U.E. Loyalist History

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? U.E. LOYALIST on gravestone   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 Putna...

A significant number of United Empire Loyalists originated from the  Palatine  region of Germany or were descendants of earlier Palatine immigrants. Many of these German-speaking families had settled in the Hudson, Mohawk, and Schoharie River valleys of New York.  During the American Revolution, they largely sided with the British Crown, subsequently migrating to Canada. Families with roots in the German Palatinate, such as the Dillenbach, Chrysler, Casselman, Empey, Bowman, Loucks, and Shaver families, became prominent Loyalists. A large number of persons from the Palatine also settled in Upper Canada in the early 1800s, including the family Brethour.  Grave of Michael Julius Brethour During my family research, I learned that.  Ann Brethour , whose father arrived in Upper Canada in the early 1800s, was part of a group of immigrants originally from the Palatine who, after leaving, lived in Ireland before settling in Canada.  Ann married  James Hamilton...