Loyalist Lowdown: Hannah Ingraham, A Child’s Perspective
On 10 May, 2017 5 Comments
(Image courtesy of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, MC300-MS44-458)
(Image courtesy of the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, MC300-MS44-458)
Surprising Church Records Part 2: Historical Clues Revealed
On 26 Apr, 2017 0 Comments
Remarkable Baptisms
There are many interesting tidbits to be found among baptismal and burial records besides names and dates. For instance, the baptismal records of St. John’s Church in modern Port Williams, Nova Scotia, lists an individual as a “natural child,” who would have been born outside of marriage and publically labelled as such. Continue Reading »
Surprising Church Records Part 1: Not Just Baptisms and Burials
On 12 Apr, 2017 2 Comments
The crucial interactions and key events of a community in colonial North America were often played out within the confines of the church. The Loyalist Collection includes a wide range of church records from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec which hold very useful information for locating and identifying individuals, such as baptismal, marital, and burial records. They also contain some fascinating documents that give a vivid picture of life in the colonial Atlantic World. Continue Reading »
Silas Deane: A Secret Agent in France
On 29 Mar, 2017 1 Comments
Acts of espionage and covert operations were widespread during the American Revolutionary War, being utilized by both the British and their North American foes. However, it is the latter group that greatly depended on such stealthy tactics as they were outnumbered in infantry, equipment, and funds. It was at this point in time that the adventures of Silas Deane began, a man who helped achieve victory for the struggling Patriots. Continue Reading »
A Guide to Online Resources for Teaching and Learning Loyalist History
On 21 Mar, 2017 0 Comments
Please take a look at the most recent post from our colleague Andrea Eidinger at Unwritten Histories: The Unwritten Rules of History entitled A Guide to Online Resources for Teach Continue Reading »
Finding Lost Loyalists: Research Approaches
On 15 Mar, 2017 4 Comments
To further our blog post from last week on the “Lost Loyalists” of York County, New Brunswick, we wanted to walk you through the research process and variety of sources used for this biographical project. Most sources were accessible from within the Harriet Irving Library in either microfilm, print or electronic form. Continue Reading »
Lost Loyalists: Volume 1
On 1 Mar, 2017 13 Comments
There are many prominent loyalists who have been the subject of extensive research, such as Edward Winslow, John Saunders, and Johnathan Odell; however, there remains much to uncover about a myriad of loyalists that came to New Brunswick as refugees as a result of the American Revolution. We challenge you to engage in the recovery of these “Lost Loyalists.” Continue Reading »
In Sickness and in Health: the Black Refugees at Hammonds Plains, winter 1827
On 16 Feb, 2017 3 Comments
During the War of 1812, an estimated 2,000 slaves escaped America and arrived at Nova Scotia. Continue Reading »
The Importance of the Book of Negroes
On 1 Feb, 2017 0 Comments
With the scarcity of sources for people of African descent in North America during the eighteenth century, the Book of Negroes is an amazing resource—particularly for those individuals who immigrated to what was to become eastern Canada. The Book was produced at the end of the American Revolution in New York and it nominally recorded Black Loyalists during a time when people of African descent were all too often recorded as mere numbers. Continue Reading »
Heads Full of Larceny: the Rampant Crime of Saint John County
On 18 Jan, 2017 2 Comments
(Map reproduction courtesy of the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library)
