LETTERS ON UNITED EMPIRE LOYALIST GRAVESTONES
Do you ever wonder who the person was whose headstone is marked with a U.E. or U.E. Loyalist? Or, what was the origin of those letters? Would you put them on your grave or that of a relative?
The letters U.E. are associated with the words United Empire. In 1789, Lord Dorchester's Proclamation provided that it was to be a mark of honour given to descendants of United Empire Loyalists (U.E.L.), those persons who had shown loyalty to the British Crown during the American Revolution.
However, the earliest common usage was in 1775 by a group of Loyalists in Boston who formed an association known as the Loyalist Associators desiring the unity of the Empire. It was organized under the direction of Governor General Thomas Gage. The foundational concept was Unity of the Empire. Brigadier Timothy Ruggles commanded the Loyal American Associators that was composed of three companies led by Abijah Willard , James Putnam and Francis Green .
Unity of the Empire became the political identity for tens of thousands of refugees who fled to British North America, modern day Canada. When the United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada (UELAC) was formed in 1914 it adopted loyalty to the British Empire as one of its main beliefs. Through time this has changed as ties to the mother country have weakened. No longer are members required to swear a pledge of loyalty to the British Crown. Several years ago it became optional on the application for a U.E. Certificate, that confirms descent from a United Empire Loyalist.
One of the first gravestones which I encountered marked as a United Empire Loyalist was for Captain John Grant at Summerville, Hants County, Nova Scotia in Loyal Hill Cemetery. It has a plaque on it that identifies him and describes him as a United Empire Loyalist. He served with the Loyalist forces from New York and after the American Revolution settled at Summerville.
At Middleton, Nova Scotia, in the cemetery beside Old Holy Trinity Church, the grave of Mary (Teed) Gillis , a United Empire Loyalist descendant and prominant heritage organizer who held the position of Honourary Vice President with the UELAC, is marked with the letters U.E. engraved in the stone.
To date I have located 51 graves marked with U.E. or U.E.L. across Canada. These include 17 with plaques that are available from the UELAC. They can be viewed using the below links. The most seem to be in Ontario and New Brunswick. If you know of others please get in touch with me to be added.
Among the gravestones with U.E. Loyalist inscribed in them, is one for black loyalist Cato Prime in Bainesville, Ontario.
The UELAC has available for its members to order a plaque with U. E. Loyalist and the Badge of the Association on it. This is done by completing a form, as appears below, and submitting it with payment to the National Office. For further information email uelac.office.admin@uelac.org
After the plaque is received some have chosen to mount it on the monument of a United Empire Loyalist ancestor. The photo below shows Rose Marie Curylo, U.E., of the Vancouver Branch of the UELAC, standing beside monument with her mother's name inscribed on it and to which a plaque has been mounted above.
References:
Loyal Hill & Captain John Grant by Brian McConnell, U.E.
The UE and me by Brian McConnell, U.E.
Lord Dorchester's Proclamation accessed on August 25, 2026
.jpg)
