President's Message Pat Blackburn UE in This Issue
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Volume XIV #3 November 2015 Another way for new members to jump into “They forsook every President’s Message the Branch activities is to assist with regular possession excepting Pat Blackburn UE duties at the general meetings. It could be their honour, and set handing out agendas, welcoming those entering the room, setting up chairs or their faces towards the I am reviewing below the Summer Outreach helping in the kitchen. As each one wilderness... activities in which a number of our Hamilton participates a feeling of belonging takes to begin, amid untold Branch members participated. Thank you to place and a small community is formed. hardships, life anew all who volunteered and willingly said ‘Yes’ under the flag they when called to duty. revered." In this issue... Ann Redish & Pat Blackburn at 2. Loyalist Burial Plaquing Battlefield Park, Stoney Creek 3. Stephen Secord & Hannah DeForest Our Ancestors Outreach Activities Beginning June 2015: 4. Crawford Lake President Pat Blackburn at Joseph Brant Day, Burlington The branch participated in the day set aside 5. Isaac Corman Plaquing for Grades 7 and 8 public schools to attend Ceremony the Re-enactment of the War of 1812, Battle 6. Magna Carta 2015 of Stoney Creek. Our new exhibit board We try to involve many new members in these was on display that depicts UEL history and The Story of Us activities. We feel outreach is a good start for branch activities. Two tables of artifacts, new members to take part in the Branch, as Davis Home from our in-school presentations, were set they meet others, become familiar with up for viewing and interaction. Schools 7. Bois Blanc Island Loyalist history as well as sharing their and their teachers visited Battlefield Park Blockhouse knowledge and enthusiasm with the public. from as far away as Niagara and Mississauga. There were approximately 8 Trip to Pelee Island 1,400 students. Bev Corsini, Frank Rupert, Honouring Queen Marty and Jeannette Fitzpatrick and Ann Elizabeth II’s Reign Redish from the Kingston Branch helped me with the display. 9. Books 10. Dominion Conference For three weeks in June, our Branch UEL 2016 street banner (40 ft. vinyl) was displayed over the main street in Dundas, Ontario: all 11. Events who drove under could view it. It is a good advertisement for our Loyalist Day ceremony. The main purpose is to have this banner flying on June 19th, Loyalists’ Day in Ontario. Gloria Howard & Anne Young at Joseph Brant Day, Burlington 2 The Hamilton Loyalist Volume XIV #3 November 2015 3 June 19th. The Branch held its Loyalists’ August 3rd. Each year our Hamilton Day ceremony at the Hamilton Art Gallery Branch has an outreach activity for Joseph The Stephen Secord and with local politicians, historical society Brant Day, held at LaSalle Park, in Hannah DeForest Family executive and City of Hamilton officials Burlington. The exhibit was set up on the being present. The Gallery holds the stage area of the Pavilion and visited by maquette of the Loyalist Monument and numerous people. The children enjoyed By Mitchell Leitch UE we were privileged to have this small playing with wooden toys resembling Our Ancestors statue on view for our ceremony. Our those from years ago. Stephen SECORD (1757-1808) was born in event was advertised in the local newspa- Pat Blackburn at Battlefield Park New Rochelle, Westchester County, New pers and anyone could attend. There were August 3rd is also George Hamilton Day, with visiting students York, USA, son of James Secord and Madelaine BADEAU. The Secord family approximately 50 attendees to hear Robin namesake of Hamilton Ontario and Simcoe granted the family 1,900 acres was living in the Susquehanna Valley of McKee, local historian, give his well- ancestor of one of the Hamilton Branch Our Fall session is just beginning and I between 1797 and 1809. In 1793 James would like to extend a welcome to our Pennsylvania when the American Revolu- had petitioned for land as a Loyalist. He researched and interesting address for the members, David Ricketts UE. Each year tion broke out in 1775. Stephen was serving day. the Committee selects a well-known regular members and hope that this received 400 acres and 200 for each child newsletter reaches any others who would in the Indian Department and was only 20 Hamiltonian. This year it was Rapid Ray years old when he joined the volunteer and 200 acres for a William Stewart who July 26th was the date for our Branch Lewis who has a PanAm connection for like to be involved with UELAC. The may have been James’ grandson. Later, speakers are very informative. There is not group known as Butler’s Rangers, led by picnic. The place selected this year was Hamilton. The ceremony was held at the Colonel John Butler. By the time the war William Stewart forfeited his land for a meeting that someone does not tell me Crawford Lake Conservation Area where Canadian Football Hall of Fame. ended, Stephen had become a Sergeant. fighting on the American side during the Iroquoian (Haudenosaunee) longhouses they really enjoyed listening to the speaker. War of 1812. were reconstructed on their original The summer ended with a plaquing His mother, Madelaine, traveled the 350 locations. It was a beautiful day, ending ceremony in Milton, Ontario. I will let Come out and socialize at the Christmas miles from Northern Pennsylvania to When the War of 1812 broke out James son, with a pot luck supper in the Interpretation Doug Coppins outline the day. Luncheon on December 5th. A full turkey Montreal, Quebec with a group of other Enoch served with the Royal Artillery on dinner is on the menu and “pies”. Loyalist women and children to save her Donald Stewart with certificates Centre. I offer a special thank you to for grandchildren Bradley, Katie, the British side. He died in 1813 of everyone who attended. own life as well as that of her younger Amanda & Christine Stewart disease. At the end of the war, James’ son children who were not fighting in the war. Benjamin took up residence on his land One of those children was Stephen’s grant. The 1828, the census of Rainham, younger brother, James, who would marry Loyalist James Stewart UEL Haldimand County, showed Enoch’s son, an INGERSOLL girl named Laura who by Descendant Donald Stewart UE Loyalist Burial Plaquing became known as Laura Secord. Stephen Mayor Gordon Krantz, Town of Milton eventually reunited with his family in James Milton Vernon Stewart was born in Committee Report representative Mike Dunstall & his wife, Refreshments were served by Sharon Montreal when his regiment was disbanded. various descendants of Abraham DeForest , Coppins UE and Marilyn Hardsand UE. It was here that he met his wife, Hannah Alva Clackmannanshire, Scotland in Thomas Davis - UEL 1726. He came to New Jersey as a young Doug Coppins UE & members of Milton Historical Society and Pictures were taken. DeFOREST (1767-1841), whose father had by Sharon Clement UE, Castlegar, B.C. other historical societies. The MPP for also fought, and died, in the Revolutionary boy before the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Sharon Coppins UE Halton, Indira Naidoo-Harris sent greet- War. As families were reunited, settlement His wife was born and raised along the The Davis family was originally from ings, as she could not attend. There had to began in the new country – the Secords Susquehanna River area of New York. W ales. It is believed that Thomas Davis Sr, be at least 30 members of the DeForest pioneered in the Niagara District, later to The couple settled on a small farm in born circa 1708 had two daughters and five family in attendance. become Ontario. Stephen drew Lots 41, 48 Westfield, New Jersey about seven miles sons. Their one son, Robert was my and 49 in No. 1 Township. In 1797, he was west of Elizabethtown in Essex County, ancestor and fourth great grandfather. He Ruth Nicholson UE, opened our ceremony granted an additional 100 acres to complete New York. was born about 1735 in Baltimore, with the Royal Anthem. The plaque was his military allotment of land. Maryland. In 1757 Robert married Jane unveiled by Doug Coppins UE. Colin In 1772, due to the early hostilities with Latta in New Castle, Delaware. Morley UE read the Loyalist Prayer. In peacetime, Stephen Secord was a miller. the British, the family moved to a small His job of grinding the locally grown wheat farm in Minisink, Orange County, New During the American Revolution Robert would help to feed the men at the British fort York. James and his son Joseph signed the Sandra DeForest, who is the wife of a DeForest Cemetery Descendants and his brothers John and William fought in the area, Fort George, as well as feed the Pledge of Allegiance to the American DeForest descendant, told the DeForest rapidly growing settlement. In 1783, he was with the British Legion which was also On a sunny Saturday August 29, 2015 at story. Pat Blackburn UE, President of Rebels in Goshen. Joseph had three tours known as the 5th American Regiment. The elected to be an Overseer of Highway and of duty in the Rebel army in southern New 2pm, the Loyalist Burial Plaquing Hamilton Branch, noted various DeForest Fence Viewers for Newark Township. October to December 1781 Muster Roll of Committee of the Hamilton Branch of the descendants in the crowd. In closing, Rev. York. James remained at the farm in Captain Jacob James's Troop of Hussars of Minisink until Governor James Graves UELAC unveiled their eleventh plaque at Shawn Croll, Milton, gave us a prayer.