This special collection of British and Colonial North American sources, including the British West Indies, predominantly from 1750-1850, holds primary sources published in microformat and limited digital format. The focus is on the years leading up to and including the American Revolution, which takes in the French and Indian War period, and post-Revolution, particularly American loyalist resettlement. Descriptions of these titles are found by searching or browsing the catalogue; whereas, access to our published material in print is found separately by clicking on the Print Materials link.
Arrangement
Finding The Loyalist Collection in the Harriet Irving Library:
The Collection is found on the 5th Floor, in an area known as room 520A of the Harriet Irving Library and shelved and organised into 5 main sections: Church (LCR); Family (LFR); Military (LMR); Public (government) (LPR) - this category is further sub-divided into America (U. S.), Great Britain, Jamaica, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island; and Special Collections (LSC).
Reading call numbers:
HIL-MICL FC LFR .B7E3L4 is located in The Loyalist Collection (HIL-MICL) on open shelves with the microfilm, in the Family Records section (LFR). “.B7E3L4” represents the call number within that section.
HIL-MICGDL FC2471.3 .W74 1985 is located in The Loyalist Collection book collection (HIL-MICGDL). The call number (FC2471.3 .W74) follows the regular pattern of books in the UNB Libraries. These books are catalogued and found via the UNB Libraries' catalogue.
Questions/Comments:
If you would like to get in touch with us, please feel free to do so if you have any comments or questions. Researchers planning to visit the Harriet Irving Library to use The Loyalist Collection and related material should email in advance. The Contact Us link will take you to the Microforms Collection homepage where you will find our policies and services.
Donations:
If you would like to contribute to the growth of this Collection and to better electronic access to this research material, please contact Development and Donor Relations and indicate you would like to donate to The Loyalist Collection Facey-Crowther Fund.
Copyright/Permissions
The Collection contains material purchased from other organisations; thus, unless the original materials are held by the University of New Brunswick, we do not own the copyright of the content so we cannot grant permission for reuse. Permissions must come from the original copyright owner, usually the publisher or owner of the originals. The catalogue records will typically indicate the original owners. The Loyalist Collection is protected by the limitations outlined in the Canadian Copyright Act. The text and literary content may be used according to the rules outlined in the Fair Dealing and other applicable exceptions. Images are not the property of the University of New Brunswick Libraries and requests for copying must come from the original copyright owner. Acknowledgements go to the following for their contributions of images and historical notes:
- The images of the officer and the uniform button of the King's American Regiment, are reproduced with permission of Philip Katcher and Reed Consumer Books. They are taken from the book by Philip Katcher, The American Provincial Corps, 1775-1784, Reading, Berkshire: Osprey, 1973.
- The plate of the private soldier is reproduced with permission of the City of Fredericton and is taken from a brochure, The Royal Provincials: Loyalist Regiments in New Brunswick, published in 1985 to commemorate the bicentennial of the founding of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
- The reproduction of the Royal Provincials (RP) button is used with the permission of John Claus, DeLancey's Brigade, 3rd Battalion (re-enactment group), Saint John, New Brunswick.
- Background information on the King's American Regiment was prepared by Lt. Col. (Ret'd.) Robert Dallison, Fredericton, New Brunswick.
The Team
From its inception, The Loyalist Collection's online presence has been a collaboration involving many people within the Libraries' system, but particularly Kathryn Hilder. Kathryn Hilder, Librarian at Harriet Irving Library was the original creator of The Loyalist Collection and original creator and author of the catalogue and inventory, including the catalogue database, inventory text, finding aids and the classification schedules, and Librarian in charge of the Collection from 1978 until her retirement in 1998. At this time, the Collection came under the capable care of Christine Jack as Manager of Microforms until 2022. Christine Jack further developed the Collection through new acquisitions, creation of finding aids and subject guides, collaboration with faculty, and by innovative projects such as Atlantic Loyalist Connections and New Brunswick Loyalist Journeys.
History
External Funding Bodies
The Loyalist Collection had its origin in the late 1960s with the formation of the Programme for Loyalist Studies and Publications. The University of London, City University of New York, American Antiquarian Society, and the University of New Brunswick were the institutions involved in an international agreement to identify, list, and microfilm all the Loyalist primary sources in the three countries. The Canada Council provided financial support in this country. By the time the Canadian section of the project ceased in 1976, approximately 700 reels of microfilm had been deposited in the UNB Library. In 1982, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada awarded the UNB Library a three-year, $50,000 grant to expand the microfilm collection of Loyalist materials and to enhance the Library's other resources which support Loyalist research. The awarding of this grant coincided with the New Brunswick Bicentennial in 1984 and the founding of the University of New Brunswick in 1785, both events being a direct result of Loyalist settlement. With purchases made possible by the SSHRC grant, the UNB History Department, and private donors, and with the microfilm accumulated under the Programme, the Loyalist Collection was gradually assembled and organized by Kathryn Hilder, the librarian in charge of the Collection from 1978 until her retirement in 1998. With an additional support of funding from the United Empire Loyalists' Association in 2004, and contributions from private citizens, the Collection continues to grow. Many finding aids have been made available electronically for the benefit of researchers due to the generosity of many of the institutions who hold the originals for the material held in the Collection.
Technical Aspects
The original web version of the website and catalogue was uploaded in 1999. A rebuild and redesign of the site was accomplished in 2014, with new features added. Please feel free to send comments or suggestions; we welcome your thoughts.