TWO JOHN RICHARD NICHOLS, U.E.L., & U.E.*

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John Richard Nichols, U.E.L., was born on February 19, 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 which operates the Admiral Digby Museum.  He was appointed a judge at Digby in 1972, where he then resided.

Judge John R. Nichols 

Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia on August 16, 1932, after graduation from Dalhousie University with a law degree, John R. Nichols, U.E., 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 March 17, 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 November 23, 1972, which reported about his judicial appointment, John R. Nichols was "keenly interested in community life."  In 2012, he was awarded the Joe Casey Humanitarin Award. 

The Nichols had lived in North America for several hundred years as one of the first to arrive from England was Isaac Nichols, who settled in Stratford, Connecticut, where he married Margaret Washburn in 1646. John Richard Nichols joined the British forces during the American Revolution. In 1783, as a refugee with other Loyalists, he sailed to Port Roseway, Nova Scotia, renamed Shelburne .  He subsequently moved to Digby and owned lands in the Township.  

On November 17, 1790, John Nichols married Catherine Werner of New Edinburgh,  Digby County.  They both signed a deed for 80 acres of land, which was recorded on October 28, 1791 (Book 2, Page 100, Digby County, Nova Scotia Property Online).  The land was conveyed to Ditmars Sheffer, another United Empire Loyalist, of Dutch descent. 

1791 Deed from Nichols

John Nichols is listed in the 1795 Poll Tax Record for Digby with other well-known United Empire Loyalists.   Among those on the record were George Nash, Gilbert Post, Henry Rutherford,  and  Reverend Roger Viets.  George Nash and Henry Rutherford were respected merchants who had been business partners in New York.  Gilbert Post owned the land that was subsequently purchased by John Nichols.  Reverend Roger Viets was the serving Church of England clergyman for the Parish of Digby. 

1795 Poll Tax Record 

In 1801, John Nichols received a grant for 200 acres in Digby County.  He died on April 13, 1802.

* UEL  denotes United Empire Loyalist and U.E., descendant of UEL. U.E. was a postnominal that originated with Lord Dorchester's Proclamation in 1789.

Further Reference:

Obituary of John R. Nichols, accessed June 28, 2026

The Loyalists of Digby by Brian McConnell,  U.E.


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