I Have My UE Certificate, Now What?
(by Lorraine Sherren)

December 3, 2016

You have worked hard to prove your descent from a Loyalist. When you attend our meetings, you can proudly wear your name badge showing the name of your Loyalist ancestor(s) for all to see. Maybe someone else at the meeting is also pursuing their certificate from that ancestor. You have just found a new relation! We also have ‘UE’ pins for sale that you can proudly wear on your lapel.

This certificate also gives you the right to use the post-nominal “UE” after your name. As mentioned by Peter Newman at his book launch, I quote from Nancy Cutway’s write-up: “the post-nominal designation of ‘UE’ is the only honour granted in Canada which can be passed down through the generations, and that all those who have proved their descent from a Loyalist should write it proudly after their name.” For those of you who already have post-nominals (university degrees, etc.), there is a specific order in which they should be displayed. They are grouped into eight categories and, interestingly, the ‘UE’ is listed in the 3rd group, ahead of your university degrees. There are several sites on the web detailing the list. The most concise one I found can be located at: http://toronto.heraldry.ca/misc/glossary.htm

Under the heading “Post-Nominals and Forms of Address” it states, and I quote:

In formal correspondence, the sequence of post-nominal letters used after a name have a specific order of precedence. The letters are grouped into several categories, and are then organized into precedence within each category. The categories, in order, follow immediately after “Bt” or “Bart” (for Baronets) or “Esq” (for untitled gentlemen), if applicable, and are as follows:

1. Orders and decorations conferred by the Crown (see below)

(a) National Orders

(b) Provincial Orders

(c) Decorations

2. Appointments in the following order: Privy Counsellor, Aide de Camp to The Queen (or to the Governor General or to the Lieutenant Governor), Honorary Physician to The Queen, Honorary Surgeon to The Queen, Honorary Dental Surgeon to The Queen, Honorary Nursing Sister to The Queen and Honorary Chaplain to The Queen: PC, ADC (or AdeC), QHP, QHDS, QHNS and QHC.

3. Queen’s Counsel, Justice of the Peace, Deputy Lieutenant and (in Canada) Unity of Empire (for member of the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada): QC, JP, DL and UE.

4. University degrees.

5. (a) Religious Orders

(b) Medical Qualifications

6. (a) Fellowships of learned societies

(b) Royal Academicians and Associates

(c) Fellowships, memberships, etc. of professional institutions, associations, etc.

(d) Writers to the Signet: WS.

7. Members of Parliament, Members of Provincial Parliament, Members of the National Assembly (Québec) and Members of Legislative Assemblies: MP, MPP, MNA and MLA.

8. Membership of one of the Armed Forces or Corps (e.g. Royal Navy: RN, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps: RCAC).

Note: I have highlighted the ‘UE’ for effect.

To give you an example, our Branch President, Peter Milliken, who was for a long time Speaker of the House in our House of Commons, writes his name: The Hon. Peter Milliken UE, BA, LLG, MA(OXON), LLD, MP.

I invite you to use your post-nominal ‘UE’ when writing your name. Spread the word on how proud you are to be a descendant of a United Empire Loyalist.