Who is your Loyalist ancestor?

Introduce yourself and share a bit about your Loyalist ancestor.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kathryn Lake Hogan on July 9, 2009 at 2:23pm

Greetings! I'm Kathryn Lake. I have been researching my Loyalist ancestor, John Ryckman for the past seven years. John Ryckman was born in 1730 in Schenectady, New York to Johannes Ryckman and Maria Van Slyke. John was married to Eunice Ward in 1754. Together they had ten children:
Maria (Polly); John - served as a Lieutenant in the Indian Dept. during the Revolutionary War; Rachel, Cornelius (died in infancy), Cornelius, Albert (my 5th great-grandfather), Sarah, Harmanus, Clara, Samuel.

Unfortunately, I don't know in what capacity John served during the war. I have heard that he had spent time in Fishkill Gaol,and that he lost all of his property to the Rebels. He was in Upper Canada only a short time before his death in 1794 or 1795.
His son Albert petitioned for land as SUE - son of United Empire Loyalist.

I am continuing to work on my Loyalist certificate application.

Permalink Reply by Earline Hines Bradt on July 9, 2009 at 4:07pm

My Loyalist ancestors, Joseph Haines, Sr. and Nathaniel Haines were privates in the Butler's Rangers. They were German, from Johnstown, Tryon County. My Loyalist Doan ancestors came from Bucks County, Pa, they were Quakers. My greatgrandfather, born John Haines, in Niagara, married Harriet Doan, from Welland and changed the ssurname to Hines. My husband's Loyalist Bradt ancestors came from the Mohawk Valley and fought in the Butler's Rangers,most of them ranking officers.They all settled in the Niagara region.

I just applied for membership in the Bicentennial Branch of the UELAC. I wood like to get my certification also.

Permalink Reply by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on July 9, 2009 at 5:01pm

I am a Bradt descendant too. My Bradt "cousins" were in Butler's Rangers, in fact my Isaac Van Valkenburg aka Vollick, Loyalist in Butler's Rangers, was the son of Maria Bradt.

Permalink Reply by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on July 9, 2009 at 5:06pm

I also have Ryckman ancestry but mine daughtered out with Grietje Ryckman who married Jacques Van Slyke in New York in the mid 1600s. I did quite a bit of research in Butler's Rangers soldiers some years ago and discovered that almost all of them were related to each other in some way. Many of BR Rangers were recruited from the same small area of New York so it makes sense that they were often related.

That is unfortunate about your Ryckman's untimely death as he likely did not apply for land as UEL. Did his wife ever apply? My Vollick family all applied and in his wife's petition is a letter from his commanding officer detailing her experiences at the hands of the rebels. His service is also outlined in a letter from his commanding officer and that has been very helpful.

Permalink Reply by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on July 9, 2009 at 5:08pm

My Loyalist ancestors fought in Butler's Rangers, which disbanded and settled near Niagara Ontario after the Revolution. Happy to share info with others, I have access to some Butler's Rangers resources.

My Loyalist ancestors names were LARROWAY, VAN VALKENBURG & VOLLICK aka FOLLICK

Permalink Reply by Nora Kathleen Dignan Lippa on July 8, 2010 at 11:21am

Hi Lorine...Wow, it's a year later that I'm reading your message, But I just had to write immediately because I, too, have the Ryckman ancestry that daughtered out with Grietje Ryckman who married Jacques Van Slyck (sp?)!
Their daughter, Lydia van Slyck married my ancestor, Isaac Van Valkenberg.
Can you help me verify my UEL standing?
I've purchased the book "Butler's Rangers" by E. Cruikshank, and see that Isaac Vallick and Strum Vallick are mentioned. Apparently, the Van Valkenbergs changed the spelling of their name to hide the fact they were Loyalists. Any help you can give me will be more than appreciated. By for now long-lost cousin!
Nora Lippa

Permalink Reply by Jo-Anne (Wheeler) Richards on October 26, 2010 at 9:49pm

Hi Nora...This is my line, too. Lydia and Isaac had daughter Eva, married Jochem Van Alstyne. Their son Harmanus (UEL) and wife Anna had daughter Elizabeth, she married Dirk (Richard) Slingerland (UEL). I believe Dirk's father Teunis Anthony was also an UEL. I've found documentation (online) showing Dirk's daughter Mary (wife of James Wheeler) receiving 200 acres as daughter of a loyalist

I'd love to verify my UEL standing, as well

Bye cousin

Jo-Anne (Wheeler) Richards

Permalink Reply by Randy C on July 9, 2009 at 5:13pm

My Loyalist ancestor is Joseph Pringle, one of Joel Prindle's 5 sons, the other four were Joel, Timothy, Doctor and William. the 6 of them joined the King's Rangers and fought in the Saratoga campaign. Joseph was born 17 May 1754 in Skeensboro, New York (present day Whitehall, NY) to Joel and Deborah Bigelow.

The rebels in Skeensboro took everything that the families had and they all ended up in the Fredricksburg - Napanee area, including a sister Lois Prindle and her husband John Dafoe (I believe that they were married in Upper Canada)

Joseph and his wife Mary Springsteen had 7 children, six of them boys. Joseph and his six sons all fought the Americans again in the War of 1812.

Permalink Reply by John Newmark on July 9, 2009 at 10:42pm

My loyalist ancestors served in Butler's Rangers:

David Van Every
McGregor Van Every
Michael Showers

The Showers and Van Every families settled in Niagara.

Permalink Reply by Randy C on July 10, 2009 at 4:11pm

Lorine McGinnis Schulze said:

My Vollick family all applied and in his wife's petition is a letter from his commanding officer detailing her experiences at the hands of the rebels. .

Have you ever posted that letter anywhere? I would love to read it, I'm always looking for rebel stories for my relatives. When I tell them that we are descended from a loyalist, they are aghast, since they have all been conditioned from birth in American schools,

Permalink Reply by Cori Leigh Landry on July 10, 2009 at 4:14pm

My loyalists ancestors consist of the Belyea's, Austin's , Corey's, Clark's in New Brunswick.

Permalink Reply by Debbie Burr on July 10, 2009 at 9:09pm

My husband's Loyalist ancestors were
Frederick Post: Col Bayard's Regt. of the King's Orange Rangers
Elisha Alger: a Quaker who did not fight but was a courier for the British
John Blackburn: served as a volunteer and a soldier in several regiments
John Merritt: was in the King's American Regiment and settled in Digby NS. Can't prove definitively that Gilbert Merritt, my husbands ancestor who came to Ontario, was his son, but most records would indicate that
Thomas Westcott: from the well known Westcott family from Rhode Island. Was loyal to the British and settled in NS but did not petition as a loyalist.