ON THE LOYALIST TRAIL

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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 it was after the establishment of a Nova Scotia branch.  Prior to 2014, the closest branch in the province to where I resided was in Halifax, almost a two and a half hour drive away. Most of the members lived in the Halifax - Dartmouth area.  As I was then working full - time,  I would not have time to attend meetings and participate.   However, after seeing a newspaper article about the creation of a new provincial branch I made contact and became a member of the Nova Scotia Branch. The first year I volunteered to be Branch Secretary and in the second year was elected President.  I continued as President for nine years and now volunteer as Branch Secretary.  I have also held positions on the National Board of the UELAC as a Regional Vice President and Chair of the Loyalist Gazette Committee.

Branch Past President Medal

After joining the Nova Scotia Branch, I helped organize meetings around the province at Halifax, Shelburne, Cornwallis, Port Mouton, Acaciaville, and Windsor which included visits to sites like  Old St. Edward's Loyalist Church at Clementsport, and St. Mary's Anglican Church at Auburn built in 1791.  At these locations I often took photographs which were included with others, taken while touring the province to visit historical Loyalist sites, in my book Loyalist History of Nova Scotia - On the Loyalist Trail, published originally in 2020. It was later republished with more information. 

From St. George's Church in Sydney, where Reverend Ranna Cossit ministered to the first United Empire Loyalist settlors in 1791, upon its completion, to Birchtown, the site of the largest free Black community in North America in the late 18th century, the book includes locations across the province. These also include the United Empire Loyalist Cairn at Middleton and the Loyalist Bicentennial Commemorative Tree & Plaque in the Public Gardens at Halifax.  Over eighty locations of significance to the history of the settlement of United Empire Loyalists in Nova Scotia are mentioned, many with colour photographs included, and a map has been added at the front of the book.

In subsequent years I authored four more books about United Empire Loyalists including: The Loyalists of Digby , Old St. Edward's Church & the Loyalists , The United Empire Loyalists & You ,  and The First Church: Old Holy Trinity Church in Middleton, Nova Scotia . 

At historic settlement locations of United Empire Loyalists in Nova Scotia as well as New Brunswick and Ontario, I have also prepared over one hundred videos that can be viewed on YouTube at  UE Loyalist Sites  a UE Loyalist Cemeteries & Gravestones .  


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Further Reference:

James Humphrey, Loyalist soldier by Brian McConnell, UE, published by UELAC 

Nova Scotia Branch of UELAC accessed on May 21, 2026

Become a member of UELAC accessed on May 21, 2026

Loyalist History of Nova Scotia - On the Loyalist Trail by Brian McConnell, UE, 1st published in 2020




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