Die Bekanntmachung von Lord Dorchester, 1789

Lord Dorchster's Proclamation

At the Council Chamber at Quebec, Monday 9th . November 1789. Present, His Excellency the Right Honble. LORD DORCHESTER. The Honble. WILLIAM SMITH, Esquire, Chief Justice. HUGH FINLAY, ) GEORGE POWNALL, ) THOS. DUNN, ) HENRY CALDWELL ) EDWD. HARRISON, ) WILLIAM GRANT, ) JOHN COLLINS, ) FRANCOIS BABY, ) Esquires. ADAM MABANE, ) CHARLES DE LANAUDIERE, ) J.G.C. DELERY, ) LE CTE. DUPRE', ) His Lordship intimated to the Council, that it remained a Question, upon the late Regulation 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 Lordfhip, 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 (sic) of the Province, as proper Objects, by their preserving 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 shall satisfactorily appear, the 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. 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."

Nachweis:

United Loyalists' of Canada Association
http://www.uelac.org/PDF/ldp.pdf

Quellenbeschreibung

Der damalige hauptverantwortliche Gouverneur der Provinzen Quebec, Nova Scotia und New Brunswick, Lord Dorchester, erließ im November 1789, dass die Söhne und Töchter der loyalistischen Familien mit Eintritt in das Erwachsenenalter 200 acres Land erhalten sollten. Die sogenannten Loyalists hatten sich Großbritannien gegenüber während des Krieges gegen die 13 abtrünnigen amerikanischen Kolonien loyal gezeigt und auch auf Seiten der Briten gedient. Die Landschenkungen als auch die Erlaubnis, dass Loyalists die Abkürzung U.E. (Unity of Empire) tragen durften, begründeten eine bis heute andauernde Tradition von Loyalists in Kanada.