Claims, American Loyalists : Series II (AO 13) : 1780 - 1835.

Call Number:
HIL-MICL FC LPR .G7A9C5L7
Category:
Great Britain
Creator:
Great Britain. Audit Office.
Material Description:
145 microfilm textual records (140 volumes) ; 35 mm
Background:

Audit Office 13 (AO 13) contains the second series of papers relating to claims for compensation submitted by persons who had suffered losses in the American Revolution because of their loyalty to the British crown. The bundles contain the original memorials, certificates, accounts and vouchers of the various claimants as presented to the Commission Appointed to Enquire into the Losses of American Loyalists. Five bundles are known to be missing from the Series as a result of the robbery at Somerset House in London where the records were stored before being transferred to the Public Record Office.

Microfilm edition published as: Great Britain. Commission Appointed to Enquire into the Losses of American Loyalists, 1783-1789. American Loyalist Claims, series 2, 1776-1831.

Contents:
The Claims in Series II are similar to those in Series I, although there are names which appear in one Series and not in the other. In Series II, beside the original memorials and schedules of losses, there are many other documents. They include wills; deeds; land survey plans; drawings of buildings; indentures; certificates; accounts; pamphlets; newspaper clippings; letters; and many other relevant documents. The bundles are arranged quite differently from those in AO 12.

Volumes 1-10 relate to Army and Navy supplies.

Succeeding volumes have headings such as claims; new claims; temporary assistance; letters; claims too late; various papers; and others. The basic arrangement, under each category, is by colony, in which the losses occurred, and following that the claims are arranged alphabetically by the names of the claimants. As this alphabetical arrangement is not reliable after the initial letter of the alphabet, it is often difficult to determine which reel of microfilm should be consulted for a particular claim. Researchers should be aware that papers relating to a particular claim may contain a number of documents bearing completely different names, which are not indexed. Also, papers relating to the same claim may be found in different bundles.

For this particular series, it is important for researchers to consult the finding aids in addition to the indexes.

For claims relating to HEALTH AND MEDICINE
1. Use the indexes and corresponding abstracts in American Loyalist Claims (HIL-MICGDL E277 .C624) to search the terms "hospitals", "military" (subsection "invalids"), and "navy" (subsection "hospitals").
2. Additionally, browse the abstracts looking for claims referring to: doctors, druggists, surgeons, sickness, smallpox, wounded, hospital names, military injuries, loss of limbs, "poverty and sickness", loss of vision, and mental health. Doctors, druggists, and surgeons claims may include business losses, which may note lost medical supplies or profits. The following cases sample the wide array of health and wellness issues faced by the Loyalists:

  • Chilson, Berriah (page 88 – smallpox)
  • Finlayson, Henry (page 155 – mental illness)
  • McCaw, James (page 303 – invalid wife and children sick with smallpox)
Originals:
The original documents are held by The National Archives, London.

Library and Archives Canada holds a microfilm copy.

Archival Ref. No.:
TNA AO 13 and LAC MG 14, AO 13.
Finding Aids:

Finding Documents:

Search by subject: Use the index in American Loyalist Claims (call no. HIL-MICGDL E277 .C624).

Search by place: Use American Migrations 1765-1799 which is categorised by American state (call no. HIL-MICGDL E277 .C623 20000.

Search by surname: These books found with The Loyalist Collection books, provide a reference at the bottom of each claim to use in locating the originals on film:

Interpreting the references in the books in order to locate the original on microfilm:
  • There are two series, Series I (AO 12) and Series II (AO 13) from Audit Office -  Series 12 and 13; references will read AO12 or AO 13
  • References at the bottom of each of the abstracts in the book will indicate the volume and page number - AO 13/100/190; interepreted as Series 13, volume 100, page 190
  • Use the Microfilm Shelf List (found in the Loyalist red binders and in the electronic finding aids section) to find the appropriate microfilm reel no. for that volume.  Just make sure you are in the right Series!  There are two collections (that sit next to each other on the shelf) with two different call numbers for Series I (AO 12) and Series II (AO 13); the former is at call number FC LPR .G7A9C5L6.
  • Once on the reel, proceed to the corresponding volume and document number. Volume numbers are listed on a bar beside each document. Document numbers are located in the upper corner of individual pages

Library and Archives Canada microfilm shelf list does not correspond with the bundles and reel numbers on microfilm in the Loyalist Collection. A separate finding aid has been prepared for the Loyalist Collection microfilm reels.

GB AO 13 Shelf List.pdf Inventory-Description_Claims-American-Loyalists-AO13_GB-AO.pdf
Notes:

Related Material: Great Britain. AO 12. Claims, American Loyalists: Series I