NYGenWeb Westchester County, NY   Loyalists

This page was last updated: Thursday, 05-Apr-2012 09:37:02 MDT

Loyalists were those colonials who remained loyal to the English crown during the American Revolutionary War. After the war, their land and property were confiscated by the new republic's government and they fled to Canada or returned to England.

Some loyalists later made legal claims for compensation for the lost land and property in the States or made claims for land in Canada. Some records of such claims can be found at the New York Public Library and at the Public Record Office in London, England and microfilmed copies are available through your local Family History Center and elsewhere.

Some Loyalist information can also be found at the Tryon County's NYGenWeb site. Researchers might also look at Albany County to which Tryon belonged just prior to the Revolutionary War as well as look at Herkimer and Montgomery Counties from which people reportedly left for Ontario, Canada, after the Revolutionary War.

For an explanation of "What is a Loyalist? The American Revolution as civil war", see the explanation given by Edward Larkin, an assistant professor of English at the University of Delaware.

Westchester County Archives

Westchester County Archives holds a "Journal maintained by the Commission which sold lands which had been confiscated from Loyalists after the American Revolution." See their web page titled Commissioners of Forfeiture, 1784-1786 -- Personal Name Index for more information.

Repositories

According to Philip Ranlet's book entitled The New York Loyalists, the following repositories have collections which relate to Loyalist research:

• Archives of Ontario, Toronto, Canada
   
  
• New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, Canada
   
  
• Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada
   
  
• Public Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
   
  
• Public Archives of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Canada -- Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management at the URL http://www.nsarm.ednet.ns.ca/
   
  
• Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
   
  
• Library of Congress, Washington, DC, USA
   
  
• New-York Historical Society, New York City, NY, USA
   
  
• New York Public Library, New York City, NY, USA

  http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/lhg/research.html#DAR

  The New York Public Library's Research Branch is a depository for New York State D.A.R. Genealogical Records Committee publications of New York bible, cemetery, and vital records. They also hold one of the most extensive collections of American Loyalist Claims. You can search their catalog on-line on their web site: http://www.nypl.org/
   
  

  
   
  

Some other Repositories that are of interest to Loyalist researchers are:

• Loyalist Collection, Harriet Irving Library, University of New Brunswich, http://www.lib.unb.ca/collections/loyalist/
   
  
• LDS Family History Library: Search their catalog under "American Loyalists" as well as "Military History".
   
  
• P R O http://www.pro.gov.uk/leaflets/riindex.htm. See their listings for British Army records as well as American Revolution (see item 6 under American Revolution). Also check http://www.pro.gov.uk/ and look under genealogy.
   
  
• The National Archives of Canada Website: http://www.archives.ca/
   
  
• The David Library of the American Revolution

  "The library is particulary strong in materials from British sources, some of which are not available elsewhere in this country. It has underwritten the microfilming of collections that are relatively inaccessible. Significant collections from Britain include: American Loyalist Claims; Sir Jeffrey Amherst Papers; Lord Cornwallis Papers; Sir Frederick Haldimand Papers; Sir Guy Carleton (British Headquarters) Papers; Admiralty Secretary's Letters; Colonial Office Correspondence; Annual Army Lists; War Office Papers; Foreign Office Papers; and Home Office Papers. In addition to the complete Loyalist claims series, the library also has other materials from Canada and Britain on Americans who opposed the Revolution such as American Loyalist Muster Rolls; Ward Chipman Papers; and Documents Relating to Refugees. Information on German troops may be found in British records and Hessian Documents of the American Revolution."

  
   
  

Associations

• United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada
   
  

LDS Family History Library Research Outlines

With all the information available to the researcher at the Family History Library Centers, the Library went "on-line" during the summer of 1999. Some sources of interest to Loyalist researchers are listed below in the Bibliography along with FHC film numbers. In addition to their databases, they have placed their invaluable Research Outlines on-line at: http://www.familysearch.org/sg/. Two of interest to loyalist researchers are the following:

LDS FHC RESEARCH OUTLINE: Canada

http://www.familysearch.org/sg/Canada.html
 

LDS FHC RESEARCH OUTLINE: Ontario

http://www.familysearch.org/sg/Ontario.html
 

A Loyalist Bibliography

• Barrett, James Francis. The Loyalist: A Story of the American Revolution. [New York: P. J. Kenedy & Sons, 1920] See a copy on Google Books.
   
  
• Bell, D.G. Early Loyalist Saint John [New Ireland Press, 1983]
   
  
• Bielinski, Stefan. An American loyalist: the ordeal of Frederick Philipse III [State of New York, New York State Parks & Recreation, Taconic State Park & Recreation Commission, 1976]
   
  
• Burleigh, H.C. New York State -- Confiscations of Loyalists. Copied from original lists during the year 1950 from papers at the New York Public Library. LDS FHC film nos. 1321358, item 2.
   
  
• Murtie June Clark's Loyalists in the Southern Campaign of the Revolutionary War, 3 Volumes, Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, 1981.
   
  
• Coldham, Peter Wilson. American Loyalist Claims, Volume 1: Abstracted from the Public Record Office, Audit Office Series 13, Bundles 1-35 and 37 [Heritage Books, 1980]
   
  
• Crary, Catherine S., editor. The Price of Loyalty: Tory Writings from the Revolutionary Era [New York: McGraw-Hill, 1973]
   
  
• Dwyer, Clifford S. and Jesse R. Jones. Index to series 1 of American loyalist claims: 2 series, AO 12, series 1, microform 30 reels, AO 13, series 2, microform 145 reels : library call number, E227.G74, located in microtext room 3rd floor, library west, University of Florida, Gainesville [Ram Pub., 1985]
   
  
• East, Robert, and Jacob Judd, eds. The Loyalist Americans: A Focus on Greater New York [Tarrytown, NY: Sleepy Hollow Press, 1975]
   
  
• Egerton, Hugh E., editor. The Royal Commission on the Losses and Services of American Loyalists 1783 to 1875: Being the Notes of Mr. Daniel Parker Coke, M.P. [Oxford, 1915]
   
  
• Fraser, Alexander, editor. United Empire Loyalists: Enquiry Into the Losses and Services in Consequences of their Loyalty [Toronto, 1905]
   
  
• Fitzgerald, E. Keith. Loyalist Lists: over 2000 Loyalists names and families from the Haldimand papers. [Toronto, Ont.; Ontario Genealogical Society, 1984] The Haldimand papers were created by Sir Frederick Haldimand (1718-1791). Contents: part 1. General return of refugee loyalists in the province of Quebec; part 2. Roll of King's Rangers; part 3. Return of the 1st Battalion of the King's Royal Regiment of New York; part 4. Return of Loyal Rangers, company of pensioners. LDS FHC fiche nos. 6010886.
   
  
• Flick, Alexander Clarence. Loyalism in New York during the American Revolution [New York: Arno Press, 1969] Reprint of 1901 edition. LDS FHC film nos. 0982493, item 5; or 1045477, item 3. See a complete copy at Google Books.
   
  
• Gilroy, Marion. Loyalists and Land Settlement in Nova Scotia [Halifax, 1937]
   
  
• Haight, Canniff. A United Empire Loyalist in Great Britain: Here and There in the Home Land, with Biographical Introduction by E. B. Biggar. [Toronto: William Briggs, 1904]. See copy on Google Books.
   
  
• Hayward, G.H. Upper Carleton County Cemeteries
   
  
• Hayward, G.H. New Brunswick Marriages
   
  
• Hulslander, Laura Penny, editor. New York Loyalist Confiscations [Alexandria, VA: Sleeper, 1995] LDS FHC film nos. 2055161, item 32. Contents: pt. 1. New York confiscations of loyalists -- pt, 2. Confiscations in Albany, Charlotte and Tryon Counties, N.Y.
   
  
• Jones, Caleb. Orderly Book of the Maryland Loyalists Regiment, June 18, 1778, to October 12, 1778, .... [Brooklyn, NY: Historical Printing Club, 1891] LDS FHC fiche nos. 6078185.
   
  
• Kelby, William, comp. Orderly Book of the Three Battalions of Loyalists, Commanded by Brigadier-General Oliver DeLancey, 1776-1778 to which is appended a list of NY Loyalists in the cinty of New York durin the War of the Revolution. [New York, 1917] >LDS FHC film nos. 155059 or 0928188, item 2.
   
  
• Kennedy, Patricia. How to trace your Loyalist ancestors: the use of the Loyalist sources in the Public Archives of Canada [Publisher: Ottawa Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society, 1973 (originally printed in 1971)]
   
  
• Merriman, Brenda Dougall. United Empire Loyalists: A Guide to Tracing Loyalist Ancestors in Upper Canada [Global Heritage Press, 2006]
   
  
• Mika, Nick and Helma. United Empire Loyalists [Belleville: Mika Publishing, 1976]
   
  
• New York. Committee for Detecting and Defeating Conspiracies. Minutes of the Committee and of the first Commission for Detecting and defeating Conspiracies in the State of New York, Dec. 11, 1776 -- September 23, 1778, with collateral documents, to which is added minutes of the Council of Appointments, State of New York, April 12, 1778, -- May 3, 1779. LDS FHC film nos. 1035605, item 6.
   
  
• Reid, William D. THE LOYALISTS IN ONTARIO, The Sons and Daughters of the American. first published in 1973 by Hunterdon House, and since reprinted.
   
  
• Palmer, Gregory. Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution [Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1984]
   
  
• Palmer, Gregory. A Bibliography of Loyalist Source Material in the United States, Canada and Great Britain [Greenwood Pub. Group, 1982]
   
  
• Ranlet, Philip. The New York Loyalists [Knoxville, TN: Univ. of Tennessee Press, 1986]
   
  
• Sabine, Lorenzo. Biographical Sketches of the American Revolution with an Historical Essay. 2 volumes. [Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1864] Volume 2 is available in PDF format on Google Books.
   
  
• Stewart, Walter. True Blue: The Loyalist Legend [Toronto, Ontario: Collins Publishers, 1985]
   
  
• Talman, James J., editor. Loyalist Narratives from Upper Canada [Toronto, Ontario: Champlain Society, 1948]
   
  
• Vaughan, Harold Stearns. History and Genealogy of Vaughan Family: History and Genealogy of the Descendants of John, Daniel, and Anthony Vaughan, who emigrated to Nova Scotia 1764, 1768: and the descendants of Daniel Vaughan who moved to New Brunswick in 1796. [Irvington-on-Hudson, NY: s.n.] n.d.
   
  
• Wallace, William Stewart. The United Empire Loyalists: A Chronicle of the Great Migration [Boston: Gregg Press, 1972]
   
  
• Wright, Esmond, editor. Red, White and True Blue: The Loyalists in the Revolution [New York: AMS Press, 1976]
   
  
• Wright, Esther Clark. The Loyalists of New Brunswick [Hansport, Nova Scotia: Lancelot, 1981]
   
  
• Yoshpe, Harry Beller. The Disposition of Loyalist Estates in the Southern District of the State of New York [New York: Columbia University, 1939]
   
  

Some web sites relating to Loyalists are:

Cumberland, Nova Scoti GenWeb site: Westchester Loyalists, October 15, 1784 Return

https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nscumber/loyalist.html
 

Cyndi's List of Links to Loyalist web sites

http://www.CyndisList.com/loyalist.htm
 

The New York State Library

http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/genealogy/loyalist.htm
 

Memorial of New York Loyalists

A Loyalist memorial originally found in Nova Scotia archives and re-printed in the NY Genealogical and Biographical Record in 1890. https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyrichmo/loyalists.shtml
 

A Loyalist Answers Thomas Paine

The Early America Review presents an article about James Chalmers, loyalist, and his response to Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" at http://earlyamerica.com/review/fall96/loyalists.html
 

Canada's Genealogy & Heritage On-Line Newsletter

The Olive Tree: American Revolution ~ Ontario Loyalists

https://sites.rootsweb.com/~ote/loy.htm
 

The Olive Tree: War of 1812

https://sites.rootsweb.com/~ote/1812.htm
 

The Olive Tree: Ontario Resources

https://sites.rootsweb.com/~ote/ontres.htm
 

St. John's, New Brunswick web site on RootsWeb

https://sites.rootsweb.com/~nbstjohn/
 

Belyea/Bulyea/Boulier

Many of the Loyalist that came to New Brunswick were from Westchester County. The Belyea/Bulyea/Boulier, etc. family was one of the largest family groups.

• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~cannbfam/

 

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