America 250: Loyalists in Your Family Tree: What If Your Ancestor Was on the Other Side?
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, many genealogists are taking a closer look at the ancestors who lived through the American Revolution. Much of the attention naturally falls on Revolutionary War soldiers and Patriot ancestors. But what if your ancestor supported the other side?
Thousands of colonists remained loyal to the British Crown during the Revolution. Some served in Loyalist military units, while others supported the British in different ways. After the war, many lost property, found themselves at odds with neighbors and former friends, or left the new United States altogether, often resettling elsewhere in the British Empire.
For genealogists, these disruptions can leave a surprisingly rich paper trail. Military records, property claims, land records, and records of migration and resettlement can help us follow Loyalist ancestors through the Revolution and piece together what happened to them afterward.
1. Don't Assume Your Ancestor Was a Patriot
If your ancestor lived in the American colonies during the Revolution, don't automatically assume that they supported independence.
As always, start with what you know. Where was your ancestor living between 1775 and 1783? What was happening in that particular colony, county, or community? Do military, court, tax, or land records provide clues about your ancestor's allegiance? Does the family suddenly disappear from local records during or immediately after the war?
Pay particular attention to migration. An ancestor who disappears from New York records in the early 1780s and appears a few years later in Nova Scotia or Upper Canada may be telling you something important.
And as with any genealogical research, place matters. The Revolution was experienced differently from one community to another, and understanding the local history can help explain the choices our ancestors made.
2. What Did It Mean to Be a Loyalist?
"Loyalist" can make it sound as though everyone neatly chose one of two sides. The reality was much more complicated.
Some Loyalists actively fought for Britain in provincial military units. Others supplied troops, carried messages, served as guides, held government positions, or publicly opposed independence. Some had strong political or economic ties to Britain. Religious beliefs, family relationships, local conflicts, business interests, and concerns about political instability could all influence a person's decision.
And not everyone wanted to choose a side. Try to understand an ancestor's decisions within the political, economic, social, and personal circumstances they faced, not through the lens of what happened afterward.
3. Follow Them After the War
If an ancestor disappeared from American records around the time of the Revolution, don't assume that they died. They may have left.
Thousands of Loyalists departed the United States during and after the war. Some relocated to other parts of the British Empire, particularly Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and what later became Ontario. Others went to Britain, the Caribbean, or elsewhere.
Look carefully at when your ancestor disappears from records in one location and appears in another. Research siblings, children, neighbors, witnesses, and other associates as well. Families and communities often migrated together, and an associate's records may reveal information that your direct ancestor's records do not.
You may also encounter the term "United Empire Loyalist," particularly in Canadian sources. But be cautious about assuming that every American who moved to British North America after the Revolution was a Loyalist.
4. Where to Find Loyalist Records
Loyalists left behind some fascinating records. Depending on your ancestor and where they lived, look for:
Loyalist compensation claims. Loyalists who lost property because of their support for Britain could submit claims for compensation. These records may describe land, houses, businesses, possessions, family circumstances, military service, and the events that caused a claimant to leave home.
The Carleton Papers, or British Headquarters Papers. These records document British military headquarters during the final years of the Revolution and include information about Loyalists, soldiers, refugees, evacuations, and others seeking British assistance. https://loyalist.lib.unb.ca/record/british-headquarters-papers-1747-1783
Military records and muster rolls. If your ancestor served with a Loyalist regiment or provincial unit, military records may provide evidence of service and sometimes additional personal information.
Canadian land petitions and grants. Land records can be particularly important for tracing Loyalist families who resettled in what became Canada. Petitions may contain information about military service, family relationships, previous residences, and the circumstances that brought a settler to the area.
Loyalist lists and indexes. Published and archival lists can help identify potential Loyalists, but treat them as clues rather than proof. Whenever possible, track the information back to the original record.
Don't overlook the records you would normally use in genealogical research: land and probate files, court records, church registers, tax lists, newspapers, local histories, and records created by an ancestor's relatives and neighbors.
5. Research Both Sides of the Border
Researching a Loyalist ancestor often requires following the records across modern national boundaries. If a family left New York for Upper Canada, for example, the story may be divided among records held in New York, Canadian provincial archives, Library and Archives Canada, and repositories in Britain.
Some useful starting points include:
Library and Archives Canada. Loyalist records, land petitions, military records, the Carleton Papers, and other collections
Provincial archives in Canada. Particularly archives in Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island
The National Archives (United Kingdom). Including Loyalist claims and British military and government records
American Ancestors. Its Finding Loyalist Roots project includes research guides and resources for identifying Loyalists in American records https://americanrevolution.americanancestors.org/finding-loyalist-roots
State archives and historical societies in the United States. Especially in places where your ancestor lived during the Revolution
The American Revolution didn't just create a new country. It disrupted families, divided communities, displaced thousands of people, and created new migration patterns throughout North America and the Atlantic world.
As we commemorate "America at 250," it's worth remembering that our ancestors experienced the Revolution in many different ways. Finding a Loyalist in your family tree doesn't make your family's story any less "American." In fact, it may reveal a far more complicated and fascinating story than you expected.
