, but an entirely different man because I don't
believe the 4th brother would have gone far to the North to join
the R.R.N.Y., but would have stayed near his brothers. 3 of whom
fought for the New Jersey Volunteers. Jacob Wanamaker is not among them
on Muster Rolls. He would have been 15 years old in 1776, which means
likely old enough to fight.
Another ancestor
Russell Pitman is listed in this Book as being a
Private Soldier in the Loyal Rangers, Jessup's Corps. He is concidered by
all historical accounts of Ontario as a "True Loyalist". He was born in
New England or possibly Hoosick, NY which is on the border of Vermont where
he was stationed for a time during that War. I have a "Huge" collection of information about him in
Canada. He is listed in nearly all Loyalist documents many times over
referring to the Loyal Rangers. He settled in Thurlow, Hastings
county, near Belleville. He is proven to have been in Upper Canada
very early, first noted in Kingston in 1783.
The entire Book in this Index was photocopied about 20 years ago after
locating it and having it sent to my own public library on loan. There
are some errors, which I have corrected "known errors". This
information is typed to the best of my knowledge. The Index is very
very large, it has been edited to fit and is fairly easy to read.
Please contact me if you have proven your ancestor was a "United Empire
Loyalist". I will be opening a U.E.L. Registry soon. I also hope to
find time in the fall to open the Book "Loyalists of Upper Canada
(Ontario), O.I.C." written by William Reid. This too is a very important
Book regarding the early Loyalists of Ontario who recieved land
grants.
I do not take any credit for the writings in this Book. I simply
copied it from paper to put online. This database will always remain
"FREE", because I know it is not complete and it does have
errors. Its only purpose is that Everyone researching Ontario might
benefit by it in some small way. This "Copyright" is to protect the
original writter of this Book. Everything I know is here unless a
surname is found in the Gedcom, so please do "not" e-mail me
asking questions. Clues on where to find more information has been
explained above.... SKD
Good Luck!
The Index is Alphabetical, just click on the red link
to go to each page
Home ~
Copyright ~
Loyalist Main Index