History of the Kingston & District Branch of UELAC

Kingston Branch received its initial Charter more than ninety years ago on October 13th, 1932, under Branch President Major Archibald Cameron. Perhaps due to the depression years, interest declined and the Branch become inactive in 1937. Forty years later, mainly due to the perseverance and determination of Dr. H. C. Burleigh and Mr. Charles Young, several information meetings were held and interest renewed in forming a new branch to be known as the Kingston and District Branch. The following pro tem officers were elected: President, Charles F. Young; Secretary, Hilda Jackson; Treasurer, Helen Stagg; Genealogist, Dr. H.C. Burleigh. On November 4, 1978, Mr. E.J. Chard, Dominion Secretary, presented a motion, along with an application to reactivate the charter, to Dominion Council, “to establish a branch of the United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada in an area abounding in Loyalist traditions and descendants”. Seconded by Mr. Richard Daverne, then President of the Bay of Quinte Branch, the motion received unanimous approval.

On Saturday, October 20, 1979, the Branch charter was officially presented by Dominion President, Mr. John Aikman, to Kingston and District Branch President Mr. David Cory, at a luncheon held in the Confederation Room of the Howard Johnson Hotel in Kingston with eighty-seven people in attendance. Special guests were the Honourable Flora MacDonald, Minister of External Affairs; Kingston’s M.P.P. the Honourable Keith Norton and Mr. Donald Brant, Chief of the Mohawk Indian Reserve. Other prominent guests were Mr. E.J. Chard, of Dominion Headquarters; Miss Susan Hogan, President of the Bay of Quinte Branch. Dr. H.C. Burleigh, Honorary life member of the UELAC; Mrs. Evelyn Drew, a Past Dominion President, Mrs. Gwen Smith, third Vice-President.

Officers of the 1980 Branch Executive were President, David Cory, VP Gordon Orser, Secretary, John Buck, Treasurer, Audrey Bailey, Genealogists, Clarence Hogeboom and June Newman and Archivist, Bolton Slack. With only 40 members, and many of these from out-of-town, attendance at the first Branch meetings in St. Margaret’s United Church Hall was scanty. However, membership increased steadily, reaching its zenith of 170 in 1984, the Bicentennial Year. Since January 1983, meetings have taken place in St. Paul’s Anglican Church Hall in downtown Kingston, a most appropriate venue as it is surrounded by the Lower Burial Ground where Molly Brant, the Stuart family and many of the area’s first Loyalists are buried. Our membership currently stands at 110. Four afternoon meetings are held from September to March followed by the annual banquet and guest speaker in May or June. Sometimes the Branch meetings begin with a pot-luck lunch in the church hall or by gathering at a local restaurant.

The following members have served on Dominion Council: Audrey Bailey as a Regional Councilor, 1985-86; Terry Hicks was a Regional Representative in 1998; and Barbara Bradfield as Dominion Secretary in 1990. The current executive are President Peter Milliken, Past-President Dean Taylor, Treasurer Gerald Roney, Secretary Anne Redish, Genealogist Eva Wirth, Newsletter and Programming Coordinator Carol Davy, Webmaster and Publicity Manager Nancy Cutway, House Manager Jim Long, Hospitality Clara Snook and Acting Membership Chairperson Doris Wemp.

The May 30 to June 3, 1984 Dominion Conference was co-hosted by the young Kingston Branch and the Bay of Quinte Branch. During this time, some 400 attendees registered from as far away as England and Ireland, the USA, British Columbia and the Maritimes”. Events included re-enactors’ encampment display at City Park and a Historic Costume Ball at Grant Hall, Queen’s University. The 1998 Conference, hosted by Kingston, featured a reception at Memorial Hall with 18th C. music, followed by the surprise presentation to Mayor Gary Bennet of his U.E. Certificate, proving his lineage to Martin Staley. Another highlight was a regional bus tour visiting sites from Fort Henry to Adolphustown.

The Branch has attempted to provide a variety of interesting and instructive programs which would appeal to all age groups, provide help and incentive for family research and promote knowledge of Loyalist history. Some meetings have focused solely on genealogical research and the use of the extensive holdings of the Branch Library

housed in St. Paul’s Church Hall. Thanks to the untiring efforts of John Chard and John Buck, the books and other materials have all been catalogued and are available to members before and after all meetings. In addition to the books and reference materials pertaining to Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, library holdings include census, church, cemetery and military records, maps, family genealogies and books of historical fiction for young and old.

The Branch has recognized from the beginning the importance of the branch newsletter in maintaining membership. Thanks to Jack Rogers, who in the early days of the branch, chose the title and put the first issue together single-handedly, and to a succession of committed Editors, our “Cataraqui Town Crier” remains an effective way to include out-of-town members in Branch activities.

Since inception, the Branch has initiated and supported many projects which advance the knowledge of Loyalist history. In 1993, Chris Graham, Branch president, unveiled a Loyalist plaque at Cataraqui United Church cemetery, the burial site of many early Loyalist settlers. In September 1984 when Queen Elizabeth ll visited Canada, she officiated at the dedication of the Loyalist Parkway Elizabeth Gates near the Loyalist Fairfield house and Branch members received invitations to this event. In 1995, observing the gate area in disarray, branch members Terry Hicks, Peggy Cohoe and Alice Hogeboom, under the guidance of horticulturalist Harold Riley, facilitated the establishment of gardens at the gates. Our assistance continues with funding to the Collins Bay Horticultural Society for their upkeep.

Numerous projects in the late 1990’s increased the visibility of Loyalist History in the area. In 1996 members Gerry Roney and Terry Hicks addressed Kingston City Council, about the need for city recognition of its Loyalist heritage resulting in the city proclaiming June 12 as Loyalist Day. Each year since then, the Loyalist flag has been raised on the city flagpole by City and Branch officials, with representation from local educational institutions and a Fort Henry Duty Band. In 1996, following a campaign at Queens Park led by Terry Hicks, the Minister of Transportation, Al Palladini, ordered the placement of Loyalist flags on each side of the Adolphustown – Glenora ferry. During the extremely successful Conference ’98, bus tour participants attended the unveiling of two Loyalist Historic plaques, one by Kingston president Carol Davy on the Adolphustown side and one by Bay of Quinte president Bill Daverne, on the Glenora side. In 2000, the work of Terry Hicks culminated in the recognition of Kingston as the first capital of Upper Canada, 1841 – 1844, by the City of Kingston, as well as by the Ontario and Canadian legislature, proclaiming June 15 as First Capital Day.

The branch has contributed financially to projects including the stained glass window at St. Alban the Martyr Church at Adolphustown, prizes for Regional Heritage Fair participants, donations of many Loyalist flags to sites such as the Genealogy Room at the downtown public library, the Stuart Room at St. Georges Cathedral, the Marine Museum (site of the first Loyalist landing) and St. Paul’s Anglican Church. In 2009 the branch declared financial support for the Lower Burial Restoration Society which was initiating restoration of the graveyard at St. Paul’s Anglican Church. The first recorded burials there were in 1784, and later included many Loyalists. Branch member Lynn Bell is on the Advisory Committee and to date the project has restored the Forsythe gravestone, the oldest stone extant; the Stuart lair and has rebuilt the perimeter stone wall dating to 1799-1800. The Branch greatly appreciates support for projects from the City of Kingston, First Capital Canada Committee and the Ontario Heritage Grants.

In 2009, the branch published “The Old Stones: A Walking Tour”, a brochure about historic properties in downtown Kingston featuring Philip Smart’s wonderful illustrations. A branch publicity brochure was printed in 2005. “The 1851 Census of Kingston Township”, was transcribed by John Buck and published by the Branch. Individual members who have been published on Loyalist themes include Dr. Earle Thomas, author of biographies of Molly Brant, Sir John Johnson and a history of Ingraham Family; Russ Waller, who published the genealogies of several local Loyalists; Alice E Hogeboom, “Bygone Days and Bygone Ways”; and Helen R Campbell, “From Chalk Dust to Hayseed”.

Since 1979 the success of the Kingston and District Branch owes much to a succession of dedicated individuals who have offered strong leadership through the office of President and by serving on the Executive Committees. However, it is appropriate to mention two persons in particular: Dr. H.C. Burleigh, who was indefatigable in his efforts to establish the Branch, and Mr. John Chard, who from the beginning, never ceased to work tirelessly, anonymously and unobtrusively in support of the Branch.

A detailed history of the Kingston & District Branch from 1979-2016 can be viewed in this PDF document published at UELAC.ca.