The Loyalists in Upper Canada

Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted April, 2009

On a wall on the second floor of the Ontario Legislature in Queen's Park is this Ontario Heritage Trust plaque. Here's what it says:

Plaque coordinates: 43.661934 -79.391284

When United Empire Loyalists who had "adhered to the Crown" during the American Revolution and, in most cases, served in volunteer regiments, came to settle in this province in the 1780's, the region was largely uninhabited. These Loyalists, all of whom had suffered persecution and confiscation of property, were granted land in the vicinity of the Bay of Quinte and the Upper St. Lawrence, Niagara and Detroit Rivers. They laid the foundations of a new province. It was largely because of their presence that a form of self-government, based upon British law and institutions, was established in Upper Canada when the province was created in 1791. By then the Loyalists numbered about 10,000.

Related websites
American Revolution
Upper Canada

Related Ontario plaque
United Empire Loyalists

More
Pioneers

Here are the visitors' comments for this page.

Posted February 29, 2012
The term "Loyalists" refer to American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown.

Posted September 6, 2011
John & Mary Benham were in the first grouping of Puritans immigrating in 1630 to the US. A number of the descendants of 'Benham' apparently re-located to remain loyal to Britain during this war in the US. Any record of 'Benham' in the list of Loyalists?
daughter of Emily Myrtle Benham ...Phyllis Wiesen
#6, 2962 Nelson Place, Abbotsford, BC Can V2S 7E9

Posted April 21, 2010
this did not answer my Q. I want to know what kind of problems the upper Canadian loyalists had when they left the thirteen colonies.

Posted March 6, 2010
Is there a record of a John MacGrady being a United Empire Loyalist? If so, what year and where would he have initially settled in Ontario?
Thanks and Best Regards, Phil S. Brunet, 149 Ave des Flandres, Candiac, Qc, J5R 0C9

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