U.E. Loyalist History

On Sunday, August 16th, I attended the annual anniversary service at Old St. Edward's Anglican Church in Clementsport ,  Nova Scotia which was constructed by United Empire Loyalists of Dutch ancestry and others in 1795. They settled in the area after arriving from New York at the close of the American Revolution.  Old St. Edward's Church   The sign located in front of the church reads: This Church was built by the United Empire Loyalists when they settled in the area in 1784. It was consecrated by Bishop Inglis, 1st Bishop of Nova Scotia.  Annual memorial services are held the 3rd Sunday of each August.  At the service which I attended the sermon was given by the current Bishop of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the Right Reverend Sandra Fyfe. The Church was consecrated by Bishop Charle Inglis on September 17, 1797. With Bishop Sandra Fyfe During the service an old Dutch Hymn of Thanksgiving was sung and the flag of the Netherlands hangs on a wall in the ...

For over fifty years, since my mother told me her Campbell and Ferguson ancestors arrived in Canada from Ireland in 1847,  I have wanted to visit Grosse Île , Quebec. On July 18, 2026,  I did and, as with many historic sites I have been to,  learned of a connection to the American Revolution.  Grosse Île and the National Irish Historic Site Grosse Île is an island located in the middle of the St. Lawrence River and was Canada's main immigration gateway from 1832 to 1947. During that time a quarantine station was operated there for the Port of Quebec. From 1860 to 1867 Anthony von Iflund (1798 - 1876) was the medical superintendent at Grosse Île.  His father, Johann, was born in Germany and served with Hessian troops during the American Revolution.  He was a soldier in the von Knyphausen Regiment which arrived in New York in August 1776. It took part in the fighting at Long Island, White Plains, Fort Washington and was garrisoned at Trenton, New Jersey. Celt...

To respect your history includes recognizing the difficult parts.  By visiting   United Empire Loyalist cemeteries and reseaching many of those buried there I have gained a greater understanding of the past. Some made enormous contributions, others owned and mistreated Black Loyalists. It has encouraged me to respect history and to share it with others by preparing 45 videos of  cemeteries in the Maritimes and Ontario.  The largest of these cemeteries contained several hundred headstones. This week, while in the Netherlands, I visited   Ysselsteyn German War Cemetery  where over 31,000 soldiers who died mainly during WWII were buried.  It is the biggest cemetery by area with German casualties from war in the world.  Soldiers' graves are marked by individual stone monuments with their name, service occupation,  and dates of birth and death, when known.  Ysselsteyn German War Cemetery   It was a very moving experience ...