Finding Loyalist Petition Papers on Library and Archives Canada (LAC)

After my blog post Looking for United Empire Loyalist Ancestors last week, I had several very helpful comments from expert Canadian genealogists, including:

*  Ken McKinlay actually found a land petition using the Library and Archives Canada (LAC) website (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/land/land-petitions-upper-canada-1763-1865/Pages/land-petitions-upper-canada.aspx) for me - this was a big help. 

*  Brenda Dougall Merriman noted that she wrote a book about Loyalist ancestors:

United Empire Loyalists: A Guide to Tracing Your Loyalist Ancestors in Upper Canada. It's published by/available from Global Heritage Press at globalgenealogy.com. 

*  Lorine McGinnis Schulze commented that "I have 3 tutorials on finding your Loyalist Land Petition using LAC.   You can view the actual images by following my step by step instructions. The first one is here - http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.ca/2014/03/searching-ontario-canada-land-records-eh.html.

"When you find the images for your ancestors' land petitions, be sure you save the image of the envelope. I have a tutorial explaining how to interpret it and what it all means at http://olivetreegenealogy.blogspot.ca/2014/03/understanding-notations-on-envelope-of.html"

Today, Ken McKinlay wrote "Upper Canada Land Petitions at LAC" today on his Family Tree Knots blog.

All of this was very helpful and I've been able to find Land Petitions for several of my Loyalist ancestors, especially Abraham Dafoe and John Kemp.  

The process is basically two steps:

1)  On the Land Petitions for Upper Canada website, there is a "Search Database" link in the upper left-hand column:

I clicked on the "Search Database" link and entered my ancestors name in the search fields:

Lorine and Ken point out in their blog post that the user can use a wild card * in these search fields.

I clicked on the "Search" button above and saw a list of Land Petitions for the person:

The entries on the list provide this information:

*  Surname and given Name
*  Place - where the land was
*  Volume - for the records
*  Bundle - the group of records in the volume
*  Petition - the specific petition number in the bundle on the volume
*  Page(s) - the page for the specific petition on the microfilm
*  Reference - the Record Group at Library and Archives Canada
*  Microfilm - the Microfilm number that has the volume, bundle and petition

So I want to look at the information on microfilms C-1743, C-1879 and C-1885.

2)  The images of the actual land petitions are on the microfilms.  Most of the LAC microfilms have been digitized and are on the LAC website.

The Upper Canada Land Petitions (1763-1865) (Archived) microform collection is not easy to find, as Ken's blog post pointed out.  Here is the website with the Microfilm numbers:

There are additional pages for these microfilm numbers - there are 327 microfilms available.

I was searching for C-1743, so I clicked on that number on the list:

The screen above provides information about a specific image - in this case Page 1 of 1294 images on this specific microfilm.  I want to find Volume 150, Bundle D-3, Petition 12 on this microfilm.

down at the bottom of each image page is a Library and Archives Canada identification of the Bundle.  This is really the only way to find the Bundle you want, instead of searching through all 1294 of the images on this microfilm.  Once you find the right Bundle, then you have to search for the right Petition.

Here is the LAC identification strip on the 4th page of this microfilm:

It appears that Bundle D-3 is the first bundle on this microfilm, and this is for Volume 150.  Good luck there, eh?

The Petition number is usually penned on the top of the page of each petition page.  Guess what, Petition 12 is the first Petition on this microfilm also - good luck again, eh?  Here is the top of page 4 of 1294 on the microfilm:

There was no easy way to zoom in or out on this image.  I had to scroll up or down and scroll left and right to see what was in the petition.  

I right-clicked on the image, and downloaded it to my computer.  I then renamed it and put it in Abraham Dafoe's file folder in my computer files.  Here is the image of the page:

It took me almost an hour to find one of the Dafoe documents because I couldn't find the right Bundle on a microfilm  - that's the problem when you are using the "guess a page number and find" record when there is not an index.  Note back on the first image above that there is a column for Page(s) - it would be a really big help if that was accurately filled in for every microfilm!!!

I am still capturing all of the record images for my Loyalist ancestors.  I need to go back and use the wild card feature because the Dafoe and Kemp names may have variants.

Thank You to Ken, Brenda and Lorine for their very helpful suggestions.  We all get by with some help from our friends wherever they may be - online, in a society, email, Facebook, etc.  Please refer to their blog posts for more information if this research may be useful to you.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/finding-loyalist-petition-papers-on.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

Looking for United Empire Loyalist Ancestors

I watched the Who Do You Think You Are? episode featuring Rachel and Kayleen McAdams on Wednesday night, and enjoyed the story of their search, especially the Canadian aspects of their story.  During the broadcast, I wondered "Why do they use American expert genealogists for the Canadian segments - where are the Canadian experts?"

Kathryn Lake Hogan, a professional genealogist in Ontario, and author of the Looking4Ancestors blog, asked the same question in her post "Where Were the Canadian Experts in WDYTYA? Rachel McAdams Episode?" yesterday. Helpfully, Kathryn provided a link to the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada (UELAC - www.uelac.org) website in her blog post.

I have been receiving the UELAC weekly email newsletter for several years hoping for information about my Kemp, Dafoe, Hutchinson and Sovereen ancestors who migrated to Canada, but I haven't really delved into the website.

Here's my first look at the UELAC website home page - www.uelac.org:

There are links on the left-hand side for information about UELAC, and also a Loyalist Directory, information about Resources and other features.

I clicked on the "Loyalist directory" link and the "Information on the Loyalists" page opened:

The actual directory of Loyalists is found by clicking the "Click here..." link - that gets to the "Directory of Loyalists:"

There are letters for alphabetical surnames across the top of the page above.

I wanted to see the Dafoe name, so I clicked on the D letter.  The D surname list opened, and I scrolled down to the Dafoe entries:

Abraham Dafoe is my 5th great-grandfather.  Here is what this directory has for him (two screens):

There is a lot of information here about Abraham Dafoe, and links to additional information - two biographical reports, military details of his service, the UELAC certificate application, etc.  In addition, there is another listing for Abraham Dafoe down the list, which includes the "where resettled" information:

"lot 10, con 1 Fredericksburgh Twp, Cataraqui Twp #3 (later Addington Co. ON)"

The UELAC website does not have the actual records for the land grant, and I've looked at the Libraries and Archives Canada website, but I can't figure out if those land grants are digitized and in an online database.  I'm sure my Canadian friends with more knowledge can tell me where to find them - either online, on microfilm or in person.

I recalled that Lorine McGinnis Schulze had posted 10 Ways to Find Your Loyalist Ancestor on 21 June 2014 on her Olive Tree Genealogy Blog.  I'm going to start there!

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2014/08/looking-for-united-empire-loyalist.html

Copyright (c) 2014, Randall J. Seaver

Review: Legacy QuickGuide on Researching Your Loyalist Ancestors

Legacy Family Tree has commissioned a series of four-page booklets on various aspects of genealogical research.  Each laminated guide contains four pages of valuable information covering a variety of genealogy research topics. Legacy QuickGuides are written by genealogists and family historians who are experts in the subject areas.  These QuickGuides are oriented towards the online researcher - there are several pages of website links on selected subjects for the specific topic covered by the QuickGuide.

You can see the list of available Legacy QuickGuides at http://www.legacyfamilytreestore.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=71.  They are available as laminated four-page folders ($7.95 each) or as downloadable PDF files ($2.95 each).

The Legacy QuickGuide for Researching Your Loyalist Ancestors was written by Kathryn Lake Hogan.

The Introduction to this QuickGuide says:

"After the American Revolutionary War, those who remained loyal to Britain and King George III were known as Loyalists. In 1789, the Governor-General of British North America, Lord Dorchester, granted those who adhered to the Unity of the Empire, all their children and their descendants the use of the capitals U.E. after their name. Many American and Canadian genealogists have Loyalist ancestors which can be difficult to find. The Researching Your Loyalist Ancestors Legacy QuickGuide™ contains useful information to get you started including the best places to find key record groups and research strategies to implement."

The subjects included in the Researching Your Loyalist Ancestors  QuickGuide include:

*  Selected Key Dates

*  Who is a Loyalist?

*  Strategy

*  United Empire Loyalist Lists

*  Black Loyalists

*  First Nations/Aboriginal Loyalists

*  Lower Canada Loyalists

*  Upper Canada Loyalists

*  Maritime Loyalists

*  Military Records

*  Ship Passenger Lists

*  Land and Property Records

*  Maps

*  Court Records and Claims

*  Archives and Libraries

*  Organizations

*  Toolkit

*  Terminology

*  Further Reading

For the second and third page subjects, the items listed are website titles with links to the websites.  In some cases, there are shortened URLs for websites with long eddresses.

This Legacy QuickGuide is very useful for beginners and seasoned researchers alike.  The information about the different Loyalist websites, the organizations list, and the toolkit are very helpful, and the links to online resources will be useful. I am sure that I will use this QuickGuide to help me find records of my Loyalist ancestors in New Brunswick and Ontario.

The laminated version of this QuickGuide is very handy for researchers going to repositories or society meetings - it is light and easy to carry in a briefcase or computer case.  I much prefer the PDF version because I can save it to my computer (and laptop, tablet, and smart phone using Dropbox or another cloud service) and have it available in digital format for instantaneous usage by clicking the links provided rather than typing the links into my web browser. 

Order your copy of the  Researching Your Loyalist Ancestors  QuickGuide (PDF or printed laminated folder) at the Legacy Family Tree Store.

Disclosure:  I was provided a complimentary copy of the PDF version of this Legacy QuickGuide on the condition that I provide a timely review of each QuickGuide provided.  Look for more in the near future!

The URL for this post is:  

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

Do you have Loyalist Ancestors? Check out the UELAC Site

...
I received an email last week from Oma Rose in Nevada saying that she would like to see "...some recognition of Loyalist research, and those who participate in it, mentioned in your blog.  It would help those who are new to the idea of having a Loyalist ancestor to know that resources are not only available but rich in content."

As many of my readers know, I have several Loyalist ancestors that settled in New Brunswick and Ontario, so this suggestion struck a chord in me.  Thank you, Oma, for the suggestion.

The link to the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada website (www.UELAC.org).

There is a link to the page on "Making the Loyalists" that provides information about them, links to other articles and lists of loyalists, and a list of the important dates in Loyalist history.

The UELAC has a near-weekly publication called "Loyalist Trails" online for FREE on the UELAC Newsletter Archive Page:

The newsletter archive has issues from 2004 to the present.  An interested reader can subscribe to receive an email with this newsletter.  If you do subscribe after reading this post, please tell them where you learned of this newsletter (I will not receive any remuneration!).

The current newsletter (for 15 January 2012) looks like this:

There is a wealth of information and helpful research aids in these newsletters.

The lead article in the 8 January and 15 January 2012 issues is

Loyalist Times and Transcripts: Part One -- by Stephen Davidson.  In this article, Stephen notes that :

"

Have you ever read the transcripts of the Royal Commission on the Losses and Services of American Loyalists? Don't let the words "royal commission" or "transcript" frighten you. These documents are anything but dull. Want to hear the story of an individual loyalist's persecution, war service and resettlement? It can be found in the RCLSAL transcripts. Need to know how the common man and woman experienced the Revolution? The transcripts provide that perspective. Want to know the status of a given loyalist? Inventories of lost property and possessions are part of almost every claim. This amazing primary source should be in the library of every loyalist genealogist, UELAC branch, and loyalist historian."


Read the two articles published to date and note that these records are available on www.archive.org.  


I have not.  So now I'm curious about this resource and will try to see if any of my Loyalist ancestors appeared before this commission.  Even if they did not file a claim, there may be a member of the local area that they resided, or a member of their regiment, who did file a claim and gave testimony.  The experiences of my ancestors may have been similar.


The one thing I have done so far on this site is to do a site search using a Google search like ["john kemp" site:www.uelac.org] for my Loyalist ancestors.  I also tried "kemp john."  There were three matches which provided some family information.  


This UELAC website is well known among UELAC members, but for those of us that were unaware of it, the resources available and discussed on the site may provide excellent genealogical resources.


The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2012/01/do-you-have-loyalist-ancestors-check.html


Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2012