The History and Master Roll of the The King's Royal Regiment of New York, Revised Edition

By Gavin K. Watt

The King's Royal Regiment of New York played a large role in both the conflict and later by providing men and their families to help establish and expand British settlement in Canada.

Includes new information & corrections
Gavin Watt's first book on this topic, The King's Royal Regiment of New York [1982] has been significantly revised in this new edition. This updated and expanded volume provides much new content, including corrections, additions and newly discovered sources that have come to light during the years of research since the earlier book.

This expanded and updated edition contains a host of important additions and enhancements including a significant number corrections in the master roll due to new information from newly located original sources - men added to the roll who did not appear previously, and removal of men from the roll since proven to be elsewhere.

Enhancements in this edition include:

• Every piece of information in the Master Roll about veterans of the original regiment Roll has a coded source attributed to it.

• All the coded sources (145 primary, 120 primary transcripts, 117 secondary) are listed in a descriptive bibliography.

• A Surname Concordance provides a simple method of navigating through spelling variations.

• Many of the men's wives not found in military sources have been provided.

• Because of a great deal of conflicting information about the original regiment's uniforms has been uncovered since 1984, there are no longer any images of re enactors. This edition is substantially enhanced with many more pictures of original artifacts of the regiment.

• The same comprehensive, cross-referenced index that was so popular in the 1984 edition is repeated.

The history of the regiment, and of the men of The King's Royal Regiment has great significance to those with an interest in the American Revolutionary War and the subsequent resettlement of United Empire Loyalists and others, many of whom migrated to Canada.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Biography of Ernest A. Cruikshank
• The Cruikshank history, The King's Royal Regiment of New York
• Introduction In the Valley of the Mohawk
• Chapter I The Flight to Canada
• Chapter II The Winter of 1776-77
• Chapter III The Expedition Against Fort Stanwix
• Chapter IV Service on the Frontier in 1778
• Chapter V Scouting and Recruiting
• Chapter VI A Blow in the Air
• Chapter VII The Raid to Johnson Hall
• Chapter VIII The Second Raid Into the Valley
• Chapter IX Alarums and Excursions
• Chapter X The Third Raid Into the Valley
• Chapter XI The Occupation of Oswego
• Chapter XII The Last Foray
• Chapter XIII Guarding the Gates
• Chapter XIV The Occupation of Cataraqui
• Chapter XV Disbandment and Settlement
• Chapter XVI The Settlement at Catarqui
• Appendix A Return of the Officers of the 1st Battalion, KRR NY. Return of the Officers of the 2nd Battalion, KRR NY
• Appendix B General Abstract of Men, Women and Children in the New Townships
• Appendix I End notes to Cruikshank's Text
• Appendix II King's Royal Yorkers' Artifacts
• Appendix III Revised Master Roll
  • Introduction
  • Explanations for Key Abbreviations and Terms
  • Other Regiments and Departments in Canada
  • General Return of the Men of the 1KRR NY, 1783
  • The Roll
  • Miscellaneous abbreviations
• Surname Concordance
• Reference Sources
• Index to text and appendices

Illustrations List  [7 colour, remainder in b & w]

• Sir John Johnson, 1772 frontispiece
• The Powder Horn of Captain Richard Duncan reverse of frontispiece
• Front view: Regimental jacket of Lieutenant Jeremiah French, 2KRR NY
• Rear view of same
• Details of the French uniform, epaulette and jacket vent buttons
• Regimental Waistcoats of Lieutenant Jeremiah French
• Second Clothing Period KRR NY buttons, Officers' & Other Ranks
• The Sword Belt-Plate of Captain John McKenzie, 2KRR NY
• Bugle of John Serviss, 1KRR NY; Gravestone of George Fikes, 2KRR NY
• Commission of Ensign Malcolm McMartin
• Commission of Lieutenant Henry Young, 2KRR NY
• Discharge Certificate of Private Peter Ferguson, 1KRR NY
• Discharge Certificate of Private Thomas Wagar, 2KRR NY
• Discharge Receipts of Private John Duer, 1KRR NY and Corporal James McTaggart, 2KRR NY
• Portraits of Surgeon Robert Kerr, 2KRR NY; Ensign Miles McDonell, 1KRR NY and Ensign Samuel or Stephen McKay, 2KRR NY
• The Blockhouse and Barracks at Coteau-du-Lac, ca. 1780
• Sketch of the works of Fort Haldimand, Carleton Island
• An modern aerial view of the ruins of Fort Haldimand, Carleton Island
• A painting of the Settlement at New Johnstown in 1784

Maps List

• The Military Activities and Settlement Areas of the KRR NY
• The Crawford Purchase from the Mississaugas, 1783
• Fort Haldimand and the harbours of Carleton Island
• Fort Frontenac and the Town Plot of Cataraqui
• The Royal and Cataraqui Townships, settled in 1784

Reviews

• "This book proves the point of why we must continue to research and not accept earlier works as the definitive sources. Gavin is well known for the quality of his research in his early books and he has outdone himself with this new volume."
  Kathie Orr U.E., Past President of Toronto Branch, of The United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada.
• "The extra effort put into this book places the quality and desire to purchase it at the top of my list. A lot of research was done here and the author must be recognized as the number one authority on The King's Royal Regiment of New York. I would make this book a must item for your Loyalist library. Great job!"
  Paul J. Bunnell, FACG, UE. Publisher, The Loyalist Quarterly
• "Watt has created an essential book for researchers studying the identity, whereabouts, and fate of Loyalists actively engaged in the Revolutionary War in New York. "... - Cornelia W. Bush, CG, Pinehurst, North Carolina, This review was  printed in National Genealogical Society Quarterly, the periodical of the National Genealogical 

Details

409 pages
6.5 X 9.25"
Hardcover in scarlet Buckram
7 colour plates
Maps
Illustrations & photos
Index
Source list
Published by Global Heritage Press, Milton, 2006 
ISBN 1-897210-83-3 (premium hardcover edition is temporarily out of print)