Loyalist Refugees, Non-Military Refugees in Quebec 1776-1784 - Second Edition

By Gavin K. Watt

This book identifies and lists details for more than 2,000 non-military loyalist refugees who sheltered in lower Quebec during the American Revolution—pointing researchers to crucial primary and secondary sources in Canada, the USA, and the UK. Many if not most of these refugees migrated to places across British North America and beyond, after their period of sanctuary in Quebec.

Contents include:

• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Chapter One: Why Refugees and Why So Many?
• Chapter Two: Waves of Loyalists
• Chapter Three: What to do with the Refugees?
• Chapter Four: Complications Increase
• Chapter Five: The Flood Continues
• Chapter Six: Interpreting the Refugee Roll
• The Refugee Roll - identifies and lists details for more than 2,000 non-military loyalist refugees
• Key to Source Documents
• Surname Concordance
• Bibliography
• Index
• Maps
  • Refugee communities east and south of Montreal
  • Communities in the vicinity of Montreal

Background: 

Soldiers did not come alone. In the past, wives, mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters, brothers and children of the fighting men have been given secondary treatment. In Loyalist Refugees, they are the subjects of a study describing the systematic persecution that forced so many to seek refuge in Quebec. How these unfortunate people were housed, fed, clothed and employed is examined, as is their desperate unhappiness and discontent.

Details:

• 368 pages
• 8.5 X 11"
• Coil bound
• Roll of non-military Loyalist refugees in Quebec
• Notes and sources
• Published by Global Heritage Press, Milton 2016
• ISBN 978-1-77240-042-7 Spiral Bound
  ISBN 978-1-77240-041-0 Hardcover (out of print)
  ISBN 978-1-77240-043-4 Digital (pdf)

Reviews:

• "...approximately 2500 entries representing over 6500 individuals… a reference every Loyalist researcher should have." Bobbi King, Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
  
  
• "...a good resource for genealogists researching their Loyalist ancestors, especially those who settled in Quebec. The book also includes maps of refugee communities east and south of Montreal and in the vicinity of Montreal." Gail Dever, Genealogy Ala Carte (blog)
  
  
• "...The focus of this book is on the wives, mothers, fathers, grandparents, sisters, brothers, and children of the fighting men, and even the ill or incapacitated soldiers themselves, who were compelled to take refuge in lower Quebec during the Revolutionary War. It explains why there were refugees in the first place and why so many— summarized by the systematic inquisition by the County Committees of Safety to identify loyalists—were labeled as traitors and then confiscated of their land, livestock, and material possessions. This confiscation was used to feed, equip, or fund the rebel army. Examples are given of Loyalist appeals, usually more descriptive than the later filed Loyalist claims. The book continues by explaining why there were waves of Loyalists, what was done with the Loyalists, and why the problems of settlement increased as the war progressed. Maps are provided showing the location of the refugee settlements. A discomforting feature of this time period, evidenced in this book, is the authoritarian and paternalistic nature of governance. The controlling hierarchy was a bastion of male superiority, extremely rigid, especially when a military governor occupied the senior position, as in Quebec. This is explained and clearly demonstrated with examples of letters of supplication to the governor. This situation was even worse for women, who were regarded as the weaker, less competent sex. Yet when the men went off to fight, these same women were expected to get themselves, their children, and any goods they could carry to safety, often being chased by rebels. For family historians the primary interest will be the compiled Refugee Roll, which provides one or more sources for each entry. It is in a table format that lists surname, given name, spouse/father/mother, children, locations reported, remarks, and rank and regiment or organization. Listed prior to the table is a key for abbreviations used in the roll for rank and for Northern Department Regiments and Organizations, plus a code for 15 settlement townships. After the table there is a key to source documents, 43 primary, 76 primary transcripts, and 25 secondary sources. This is followed by a surname concordance, so researchers can identify spelling variations of the surnames sought. The book includes an extensive bibliography and index. Reviewer’s note: This book is a companion to two other volumes by the same author: The British Campaign of 1777, Volume 1: The St. Leger Expedition: The Forces of the Crown and Congress, second edition, reviewed in FORUM (16:2) and The British Campaign of 1777, Volume 2: The Burgoyne Expedition: Burgoyne’s Natives and Loyalist Auxiliaries, reviewed in FORUM (26:2)." Paul Milner, Federation of Genealogical Societies [journal] FORUM