What's New
New Subject Guide: British West Indies
This guide provides a sample of the wide variety of materials in The Loyalist Collection relating to the the islands making up the West Indies, today referred to as the Caribbean, and specifically the British island colonies, with an overview of what they contain and how to search them. The material provides a window into this region during the 18th and early 19th centuries, and its place in the wider British Atlantic World.
Explore our interactive story map,"New Brunswick Loyalist Journeys!"
2022 - TWENTY NEW BIOGRAPHIES from St. John County and Kings County.
Note: Please update any bookmark links to our project to get the latest version. (Always available in the right side menu.)
Research Aids
2022/2023
America. Massachusetts. Office of Secretary of State. Massachusetts Archives Collection: 1603-1789. Added volumes pertaining to Indigenous affairs with digital documents lists available.
Amherst, Jeffery. Official Papers and Correspondence: 1740-1783. Digital document lists and index, and link to online edition available.
Chalmers, George. Letters: 1728-1818. Digital document lists and transcription available for some sections.
Great Britain. Church of England. Dioces of London. Bishop. Fulham Papers at Lambeth Palace Library: 1626-1822. Link to online calendar with document summaries available.
Great Britain. Treasury. Treasury Board Papers: Unregistered Papers (T 1/624-625): 1785. Digital document lists available.
Hewitt, William. Papers: 1756--1790. Digital document summaries available for certain section.
Pitt, William. Papers of William Pitt the younger: 1774-1806. Digital document summaries available for certain section.
2020-2021
Journals of the Assembly of Jamaica: 1664-1826: Indexes for volumes 7-12 and detailed contents for volume 7 (Feb. 26-June 12, 1782) and volume 9 (Nov. 27-Dec. 18, 1795) (available via the catalogue record).
Material Relating to the West Indies from the Senhouse Papers: 1762-1831: Transcription of Joseph Senhouse's "Memoirs of Dominica," 1772 (available via the catalogue record).
Nova Scotia. Legislative Council. Petitions, Reports, Resolutions, and Miscellaneious Papers: 1760-1841. Catalogues or listing of papers for volumes 286-288 (1760 Dec.-1816 Feb.) and (available via the catalogue record).
Original Correspondence: West Indies (CO 318): 1699-1830: Document list for volumes 3, 31, 32, 76, and 83 (available via the catalogue record).
Original Correspondence: Jamaica (CO 137): 1781-1784: Document lists for volumes 81-2 and 84 (available via the catalogue record).
Vassall, William. Letter Books: 1769-1800. Summary of letters for 1790-1792 April 3 (available via the catalogue record).
Events
June 1-4, 2023. “Where the Sea Meets the Sky," United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada Conference, Richmond, BC .
New Additions 2022/23
- America. Massachusetts. Office of Secretary of State. Massachusetts Archives Collection: 1603-1789. Added volumes pertaining to Indigenous affairs.
- Great Britain. Colonial Office. Original Correspondence: Jamaica (CO 137): 1780-1787 - added volumes. Jamaica and Central American content.
- Great Britain. Colonial Office. Original Correspondence: New Hampshire (CO 5/934, 937-939): 1762-1775
- Great Britain. Colonial Office. Original Correspondence: New Jersey (CO 5/987-993) : 1762-1779
- Great Britain. Colonial Office. Sessional Papers: Sierra Leone (CO 270): 1792-1801. Black loyalist and Jamaican Maroon content.
- Great Britain. Colonial Office. Original Correspondence: South Carolina (CO 5/397): 1780-1784
- Great Britain. Treasury. Treasury Board Papers: Unregistered Papers (T 1/624-625): 1785. American loyalists content included.
- Peters, Samuel. Manuscripts of Rev. Samuel Peters. Loyalist Connecticut Anglican minister's correspondence with other loyalists included.
- Bessil-Watson, Lisa. Handbook of Churches in the Caribbean.
- Burgess, Ross and Ruth. Granville Township Book.
- Burgess, Ross and Ruth. Wilmot Township Book.
- Davis, John David. Bergen County New Jersey Deed Records, 1689-1801.
- Hart, Linda and Nelson Labor. Kings County Churches: A Brief History of the Churches of Kings County, Nova Scotia.
- Hutchinson, Richard S. Burlington County, New Jersey: Deed Abstracts, Books A, B and C.
- Hutchinson, Richard S. East New Jersey Land Records 1766 -1772, Books D3, E3, and F3.
- Hutchinson, Richard S. East New Jersey Land Records 1772-1791, Books G3 and H3.
- Ingram, K.E. Manuscript Sources for the History of the West Indies.
- James, W.H. Exuma: The Loyalist Years, 1783-1834.
- Macniven, Robbie. British Light Infantry in the American Revolution.
- Manson, Stuart Lyall. Sacred Ground: Loyalist Cemeteries of Eastern Ontario, volume 1.
- McConnell, Brian. Old St. Edward's Church & the Loyalists.
- Murray, Sonia Bennett. They Came to Belize, 1750: compiled from Records of Jamaica, the Mosquito Shore, and Belize at the British & Belize National Archives.
- Saunders, Gail. Bahamian Loyalists and Their Slaves.
- Schulze, Lorine McGinnis. Guide to Finding a Loyalist Ancestor in Upper Canada (Ontario).
- Whitfield, Harvey Amani. Biographical Dictionary of Enslaved Black People in the Maritimes.
New Additions 2021/22
- Anderson, Patricia Abelard. Frederick County Maryland: Land Records Abstracts 1779-1784.
- Brown, George S. Yarmouth Nova Scotia Genealogies: Transcribed from the Yarmouth Herald.
- Davidson, Stephen. Black Loyalists in New Brunswick.
- Kings County Historical Society (Kentville, NS). Kings County Deeds Index. (CD)
- Kings County Historical Society (Kentville, NS). Kings County Probate Records. (CD)
- Miller, Christine. A Guide to 18th Century Military Medicine in Colonial America.
- Peterkin, A and William Johnston. Commissioned Officers in the Medical Services of the British Army, 1660-1960, Volume 1 & 2.
New Additions 2020/21
Electronic
- Great Britain. Admiralty. Royal Greenwich Hospital (ADM 65): In-Letters: 1776-1833.
- Great Britain. Admiralty. Royal Greenwich Hospital (ADM 66): Out-Letters: 1799-1807.
- Great Britain. Colonial Office. Original Correspondence: West Indies (CO 318): 1699-1830.
- Great Britain. Colonial Office. Original Correspondence: Jamaica (CO 137): 1781-1784.
Microfilm
- Great Britain. Army. Nova Scotia District. Headquarters Office Papers for Nova Scotia, 1774-1907 **added volumes
- Jamaica. Assembly. Journals of the Assembly of Jamaica: 1664-1826.
- The Descendents of William McNeil of Nashwaak Village, New Brunswick, Canada.
- Brown, George S. and Wilfred H. Allan. Index of People, Places & Vessels to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia: A Sequel to Campbell's History.
- Burgess, Ross & Ruth. Annapolis Township Book.
- Burns, Brendon S. Abstracts of the land records of Westchester County, New York 1774-1801.
- Dunaway, Stewart E. Land Confiscation Records of North Carolina, Volume 1 (1779-1800).
- Dunaway, Stewart E. Land Confiscation Records of North Carolina, Volume 2 (1779-1800).
- Dunaway, Stewart E. Land Confiscation Records of North Carolina, Volume 3 (1779-1803).
- Franklin, Carl. British Army Uniforms from 1751 to 1783.
- Greenwood, Val D. The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy.
- Hutchinson, Richard S. Abstracts of the Council of Safety Minutes, State of New Jersey, 177-1778.
- Londahl-Smidt, Donald M. German Troops in the American Revolution (1) Hessen-Cassel.
- Smith, Leonard H Norma H. Smith. Nova Scotia Immigrants to 1867.
- Marble, Allan Everett Marble. Deaths, Burials and Probate of Nova Scotians, 1749-1799, From Primary Sources Volume 1 (A-K) and Volume 2 (L-Z).
- Davis, John David. West Jersey, New Jersey Deed Records, 1721-1776.
- Hooper, Debbie. Abstracts of Chancery Court Records of Maryland, 1669-1782.
- Chapman, Colin R. Weights, Money and Other Measures Used by Our Ancestors.
- Sparacio, Ruth and Sam. Caroline County, Virginia, County Surveys 1729-1762 and Proceedings of Committee of Safety 1774-1776.
- McConnell, Brian. The Loyalists of Digby.
- McConnell, Brian. On the Loyalist Trail: Loyalist History of Nova Scotia.
- Wiche, Glen N. Their Loyalty They Kept: The Loyalist of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
- Kings Historical Society (Kentville, Nova Scotia). Kings County Church Records.
New Additions 2019/20
Microfilm
- Benjamin Benedict Crawford Diaries, 1800,1810-1859.
- Head Quarters Book of General Thomas Gage.
- Rev. Ranna Cossit Letter Book, 1785-1789.
- James MacGregor Diary, 1759-1830.
- Veniot, Betty Embree. Westchester Embree Loyalists: A Genealogy of Joseph Embree 1760-1828.
- Hodges, Graham Russell Gao and Alan Edward Brown, eds. "Pretends to Be Free": Runaway Slave Advertisement from Colonial and Revolutionary New York and New Jersey.
- Burgoyne, Bruce E. Waldeck Soldiers of the American Revolutionary War.
