Category: Loyalists

Should the Provincial Loyalist Days be Celebrated on the Same Date?

3/8/2024

The Loyalists usually only get the
briefest of mentioned when the
history of Canada is discussed.
This is a tad unfortunate as the
arrival of the Loyalists forever
altered the trajectory of British
North America and laid a solid groundwork for a uniquely
Canadian take on governance. They really should be discussed
more. That said, this article isn't going to focus on the failings
of the Canadian education system. Rather, this is a look at
whether remembrance and celebration of the Loyalists could
be improved in the public sphere.

The genesis of this article was in a meeting organized by my
company's head office which basically gave the front line
employees an update on different things the company was
doing. One such thing was the creation of a multi-ethnic
calendar of events. It was fairly thorough, although not
comprehensive. Loyalist Day on May 18 was omitted. Or was
it June 12th? The 19th? The most likely reason it was left off
was due to New Brunswick being the only Atlantic province
that celebrates it and my company being spread out over the
Atlantic provinces. Even if they all celebrated it there are at
least three competing dates for when it is held.

New Brunswick

United Empire Loyalist Day is held on May 18th which usually
places it fairly close to Victoria Day (Monarchy Weekend? I'm
all for it). Saint John has traditionally been the standard-
bearer for celebrating the holiday and from 1968-1997 it was a
school holiday in that school district. However it was felt all
holidays should be province-wide which, of course, meant
no more school holiday for anyone.

May 18th was chosen as the date to celebrate this holiday as
by tradition this was the date the Loyalist refugees arrived in
Saint John in 1783.

Ontario

Moving over to the other province created as a result of the
Loyalist's arrival we have United Empire Loyalist Day
celebrated on June 19th in Ontario. The Constitutional Act of
June 19th, 1791 created the province of Upper Canada, or
Ontario as we know it today. But hold on, Kingston, Ontario
celebrates on the 12th which is the date in 1784 Governor
Haldimand at Quebec received permission from King George
III to settle the Loyalists in what would one day become the
Province of Ontario.

Manitoba

Manitoba, like Kingston, celebrates United Empire Loyalist
Day on June 12th and for the same reason.

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a newcomer to celebrating this holiday, only
designating it in 2000. Uniquely, the designation of June 19th
as United Empire Loyalist Day is applied for each year by the
Regina branch of UELAC. The City of Regina itself celebrates
a whole Loyalist Week.

British Columbia

Canada's western-most province is the last to celebrate
holding its United Empire Loyalist Day on July 22nd. The
significance of this date is a bit removed but the story goes
Sir Alexander MacKenzie, the son of a United Empire
Loyalist is documented as being the first European to
successfully cross the North American continent north of
Mexico on July 22, 1793.

Is This a Good Thing?

Its an odd situation that so many places in Canada hold the
Loyalists as being worth celebrating but have no unity in
doing so. I think its clear each province chose a date that was
somehow significant to themselves without considering if
there was a more universal date that could be chosen. I'd
argue this division is a bad thing for one major reason: the
federal government will never make this a national holiday if
it means taking sides or adding to the confusion with yet
another date. Some might ask why it should be a national
holiday. Here are my reasons:
1. It is unifying - Even though the Quebecois and earlier
English settlers had little to do with the Loyalists, everyone
was united in not wanting to be a part of what the Americans
were creating to our south. I would argue it was our first time
agreeing on anything as a country (even if that country was
still some years away from becoming a reality).
2. Diversity among the Loyalists - The Loyalists were a highly
diverse group of refugees fleeing persecution and included
English, Scottish, Germans, Dutch, African, and Iroquois.
From this early example of diverse immigration Canada has
continued to accept peoples of all races and creeds. Canada
also has continued to accept a higher percentage of refugees
in relation to population that most other Western nations.
3. The Loyalist Attitude - In Canada we may get angry at the
government but we don't see it as the enemy. This is a distant
echo of the Loyalist's attitude toward the state. As one Loyalists put it, "There may be a time when redress may not
be obtained. Till then, I shall recommend a legal, orderly,
and prudent resentment." Indeed, if you look hard enough
you quickly come to the conclusion the Loyalists have put
their stamp on how Canadians think of themselves and their
government.

Is there a Suitable Date to Celebrate On?

Below are several dates which are more general in nature:

April 19th - Lord Dorchester used this date as the cut-off for
when a person had to be living in the Thirteen Colonies to be
considered a Loyalist. April is a bit early in the holiday
schedule but Spring does have an association with rebirth
which might be apropos.

May 12th - On this day in 1784 the Treaty of Paris went into
effect creating the United States of America. Not only did this
give finality to the Loyalists' plight, it was also supposed to see
the Loyalists compensated (which never happened). Which,
yes, is a bit of a downer. The treaty itself was signed on Sept.
3rd (and in some sources is called the Treaty of Separation).

June 4th - The birthdate of King George III who was king
during the American Revolution. This is a date the Loyalists
themselves may have held as significant. There are records of
his birthday being celebrated for decades after his death in
1820. It is also during a warmer part of the year but not
before the end of the school year (I am all for kids getting an
extra day off like the one that those in Saint John lost). If
there is one critique about using this date it would be that this
is the second royal birthdate being used (the other being the
somewhat moveable Victoria Day).

Concluding Remarks

I feel that by consolidating the celebration of the Loyalists
around a single date we can raise the prominence of who they
were and what their contributions to Canada are.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

The Declaration of Dependence

1/12/2019

Photo Credit: Journal of the American Revolution

Faded cursive writing on a wrinkled, water-damaged sheet of
paper is all that remains of an important counter-point to the
Declaration of Independence. The document is known as the
Loyalist Declaration of Dependence and it was penned
in 1776 in New York. A transcript of the text is as follows:

"To the Right Honorable Richard Viscount Howe, of the Kingdom of Ireland, and
His Excellency The Honorable William Howe, Esquire, General of His Majesty’s
Forces in America, the Kings’ Commissioners for restoring Peace in His Majesty’s
Colonies and Plantations in North America &c. &c. &c.

May it please your excellencies.
Impressed with the most grateful sense of the Royal Clemency, manifested I you
Proclamation of the 14th. Of July last, whereby His Majesty hath been graciously
pleased to declare, “That he is desirous to deliver His American subjects from the
calamities of War, and other oppressions, which they now undergo:” and equally
affected with sentiments of gratitude for the generous and humane attention to the
disposition “to confer with His Majesty’s well affected subjects, upon the means of
restoring the public Tranquility, and establishing a permanent union with every
Colony as a part of the British Empire.”
We whose names are hereunto subscribed, Inhabitants of the City and County of
New-York, beg leave to inform your Excellencies: that altho most of us have
subscribed a general Representation with many other of the Inhabitants; yet we
wish that our conduct, in maintaining inviolate our loyalty to our Sovereign,
against the strong tide of oppression and tyranny, which has almost overwhelmed
this Land, may be marked by some line of distinction, which cannot well be drawn
from the mode of Representation that has been adopted for the Inhabitants in
general.
Influenced by this Principle, and from a regard to our peculiar Situation, we have
humbly presumed to trouble your Excellencies with the second application; in
which, we flatter ourselves, none participate but those who have ever, with
unshaken fidelity, borne true Allegiance to His Majesty, and the most warm and
affectionate attachment to his Person and Government. That, notwithstanding the
tumult of the times, and the extreme difficulties and losses to which many of us
have been exposed, we have always expressed, and do now give this Testimony of
our Zeal to preserve and support the Constitutional Supremacy of Great Britain
over the Colonies; and do most ardently wish for a speedy restoration of that union
between them, which, while it subsisted, proved the unfailing source of their mutual
happiness and prosperity.
We cannot help lamenting that the number of Subscribers to this Address is
necessarily lessened, by the unhappy circumstance that many of our Fellow
Citizens, who have firmly adhered their loyalty, have been driven from their
Habitations, and others sent Prisoners into some of the neighbouring Colonies: and
tho’ it would have afforded us the highest satisfaction, could they have been present
upon this occasion: yet we conceive it to be the duty we owe to ourselves and our
prosperity, whilst this testimony of our Allegiance can be supported by known and
recent facts, to declare to your Excellencies; that so far from having given the last
countenance or encouragement, to the most unnatural, unprovoked Rebellion, that
ever disgraced the annuls of Time; we have on the contrary, steadily and uniformly
opposed it, in every stage of its rise and progress, at the risque of our Lives and
Fortunes."

547 signed the document and they came from all walks of life.
The only common thread between them being a wish to
express their loyalty in some way. Some of the signers are
known to have joined Loyalist regiments later in the war but
for many this would be their only chance to show their loyalty.

After the names there is a short concluding section that has
been partially obscured:

We, Richard Hoyt Thomas T . . . ing and Frederick Hudson . . . of New York do
hereby certify that we attended the signing . . . and that the subscribers have
voluntarily signed their names.
Twenty Eight day of November in the Seventeenth Year of His Majesty.

Water-damaged pages

The signing took place at the
Queen's Head Tavern which was
across the street from the town
hall. Presumably this was so the
document could be submitted
immediately afterwards. Or
perhaps they needed some place
with more space. Or perhaps
they just thought the tavern had
the right name for such an event. Whatever the reason the
document is an important glimpse into the ranks of those who
chose to remain loyal to their king during the revolution.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Song of Defiance

6/15/2015

On October 19th, 1781 Lord Cornwallis surrendered Yorktown to the French and Americans. Legend has it the British drummers and fifers played The World Turned Upside Down to demonstrate the confusion at this turn of events. Loyalists maintain the British instead played When The King Enjoys His Own Again (which has the same tune) to demonstrate the British surrendered with a defiant spirit. When The King Enjoys His Own Again had by 1781 a long history of expressing loyalist sentiment.

Published in 1641 by Martin Parker it was associated with the Cavaliers, supporters of King Charles I & King Charles II. After the restoration of King Charles II to the Throne of England it was sung in celebration.

Later the Jacobites would adopt the song as well in their, ultimately futile, attempt to get their candidate on the throne.

Lyrics:

Let rogues and cheats prognosticate
Concerning king's or kingdom's fate
I think myself to be as wise
As he that gazeth on the skies
My sight goes beyond
The depth of a pond
Or rivers in the greatest rain
Whereby I can tell
That all will be well
When the King enjoys his own again
Yes, this I can tell
That all will be well
When the King enjoys his own again

There's neither Swallow, Dove, or Dade
Can soar more high or deeper wade
Nor show a reason from the stars
What causeth peace or civil wars
The man in the moon
May wear out his shoon
By running after Charles his wain
But all's to no end,
For the times will not mend
Till the King enjoys his own again
Yes, this I can tell
That all will be well
When the King enjoys his own again

Full forty years this royal crown
Hath been his father's and his own
And is there anyone but he
That in the same should sharer be?
For better may
The scepter sway
Than he that hath such right to reign?
Then let's hope for a peace,
For the wars will not cease
Till the king enjoys his own again
Yes, this I can tell
That all will be well
When the King enjoys his own again

Though for a time we see Whitehall
With cobwebs hanging on the wall
Instead of gold and silver brave
Which formerly was wont to have
With rich perfume
In every room,
Delightful to that princely train
Yet the old again shall be
When the time you see
That the King enjoys his own again
Yes, this I can tell
That all will be well
When the King enjoys his own again

Then fears avaunt, upon the hill
My hope shall cast her anchor still
Until I see some peaceful dove
Bring home the branch I dearly love
Then will I wait
Till the waters abate
Which now disturb my troubled brain
Then for ever rejoice,
When I've heard the voice
That the King enjoys his own again
Yes, this I can tell
That all will be well
When the King enjoys his own again

---

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Monarchist Profile: Lt. Richard Wilson

6/16/2014

Uniform of the 22nd of Foot

Born in Ireland in the year 1740. Richard Wilson joined the British Army around 1757 at the age of 17. He was made a sergeant of his Majesty's 22nd Regiment of Foot. The 22nd had been formed in 1689 by the Duke of Norfolk but had yet to receive any battle honours. Richard Wilson would serve in the regiment for eight years and participate in the sieges of Louisbourg (1758) and Quebec (1759). The regiment next moved to the Caribbean to fight against the Spanish. With the capture of Havana in 1762 the French and Spanish sued for peace and brought The Seven Years War to an end.

Richard Wilson went with the regiment to the newly acquired Louisiana territory. In August of 1765 the regiment was ordered back to the British Isles. However, before they left they discharged any colonists who had enlisted in the regiment as well as any men who had reached the end of their terms and wished to stay in the colonies. Richard Wilson decided to stay and settled in North Carolina. It is possible he had been there around 1760 as two companies were detached from his Majesty's 22nd Regiment of Foot to deal with an uprising by the Cherokee in nearby South Carolina. However, since records indicate him being present at the capture of Dominica and Martinico this is questionable. Whatever the reason, Richard was happy to make North Carolina his home.

Richard Wilson re-enlisted in 1771 and was made a Lieutenant of a Company of Artillary by Governor Tryon. He fought in the final battle against a group of North Carolina rebels known as the 'Regulators' at Alamance. Afterwards he was given a commission as a Lieutenant of the Garrison at Fort Johnston, where he would serve until the 18th of July, 1775.

By the time the first rumblings of the revolution had started Lt. Richard Wilson was doing well for himself having a plantation, two houses, two lots in the town of Brunswick, and one house in the town of Crosscreek. He later built another house at Fort Johnston. He was married in 1767 and had four children. His wife died around 1776 from an unrecorded cause.

The only good public domain map of North Carolina I could find.

In 1775 the rebels stirred up his tenants to stop paying rent unless he accepted a commission in the rebel army; an offer he reported refused "with horror and contempt". At this point he probably realized he stood to lose everything he had built in his new home. It would have been very easy to side with the rebels or simply desert and remain neutral. However, he was not going to betray his oath to his king nor his support for the legitimate governing authority in the colonies. He would pay a high price for his principles as would others like him.

Lt. Richard Wilson and Captain John A. Collet were ordered by Governor Martin to dismantle the fort and transport the guns to Boston as the fort's defence could not be guaranteed due to lack of supplies and desertions (some likely due to the same ultimatum given to Wilson). They managed to save the guns, and embark for Boston. As the men waited for transport they watched their property being burned by the rebels. They arrived in Boston on July 21, 1775, delivering to General Gage "a very valuable and costly set of artillery, arms, stores, and ammunition belonging to the Crown". Both Lt. Richard Wilson and Captain John A. Collet would join the Royal Fencible Americans, a loyalist regiment, serving under Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Gorham at Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia. Richard Wilson would serve in the regiment until 1782 eventually rising to the rank of captain.

Fort Beausejour (aka Fort Cumberland)

The revolution wasn't quite done with Richard Wilson however, and in late 1776 Fort Cumberland was attacked by rebels led by Jonathan Eddy. The British were outnumbered 2-1 and endured a siege from November 10-29th. Matters were only made worse by the fact that the regiment had not received their uniforms and warm clothes were scarce. Thus the men were "permitted to wear the barrack ruggs and blankets". It must have been a miserable time.

Belt buckle and uniform button

However the regiment's courage to hold out despite some close calls helped greatly. The effect of the failed siege was the dampening of revolutionary sympathies in Nova Scotia. The colony would remain loyal throughout the rest of the American Revolution. The years following the failed siege were chaotic as the rebels brief control of the region and reprisals against their supporters afterwards resulted in a wave of litigation that crippled the judiciary in Cumberland County.

Richard Wilson would build a new life for himself in the nearby town of Sackville. He married Ann Harper, daughter of Christopher Harper. Christopher Harper himself had lost property during Eddy's Rebellion and it is easy to imagine the two men becoming quick friends through shared experiences and values.

Richard Wilson would continue his military career when he was made Lt. Col. of the Westmorland County Regiment of Militia consisting of two battalions. Militia drills were conducted on the field behind his house and provided a day of entertainment for the townspeople as the militiamen went through their maneuver.

Lt. Col. Richard Wilson died in 1810 having served king and country faithfully and well.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour

Canada's Royal Chapels & The Mohawks

6/6/2014

Prince Arthur at the Royal Chapel of the Mohawks

Royal Chapels, or Chapels Royal, refer to the various churches that are called upon to minister to the sovereign (although the term more accurately refers to the people called upon to minister). The institution emerged at the latter end of the 1400s. Previously, those who ministered to the sovereign's spiritual needs travelled with the royal court from place to place and did not have an official base.

Of the six Chapels Royal located outside of Britain two are in Canada. Both are symbolic of the strong ties between the Mohawk nation and the Canadian Crown. They are the Christ Church Royal Chapel in Deseronto, Ontario and Her Majesty's Royal Chapel of the Mohawks in Brantford, Ontario.

The Christ Church Royal Chapel is a stone building in the Gothic Revival style and was built in 1843 both to symbolize the political and military alliance between the Crown and the Mohawks as well as to house the various gifts given by the sovereign to the Mohawk people over the years. It was elevated to the status of a Chapel Royal by The Queen in 2004.

Queen Anne

While no longer housed at the church, on special occasions a silver communion set given to the Mohawks by Queen Anne in 1711 is displayed and used. As well there is triptych in the Mohawk language given by George III, a royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom and church bell given by George V, and a bible given by Queen Victoria. Queen Elizabeth has given two gifts: a communion chalice in 1984 commemorating the coming of the Loyalists (which included the Mohawks) and a set of eight silver hand bells in 2010.

Her Majesty's Royal Chapel of the Mohawks is a simple wooden structure built in 1785 and given to the Mohawk Loyalists led by Joseph Brant. Joseph Brant's remains were moved to the chapel from their original resting place in Burlington in 1850. Prince Arthur met with Chiefs of the Six Nations at this chapel in 1869 (pictured above). It was elevated to the status of Chapel Royal in 1904 by King Edward VII.

In 2001 there were two failed arson attempts that caused minor damage. The building has been renovated several times and currently eight stained glass windows are installed depicting events from the history of the Six Nations of the Iroquois.

The four 'Mohawk Kings' (one is actually Mahican) that travelled to Britain in 1710 to discuss an alliance against the French. They were received by Queen Anne, who commissioned these paintings to mark the occasion.

The Mohawk Chapels illistrate a key way that royal traditions in Canada and Britain have diverged. In Britain royal chapels play no role in signifying a relationship between peoples while in Canada it might be described as their primary purpose. The ties between the Maple Crown and Canada's Aboriginals are not easily ignored. They weave through Canadian history and form the underpinnings of much of what Canada is today.

Loyally Yours,
A Kisaragi Colour