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What happened to Torys after the Revolution


Alpo

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I've read where some in the northern part of the country moved to Canada. But I'm thinking about someone from North Carolina. Going to Canada to be where other lovers of King George lived seems like a long trip. Just wondered if they hanged them, flogged them, jailed them, or what.

 

I have a family history it says that we owned a huge plantation near Albemarle Sound North Carolina. It also says that they have no records of what great great however many greats Grandpa did during the revolution, but they are sure :rolleyes: he was a patriot. (Doncha just love a history where they don't know what happened, so they give their opinion of what happened?)

 

I know that after the revolution my family was poor dirt farmers. Kinda makes me wonder if he was a Tory, and they confiscated his land.

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Alpo, I read this article a while back. It matches some of what you said.

https://www.npr.org/2015/07/03/419824333/what-happened-to-british-loyalists-after-the-revolutionary-war

 

In regards to “family opinions” I heard from my Dad and other members of our family how we are Scots-Irish and Cherokee Indian. I never put much stock in it as my Dad was adopted and long story short did get to spend time with his birth family as a kid and I got to meet my uncle (my Dad’s blood brother). They both had darker skin so the story that my Dad was part Cherokee seemed plausible. The percentage of Cherokee blood went up as the beer flowed or how much they were trying impress someone. 

 

Recently my daughter did a DNA test. She hasn’t got any detectable Cherokee or any other native blood. Which is what I have suspected all along.

 

My wife and I are going to do DNA tests as well.

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7 hours ago, Alpo said:

I've read where some in the northern part of the country moved to Canada. But I'm thinking about someone from North Carolina. Going to Canada to be where other lovers of King George lived seems like a long trip. Just wondered if they hanged them, flogged them, jailed them, or what.

 

I have a family history it says that we owned a huge plantation near Albemarle Sound North Carolina. It also says that they have no records of what great great however many greats Grandpa did during the revolution, but they are sure :rolleyes: he was a patriot. (Doncha just love a history where they don't know what happened, so they give their opinion of what happened?)

 

I know that after the revolution my family was poor dirt farmers. Kinda makes me wonder if he was a Tory, and they confiscated his land.

 

It is hard to say. Many on the side of the patriot cause lost fortunes, for a variety of reasons. From having their lands destroyed by the British and loyalist militias, to offering them up to the cause of the Revolution, there were plenty of ways to lose a plantation. As I recall, many of the more outspoken and militant loyalists went back to England, North to Canada, or West to Louisiana and points west, fearing for their lives. Remember, a large number of the battles in the South were fought largely between patriot and loyalist militias. King's Mountain comes to mind. As an aside, it is where one of my ancestors appears to have fought, on the patriot side.

 

6 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Alpo, I read this article a while back. It matches some of what you said.

https://www.npr.org/2015/07/03/419824333/what-happened-to-british-loyalists-after-the-revolutionary-war

 

In regards to “family opinions” I heard from my Dad and other members of our family how we are Scots-Irish and Cherokee Indian. I never put much stock in it as my Dad was adopted and long story short did get to spend time with his birth family as a kid and I got to meet my uncle (my Dad’s blood brother). They both had darker skin so the story that my Dad was part Cherokee seemed plausible. The percentage of Cherokee blood went up as the beer flowed or how much they were trying impress someone. 

 

Recently my daughter did a DNA test. She hasn’t got any detectable Cherokee or any other native blood. Which is what I have suspected all along.

 

My wife and I are going to do DNA tests as well.

 

My sister paid for me to do one sometime back. I know from several genealogies that on my father's side we go back to County Donegal, coming to the colonies in the mid-1700s. On my mom's side, we had family lore of much the same thing as you, and if you were to look at pictures of my mother and her full siblings, you would be likely to believe it. As an adult, I also began questioning, and sure enough, no Native American blood. Lots of DNA that makes plenty of sense otherwise, though, including Scotland/Ireland, England, a bit of Scandinavian and Western Europe, and a bit of Finnish, of all things.

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My family settled in the Carolinas around 1640, but my branch of the family tree, moved steadily north over the decades.

(Last year, in South Carolina, we stayed overnight in a town bearing our family name.)

As Tories, after the insurrection against their lawful King, some of my branch of the family left northern Pennsylvania and southern New York for the friendlier climate of Upper Canada, where they were granted land to homestead and the right to append U.E. after their name, indicating they were United Empire loyalists.

Now, when I look at phone books in Penn. and NY, I see pages with my family name, so I guess the majority stayed behind,

Now, where do I file my land claim? 

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2 hours ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

Now, where do I file my land claim

In New York? I would stay in Canada.

In Pennsylvania? I was born a partly raised there. Lots of nice folks if you stay away from what I call “The city of contradiction” - Philadelphia. 

2 hours ago, DocWard said:

My sister paid for me to do one sometime back. 

My daughter bought us DNA kits for Christmas. We plan to do them this week, now that our move is over...and I know where they are now. ;)

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9 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Recently my daughter did a DNA test. She hasn’t got any detectable Cherokee or any other native blood.

Look at the bright side, she can still be a Senator and run for President.

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I am a United Empire Loyalist. That's a descendant of a Tory. My Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather fought with Colonel John Butler's Rangers. His son was a drummer boy with the King's Royal Regiment of New York. Other relatives were Patriots and a few were on the Mayflower. After almost 300 years, most of us American mongrels are a really mixed up lot!!!   :D.

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My family hit these shores about the same time as Cold Lake Kid's. Part of the Scottish "rabble" brought in to settle between the English and the Native tribes. From there they went to Virginia, and were there until after the War Between The States. Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, and finally, California:blush:

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10 hours ago, DocWard said:

Many on the side of the patriot cause lost fortunes, for a variety of reasons. From having their lands destroyed by the British and loyalist militias, to offering them up to the cause of the Revolution, there were plenty of ways to lose a plantation

That's something I hadn't considered.

 

It makes more sense also. Apparently GGGG Grandpa Aaron (1760-1814) was friends with George Washington. Friends enough that in 1795 Washington assisted him in a masonic installation in Edenton NC.

 

I wondered why the General of the army, and President of the country, would be friendly with a Tory.

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On 2/26/2019 at 6:35 AM, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

As Tories, after the insurrection against their lawful King, some of my branch of the family left northern Pennsylvania and southern New York for the friendlier climate of Upper Canada, where they were granted land to homestead and the right to append U.E. after their name, indicating they were United Empire loyalists.

Now, when I look at phone books in Penn. and NY, I see pages with my family name, so I guess the majority stayed behind,

Now, where do I file my land claim? 

 

What does that mean?  So if it was Bob Smith, he'd be Bob Smith U.E.?  Or would it be Bob Smithue?  What about his son, Bob Smith Jr, or grandson Bob Smith III?  Did all of the decendents keep the UE? 

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3 minutes ago, Ramblin Gambler said:

 

What does that mean?  So if it was Bob Smith, he'd be Bob Smith U.E.?  Or would it be Bob Smithue?  What about his son, Bob Smith Jr, or grandson Bob Smith III?  Did all of the decendents keep the UE? 

The brits love initials after their names.  Robert Smith UE.  Robert because we get more formal when we have initials.  I don’t think descendants carry it on.

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21 hours ago, Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129 said:

They Became Democrats !!!!

Or moved to Canada and Became Liberals !!!

 

Jabez Cowboy

Actually, the Loyalists were the conservatives.  Washington and the others were, um, whatever the opposite of conservative might be.

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10 hours ago, Ramblin Gambler said:

 

What does that mean?  So if it was Bob Smith, he'd be Bob Smith U.E.?  Or would it be Bob Smithue?  What about his son, Bob Smith Jr, or grandson Bob Smith III?  Did all of the decendents keep the UE? 

 

The award was in perpetuity but it has fallen out of use and very few use it, except in relation to history and dealing with commemoration events.

In so far as orders, decorations and gallantry awards etc the initials are appended to the person's name.

 

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