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The Old United Empire Loyalist List
Appendix B
Entrance


Signed by J. WILLIAMS, C.C. page 129, Copy of the "Old U.E. List" preserved in the Crown Lands Department in Toronto.

Complete "Index" at the bottom of this page


This list has the names of the family heads of over 6,000 "American born Loyalists, British & German Soldiers" of the American Revolutionary War. With residence (where they settled), military service, dates of Grants and Petitions, and families where known. A "Supplementary List" included (+) has the names of about 2,000 people. Added later to correct some of the missing in Appendix B.
The book was first written in 1885 for the "Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada", names collected from various Land Boards and Muster Rolls. The book has been revised and reprinted several times since its first print, with no doubt ommissions of names and information to save space and time. The List is not complete, many names should be on this list which are not and errors are evident.

The Book really should not have been called "The Old United Empire Loyalists List", because not all "Loyalists" are listed. Others such as the British and German Hessien soldiers listed should not be included, because they were not born in the American Colonies. They came to fight for the King of England, deciding to stay in Canada, their descendants do not qualify for U.E.L. status. If you find a name in this list you must research yourself to prove your ancestor was born in the American Colonies. Be sure to look for alternate spellings of a surname, because many are spelled wrong by the original transcriber, some have been corrected by me where known. Don't take this list as gospel nor with a grain of salt either... But realize it's Importance to the early history of Upper Canada. These pages are an excellent resource. These names give you an excellent insight into who settled in Ontario in it's earliest creation. A good tool in proving your ancestor was a "Loyalist" if his name can be found. Even though your ancestors name may not be in this list, he may be on Muster Rolls and very early Land Petitions. I encourage you to search elsewhere if you believe your ancestor was a "Loyalist".

"The Order In Council"

After the American Revolutionary War, the new settlers in Ontario were given free land. Depending on what "rank" you were in the Army or Navy, the more land you recieved, but sometimes that seems to be untrue. Some would recieve much more land than the "rank" deserved and others did not recieve what they deserved.

On November 9, 1789 in Quebec, the "Order In Council" was ordered. Land Boards were to provide 200 acres of land to each child of American Loyalists... To sons, as soon as they reached the age of 21 years, and to daughters at age 21 years or at marriage. Many young children came into Ontario without a father, but if they could prove their father was Loyal to the King and they were born in the American Colonies they also recieved land, some times only 100 acres. This was called the "Order In Council", commonly seen as "OC" and "O.I.C.". These initals will often be seen in lists of Loyalists and seen throughout this Index.

The O.I.C. date provides us with important clues. Men recieved the O.I.C. Grant at age 21 years. But O.I.C. dates make it difficult with daughters, because it could be either a birth date or a marriage date, both dates were often used. However the O.I.C. date still provides clues for estimated birth dates. A very important tool in comparing your own ancestral dates, therefore more proof that your ancestor was a Loyalist.

Petition

This word is seen throughout this List. It simply means the person is asking permission by the O.I.C. Council to be given free land. There were no Land Deeds as we know them today. To see a typical Land Petition please visit the following link. Land Petition

Provisioned

Means "Rations" such as blankets, food, tools and etc, as well as final "pay" if it was due.

Supplementary List

Over 2000 names were added after the first List was recorded, which should have been included in the first transcript. Under the heading "Names inserted on the U.E. List by Order of the Honourable Executive Council". I have added these names in the orginal List with the abreviation + infront of each name. But it doesn't mean these + Insertions are from the same family. Again you must research yourself to verify any name found in this Index.

There are many excellent resources: The National Archives of Toronto, many Loyalist histories in print, Muster Rolls of each Regiment. "The Loyalist Institute" online, "The Loyalist Cultural Center" in Ontario as well as New Brunswich and Nova Scotia Archives.

Note: These new settlers were given free land, but a British Soldier always came first, not the "Loyalists". Many times land was given and worked by the Settler for weeks, months and even afew years. But a Soldier would "pull rank" and take the land from the person who had recieved it first. Also land was given and not mapped out properly. This land could have been over water so it was impossible to work and had to be abandoned. The British still had their "tricks up their sleeves" taking no heed to the welfare of those early American Settlers called the "Loyalists". The only sure way to call the land your own was to purchase it.

The British seemed to be totally unprepared for the massive surge of American born Settlers and the migration was so swift, it took the British by surprise. The first years was a terrible time for the newly founded country. The first winter was very hard on the "Loyalists". Thousands made their way into Upper Canada within a very few short months.

It was cold, muddy and soon the snows came. There was no real solid flat land, every where was lakes and forests. Most lived in tents that first winter and many died from the cold and starvation. The British gave them food and blankets, which was not enough. But the "Loyalists" were a hardy bunch. They settled in and worked their fingers to the bone clearing land to create farms and towns, eventually the towering cities of the coast lines facing America. If it were not for the "Loyalists", Ontario would not have prospered into the Province it is today.

Some Abreviation Explanations that may be found in this List:

+; Supplementary List, name inserted
K.R.R.N.Y. & R.R.N.Y.; King's Royal Regiment of New York
P.L.; Provision List Kingston
L.B.S.; Land Board Stormont
L.B.M.; Land Board Mecklenburg
L.B.A.; Land Board Adolphustown
L.Bd.L.; Land Board Lunenburg
L.B.K.; Land Board Kingston
P.L.N.J.; Provision List New Johnstowne
Expunged; Removed from the U.E. List, not Privileged, not Loyalist
P.L.N.; Provision List Niagara or Nassau
P.L.2d.; Provision List East District

My ancestor Harmanus Wannamaker, was born in New Jersey, only 7 years old when the War started. He is reconized as a "Loyalist Settler" but he was not U.E., even though it clearly states on his Land Petition that he was a "Loyalist". Three of his eldest brothers, (all 7 brothers born in New Jersey), fought for the "4th Battalion New Jersey Volunteers", along with several cousins and are "true Loyalists", as seen throughout many of the NJV Muster Rolls. Yet only the eldest brother Peter Wanamaker is listed in this Book. Harmanus and another brother Andrew, were "Granted" 200 acres each in 1791, adjoining Peter's land, near Ameliasburgh, Prince Edward county, Ontario.

*Note: There is a Jacob Nanamaker in this list which is in dispute by some historians and Wanamaker family members. Some believe this spelling with an "N" is an error, believing this is the 4th Wanamaker brother. I will be taking a very close look at this in the future. I believe this is not the 4th brother, but an entirely different man because I don't believe the 4th brother would have gone far to the North to join the R.R.N.Y., but would have stayed near his brothers. 3 of whom fought for the New Jersey Volunteers. Jacob Wanamaker is not among them on Muster Rolls. He would have been 15 years old in 1776, which means likely old enough to fight.

Another ancestor Russell Pitman is listed in this Book as being a Private Soldier in the Loyal Rangers, Jessup's Corps. He is concidered by all historical accounts of Ontario as a "True Loyalist". He was born in New England or possibly Hoosick, NY which is on the border of Vermont where he was stationed for a time during that War. I have a "Huge" collection of information about him in Canada. He is listed in nearly all Loyalist documents many times over referring to the Loyal Rangers. He settled in Thurlow, Hastings county, near Belleville. He is proven to have been in Upper Canada very early, first noted in Kingston in 1783.
The entire Book in this Index was photocopied about 20 years ago after locating it and having it sent to my own public library on loan. There are some errors, which I have corrected "known errors". This information is typed to the best of my knowledge. The Index is very very large, it has been edited to fit and is fairly easy to read.

Please contact me if you have proven your ancestor was a "United Empire Loyalist". I will be opening a U.E.L. Registry soon. I also hope to find time in the fall to open the Book "Loyalists of Upper Canada (Ontario), O.I.C." written by William Reid. This too is a very important Book regarding the early Loyalists of Ontario who recieved land grants.

I do not take any credit for the writings in this Book. I simply copied it from paper to put online. This database will always remain "FREE", because I know it is not complete and it does have errors. Its only purpose is that Everyone researching Ontario might benefit by it in some small way. This "Copyright" is to protect the original writter of this Book. Everything I know is here unless a surname is found in the Gedcom, so please do "not" e-mail me asking questions. Clues on where to find more information has been explained above.... SKD

Good Luck!

The Index is Alphabetical, just click on the red link to go to each page



A. ~ B. 1. ~ B. 2. ~ C. 1. ~ C. 2. ~ D. ~ E. ~ F. ~ G. ~ H. ~ H. & I. ~ J. & K. ~ L.
M. 1. ~ M. 2. ~ M. 3. ~ N. O. P. ~ Q. & R. ~ S. 1. ~ S. 2. ~ T. U. V. ~ W. ~ X. Y. Z.


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