THE WAR OF 1812
Some United Empire Loyalists who were young enough when they settled in Canada, and lived to see it, participated in the War of 1812. The War of 1812 began on 18 June 1812 when the United States of America declared war on Great Britain. My 5th great grandfather, James Humphrey, was one of them. He served as a Private with Jessup’s Rangers during the American Revolution and in 1812 was a Sergeant in the Grenville Militia. During the War of 1812 in Upper Canada there were various County Regiments of Militia as well as an Incorporated Militia. The Incorporated Militia served full time. These units along with British regulars, Indigenous warriors, and Runchey's Corps of Coloured Men, were crucial for the defense of Upper Canada against American attacks.
Monument to James Humphrey, gravestones of sons Samuel and James, plaque for War of 1812 veteran
Records show that my United Empire Loyalist ancestor James Humphrey and his sons Samuel and James served with the Grenville Militia during the War of 1812. James Humphrey Sr. was a Sergeant and his two sons were Privates in the First Regiment of the Grenville Militia.
The Humphrey family settled at the close of the American Revolution in Township No. 6, Edwardsburgh , near Prescott , where men of Jessup’s Rangers were given land. James Sr.’s date of death is unknown however he appears in the census of 1800 for Edwardsburg Township.
James Jr. married Mary McDougall. He died August 26, 1862 at age of 83 and both he and his wife are buried in the Presbyterian Churchyard Cemetery at Cardinal, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario where there is a headstone.
Samuel married Lucinda Woolery. He died on August 28, 1862, aged 73, and was buried with his wife in the St. John Cemetery at Brock, Durham Regional Municipality near where they had resided together.
Edward Jessup, commander of Jessup’s Rangers, owned lands at Prescott which were acquired by the government in 1812 for the construction of Fort Wellington .It was located at Prescott, Ontario, a crucial transshipment point at the head of the St. Lawrence River rapids. All large cargo and passengers moving between Montreal and the upper Great Lakes had to pass through or be re-shipped at this location, making its defense essential for the security of the colony of Upper Canada.
One of the most important events of the conflict occurred in July, 1812 when American forces who had invaded Upper Canada were defeated at the Battle of Queenston Heights . British General Sir Isaac Brock was killed at the Battle. Brockville , Ontario which had been settled by United Empire Loyalists, and originally called Elizabethtown, was re-named for him.
Other important conflicts during the War of 1812 included the Battle of York (1813), the Battle of Lake Erie (September 1813), the Battle of Chippawa (July 1814), and the Battle of Lundy's Lane (July 1814).
The peace treaty to end the War, the Treaty of Ghent, was signed on 24 December 1814.
Further Reading:
The War of 1812 - Land Operations by George F.G. Stanley
Loyalists and descendants who participated in the War of 1812
Graveside Project - War of 1812
