THE LOYALIST TOWNSHIPS
My ancestor James Humphrey who served with Jessup's Rangers during the American Revolution was granted land after the conflict to settle in Edwardsburgh Township. There is a monument to him and other United Empire Loyalists at Johnstown, within the township, which I visited as appears in a YouTube video near the bottom of this page. Other Rangers received lands in Augusta , Elizabethtown, and Ernestown Townships. These were four of the initial thirteen Loyalist Townships created in Upper Canada, now Ontario.
The original Loyalist townships created in Ontario for Loyalists were established beside the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. The first survey marker was placed on 27 October 1783. Eight of the townships were along the upper St. Lawrence River and five along the Bay of Quinte. They were given names associated with King George III and his children. Together with two townships surveyed later, Sophiasburgh and Ameliasburgh they became known as the Royal Townships.
A nine mile wide vacant area was left between the most eastern township, Charlottenburgh , and the last French seigneury. In the five eastern townships, Charlottenburgh, Cornwall, Osnabruck, Williamsburgh , and Matilda were settled members of the King's Royal Regiment of New York. Most of the Jessup's (Loyal) Rangers were given lands in the next three townships, Edwardsburgh, Augusta, and Elizabethtown.
Further west the township of Kingston was for group of about 50 families which arrived in 1784 from New York City led by Michael Grass. The next township, Ernestown, was for Loyal Rangers. Beside it Fredericksburgh went to the second battalion, King's Royal Regiment of New York and the King's Rangers.
Adolphustown was for Peter Van Alstine's group of United Empire Loyalists from New York and Marysburgh to go to German regulars staying in Canada and some from 84th Regiment (Royal Highland Emigrants).
Later, by 1788, after further surveying, two townships were established for Butler's Rangers. These were Niagara, which includes Niagara - on - the - Lake, and Stamford, now part of the city of Niagara Falls..
The Mohawks, led by Joseph Brant, were given a grant six miles wide on either side of the Grand River. The area where Brantford is located is on land that was part of the 1784 land grant for the Grand River Reservation. The modern Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve is south of the city. John Deseronto preferred the Bay of Quinte and settled with other Mohawks there in the township of Tyendinaga.
Further Reading:
"Loyal She Remains, A Pictorial History of Ontario" , published by UELAC
"The Settlement of the United Empire Loyalists on the Upper St. Lawrence and the Bay of Quinte in 1784, A Documentary Record" by Brig. Gen. E.A. Cruickshank
