Lord Dorchester' Proclamation

 At the Council Chamber at Quebec,

 Monday, 9^th November 1789­

 Present,

 His Excellency the Right Honourable, LORD DORCHESTER.

 The Hon’ble WILLIAM SMITH, Esquire, Chief Justice.

 HUGH FINLAY,                      GEORGE POWNALL,

 THOS. DUNN,                        HENRY CALDWELL, 

 EDWD. HARRISON,               WILLIAM GRANT,

 JOHN COLLINS,                    FRANCOIS BABY,

 ADAM MABANE,                    CHARLES LANAUDIERE

 J. G.C. DELERY,                    LE CTE. DUPRE,

His Lordship intimated to the Council, that it remained a Question, upon the late Regulations for the Disposition of the Waste Lands of the Crown, whether the Boards, constituted for that Purpose, were authorized to make Locations to the Sons of Loyalists, on their coming of full Age and that it was his wish to put a Mark of Honour upon families who had adhered to the Unity of Empire, and joined the Royal Standard in America before the Treaty of Separation in the year 1783.

 The Council concurring with His Lordship, it is accordingly ORDERED,

That the several Land Boards take Course for preserving a Registry of the Names of all Persons, falling under the aforementioned, to the End of their Posterity may be discriminated, from future Settlers, in the Parish Registers and Rolls of the Militia, of their respective Districts, and other Public Remembrancers of the Province, as proper Objects, by their persevering in the Fidelity and Conduct, so honourable to their Ancestors, for distinguished Benefits and Privileges.

And it is also Ordered, that the said Land Boards may, in every such Case, provide not only for the Sons of those Loyalists, as they arrive to Full Age, but for their Daughters also, of that Age, or on their marriage, assigning to each a Lot of Two Hundred Acres, more or less, provided nevertheless that they respectively comply with the general Regulations and that it then satisfactorily appear, that there has been no Default in the due Cultivation and Improvements of the Lands already assigned to the Head of the Family, of which they are Members.

 Quebec                                                            {Signed}  J. Williams C.C  

 Accompanying the resolution to London to be presented to the King was attached a

"Form of militia roll for the western districts to discriminate the families before mentioned" which included the following….  "N. B. Those Loyalists who have adhered to the unity of the Empire, and joined the Royal Standard before the Treaty of Separation in the year 1783, and all their children and their descendants by either sex, are to be distinguished by the following capitals, affixed to their names: U.E.  Alluding to their great principle the unity of the Empire."

Courtesy of

Donald J. Flowers, U.E.

Toronto Branch - UELAC

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