UE Loyalist History

John Richard Nichols was born on the 19 February 1751 in Oyster Bay , Long Island, New York, and settled in Digby County  , Nova Scotia as a United Empire Loyalist.   A descendant, also named John Richard Nichols, was the first President of the Admiral Digby Library and Historical Society.  It took ownership of the Admiral Digby Museum in 1972.  He was appointed a judge at Digby in 1972 where he then resided. Judge John R. Nichols   Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 16 August 1932, after graduation from Dalhousie University with a law degree, John R. Nichols came to Digby in 1957 and was a partner in the practice of law with Senator Eugene Theriault. He was the President of the Admiral Digby Library and Historical Society from its' organization in 1966. On 17 March 2017 he passed away. He served as a judge for 30 years until age 65 and then a supernumerary judge until age 75.  According to an article published in the Digby Courier Newspaper on 23 ...

For over fifty years, since my mother told me her Campbell and Ferguson ancestors arrived in Canada from Ireland in 1847,  I have wanted to visit Grosse Île , Quebec. On July 18, 2026,  I did and, as with many historic sites I have been to,  learned of a connection to the American Revolution.  Grosse Île and the National Irish Historic Site Grosse Île is an island located in the middle of the St. Lawrence River and was Canada's main immigration gateway from 1832 to 1947. During that time a quarantine station was operated there for the Port of Quebec. From 1860 to 1867 Anthony von Iflund (1798 - 1876) was the medical superintendent at Grosse Île.  His father, Johann, was born in Germany and served with Hessian troops during the American Revolution.  He was a soldier in the von Knyphausen Regiment which arrived in New York in August 1776. It took part in the fighting at Long Island, White Plains, Fort Washington and was garrisoned at Trenton, New Jersey. Celt...

The Loyalist connection of the Admiral Digby Museum  in Digby. Nova Scotia is clear.  It was named after Admiral Sir Robert Digby, appointed in 1781 the British Commander - in - Chief of the North American Station of the Royal Navy in New York. He oversaw in 1783 the evacuation of 1,330 Loyalist refugees from New York at the end of the American Revolution to settle the place in Nova Scotia that named itself after him. Admiral Digby Museum   The Admiral Digby Museum has items and artifacts on display as well as an archives for research purposes. When earlier this month I was elected President of the Admiral Digby Library and Historical Society which operates the Admiral Digby Museum, I decided to learn more about the history of the property and if there were other Loyalist connections to the building and the property on which it sits. On an Plan of Survey of the Town of Digby in 1785, lots of land are marked and the names of the occupiers. It indicates that Charles Coulbou...

On 23 September 1779, an important naval engagement took place off the north Yorkshire coast of England near  Flamborough Head . It demonstrated that conflict between the Americans and the British during the American Revolution was not limited to North America.  I was reminded of this while visiting nearby Scarborough in Yorkshire this week.                                    Flamborough Head Flamborough Head is a dramatic eight mile promonotary extending into the North Sea. A convoy of 40 merchant ships carrying supplies, protected by two British Royal Navy ships, was attacked off here by four ships commanded by John Paul Jones, often referred to as the Father of the American Navy .  The convoy escaped into Scarborough Harbor, where it was safe under the cannons of Scarborough Castle . Scarborough Harbour During my visit this week,  at Scarborough Castle, a guide explained to ...

What role did Edinburgh, Scotland play during the years associated with the American Revolution (1775 - 1783)? While visiting the city this week, I have been considering that question.  Along the Royal Mile, the historic street running between Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, are impressive statues to Adam Smith (1723 - 1790) and David Hume ( 1711 - 1776). Adam Smith   These two residents of Edinburgh, through popular publication, expressed views that supported the independence of the colonies in North America.  In 1776, The Wealth of Nations , authored by economist Adam Smith, challenged traditional political and economic systems influencing American Revolutionary thought. David Hume   David Hume is renowned as one of the greatest philosophers of the English language and remembered for his radical empiricism and skepticism. He was good friends with Smith.  During the American Revolution, Edinburgh Castle was used as a detention centre wher...

Sometimes an interest in history and genealogy can inspire people to look beyond their own family experience to learn and share information about others.  This happened with Brian Nash who produced podcasts and YouTube videos with How We Got Here Genealogy.   It began as a hobby that he did on his time off from full time work and became a business.  I met him in 2021 when he contacted me to ask for an interview about my recently published book entitled  The   Loyalists of Digby. In subsequent years we spoke several times. He did other interviews including one on my book The United Empire Loyalists & You which was his first in a new series called Genealogy Happy Hour. Brian Nash interview Brian had a friendly and endearing manner that made him easy to like.   We became good friends.  Sadly,  Brian passed away on May 5, 2026 at the age of 55 in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Below is a short video which I have prepared from some o...

We all begin our journey of research into United Empire Loyalists for a reason at some time. For me it began with a story my mom told me of how some of her ancestors had to come to Canada at the time of the American Revolution for refusing to join the rebels. This led me to start searching and found a group about United Empire Loyalists on Rootsweb. In the 1990s Rootsweb was the world's largest free genealogy group on the internet but has gone the way of the buffalo to near extinction.  United Empire Loyalist List My first contribution to the Loyalist Gazette, published by the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada (UELAC), was a notice in the Fall 1999 issue that I had established a United Empire Loyalists' Mailing List on Rootsweb to share information and help with genealogy .  I began to do research on my Loyalist connections.  I determined I was a descendant of  James Humphrey who had served as a Private with the Loyal Rangers. When I joined the UELAC i...