Thank you for registering for the online course, Researching Loyalist Ancestors!
Not all our early American ancestors were patriots fighting for independence. Approximately one third of the population in the American colonies at the time were loyal to the Crown, with tens of thousands leaving their homes and taking up residence in Canada’s eastern provinces or England. You can piece together your ancestor’s movements and motivations using several resources. This three-week course will provide you with the historical context, records, and research strategies for identifying and learning more about your loyalist ancestors.
This course includes three 90-minute classes and exclusive access to handouts, slides, and other materials.
COURSE HANDOUTS
CLASS TOPICS
Class 1: History and Context
Presented by: Sheilagh Doerfler
Leading up to and during the American Revolution nearly 50,000 loyal-to-the-Crown colonists fled their homes. This first class discusses how to identify likely loyalists in your family tree, provide a historical timeline of events that drove many colonists from their homes, and describe their resulting actions.
Class 2: Finding Loyalists in US Records
Presented by: David Allen Lambert
Muster rolls, town records, land records, histories, and other records, can provide a great deal of information about your loyalist ancestors. This second class reviews many U.S. records and published resources that can get you started on your research.
Class 3: Finding Loyalists in Canadian and Other British Empire Records
Presented by: Melanie McComb
Many loyalists fled to areas firmly under British control including New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. Still others crossed the Atlantic to the Mother Country, England. Some would stay for the duration of the war and eventually return to the U.S.; others would put down roots and stay for generations. This third class discusses the many resources available for learning about your ancestor’s lives in Canada, England, and other areas of the British Empire.
RECORDED PRESENTATIONS
Live Broadcast: May 4, 2022
Presented by: Sheilagh Doerfler
Running Time: 1:35.55
Class 2: Finding Loyalists in U.S. Records
Live Broadcast: May 11, 2022
Presented by: David Allen Lambert
Running Time: 1:40:26
Class 3: Finding Loyalists in Canadian and Other British Empire Records
Live Broadcast: May 18, 2022
Presented by: Melanie McComb
Running Time: 1:26:27
INSTRUCTOR BIOS
Sheilagh Doerfler, Genealogist joined American Ancestors as a member of the Research Services team in 2013. She received her B.A. in History and Communication from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Sheilagh is a frequent contributor to American Ancestors magazine and the American Ancestors blog, Vita-Brevis. Her areas of expertise include: DNA, adoption, New England, New Netherland, Ireland, Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Norway, and Sweden.
David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist has been on the staff of American Ancestors since 1993 and is the organization’s Chief Genealogist. David is an internationally recognized speaker on the topics of genealogy and history. His genealogical expertise includes New England and Atlantic Canadian records of the 17th through 21st century; military records; DNA research; and Native American and African American genealogical research in New England. Lambert has published many articles in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, the New Hampshire Genealogical Record, Rhode Island Roots, The Mayflower Descendant, and American Ancestorsmagazine. He has also published A Guide to Massachusetts Cemeteries (American Ancestors, 2019). David is an elected Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston, Mass., and a life member of the New Hampshire Society of the Cincinnati. He is also the tribal genealogist for the Massachuset-Punkapoag Indians of Massachusetts.
Melanie McComb, Genealogist assists library visitors, both on-site and online, with their family history research. She also provides lectures on a variety of genealogical topics. Melanie holds a bachelor of science degree from the State University of New York at Oswego. Her areas of research interest include Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Kansas, Prince Edward Island, Québec, and Ireland, and she is experienced in DNA, genealogical technology and social media, Jewish genealogy, and military records.