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PREFATORY.
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)
The followini,r paper is published by rcciucst of officials of ou
local Historical Societies, and of friends interested in early pionee
history. It was originally read before historical and other societie
of tlie District of Jk-dford durin-- the past year. In the desire t(
obtain brevity, many local references to Missisqiioi were omitted be-
fore Shefford audiences, just as those relalin^,^ to Shefford were
omitted before Missisquoi audiences. An effort is made to combine
them in the followin-^r paper. Many thinn^s deemed necessary to
interest the different audiences, as well as expressions peculiar to
platform delivery, have been omitted. But the substance of the
paper, and the historical facts and comments are the same as tie-
livered. This statement is deemed prudent to allay the zeal of the
captious local critic. The real object of the pai)er is to stimulate
interest in the laudable designs of the County Historical Societies of
the District of Bedford.
Co\\.\.\>\ iLI.i,, Au-ust K
jxo. i\ ^■o^•I•:s.
)00.
ITbc Canadian Xov^alists
an^
Earl^ Settlers in the iDistiict of
Bc(^for^.
The early settle iiunt ..f a country, the hahits, hanlshij.s and eN])erienees ui its
pK'iic-ers, have a ehann lor those i;erliai;s a seleet few-^uh.) delight in the i.ivesti-
j^ation ..I a snhject whieh exa.ts a certain amount of researcli in order to attain a
fair measure of acvuracy. Tlu re is a eomniendable ten.len.-v ..f late to regard with
favor the econ,;mic. or political value <.f historv, apart tn.m'its interest as a narra
tive of events, which shonhl assist and stimulate investiKati<.n. There are obvious
reasons tor this, and it is ,|uite dear, as well, that surh value depends not onh
U]u,n the truth ot the narrative, hut upon the lair appreciation of the facts.
The fitful, and, .it limes, acrimonious conlroversv ofthe past, as to the early sc-lf
lersot the District of He.llonl respcrtiUK h.yaltv. has obscured rather than eu'li^ht-
ened the subject. Tlure is no Lick of tnulitions of historical rese.irchand investi-a-
lion m the true .sense-in the historical sense, tlure has been pn.cticallv none. ( me
result IS. that the zeal of uninformed partisans has led lo the l,i];el"linK "s T F
Lc.yalists, many uho came ;,fter the fever of lovallv had been replace.l bv tlu
iactorol sc-lf-intcrest. ami even of tho.se whose arrival was lo.iK subsequent to the
necessities of loyal expressicjn. The result has been to create a feelin.i,^ of doubt or
skej,ticism, astor. I'.. I.cjyali.sts akin to that expresse.l bv the irreve'rc nt i.il^rim
"1 Koine. "Ihese new .saints make one doul,t the .,ld." It is r.ot therefore a
"latter ol surprise that the unwarranted as.sertions of such ill-informe.l a.lvocates
have caused a Kc-neraticn. not keenly interested in the r. !■;. I.ovali.sts, to surmise
that these loyalists are an historical mystery, and as utterlv discredited, so far as
relates to location, as the .lescendants of the lost tribes of Israel. It is fortunate
tor those of another turn ..f mind, uho .lesirc. historical accuracy, that the zeal and
TIM'. CANADIAN I." >VAI,ISTS.
iiiiUistrv of (nir Caii.nli.m Arrlii\i>t liavi". within tlu- past tVw years, j)rncurf»l a
i'<>ii^i(Kral>lc i|uai'tit\ of thr <»tli«'ial tiionls ol the tarly sitlliiiuiit ot the rdiintry,
hy tncaiis «»f which the trivial iiaifleiits of criihilniis or interested news j^atlierers.
so zealously t'Nploiteil heretofore as liist(»r\ , an- sliow II to In- valueless. The idle
tales ri'sultin>^ tr<«ni the creative fatiey of iti.iii, cilhil tradition, nul which have
nneonseionsl\ a tenacious liold ii]M>n evrti inlvllij;ent jieople, thotij^h the t'tnes are
rei"iMil, .and writtc-n records availahle. are. liy means of these ricords. in a way to
he dis|pilUd. C.irlylc c.dls history " the letter of instruction^ from llu- old ,i;ener-
atioiistothc new." \ci-e]»tin.i; that ilelMiition. it is the duty of tin- jireseiit ;;ener-
ation to iNauiiiii' its letter of iiistiuctious, as containi'd in tlie ntlicial records, so
as to ])lace the ])iouier> of ilii- histrict in their proper class. This involves an ex-
amination of their credentials, .is well as the cousiileralion of their aiitecidents, and
of the causes and events which le thiir situation on
arrival here.
It will siarci'ly he clisputed that the e.irly Canadian Loyalists s])ranj; from an
aflveiiturous stock, whose escape from allej,(ed olil world persecntious to secure reli-
j^ious and political freidom in tlie new, in no w.i\ i|iiencheil their love of coullict.
or dislike of any antl!i>rit\ which they did. not dominate. Apart from the otiicial
an( the mother country. The leaders
of the pojiular cause were ahle, tai'tful and darinj.;. I'ul candi 1 American hi--
toriaiis admit that they were leaders of a minority when it camo to a tlnal rnjiture.
It was unfortunate for the royal cause- that the loy;il majoritv had, from anioiiLi
themselves, no leaders. The Colonial officials who, hy nature of their ])ositions.
assumed to K^i'l*-'- 'f ""'^ ^*^ lead, wxre not in touch with the )(ei>])le. and were to
some extent discredited ])y the anta}.;oni^ms of loiij.r years of dispute hetween them
as to Crown rij.;hts. Tlu- dei-laratioii of inde])endence was the act of a Couj^ress
without )ej.(al authority. Bancroft, an .\merican historian, .sail 1 it w.is " unthin;.;
more solid than the unformecl opinion of an unformed peo])le."
The Colonists enrolled as soldiers ( lU the side- of the Crown ixceeiK-tl 25, mx)
and, durin^f the war, their homes i\ere destroyeil, their property confiscatt'd and
their families hitterlv ]>erseiaited. Justice re(iuireslhe admission that, in this, as in
other civil wars, llu-rewere rejirisals in whii-h the Loyalists iniitatiMl the deplorahle
eNam])le of their .adversaries. lu'eliui^s of intense hitteruess and mutual hatred
were created which, when the conflict etuleespit(.' llu' pro-
visions of the treatv of peace. s])eciall\' ,i;nar.inteeing the proti-ction of the j);()])erty
anil rii.;hts of the Loy.ilists, uii'iv of the State Le,u;islatures ordered conli'-cation <>\
their property. Persecution was encouraged ind u]>held.
This persecution drove the loyal Colonists into exile. There was a tn-meudous
rush into Can.ida and Nova Scotia, taxing severelx the resnurces of those volouies
to meet the urgent necessities of those destitute and sutTering exiles. .\nd it is
through the elTorts of the government to aid those exiles, and to give tluni a per-
manent settlement, ih.at one tnids from the ol'I'u'ial records a recognition of dilTereiit
titles — titles which design.ate a divisii'ti into three fairly marked classes. These
classes seem ;it times to he fused or bU-niled, hut a little coiisider.ition will show a
i
Tiri': C AN API \N I,()V\I,ISTS.
i
I
Dinrkul flilTi riiuf in tn-Mttiicut, aipl a ilistiiu'tioii to which jtrai'liiMl i-fTi-i I was
^ivin hy ;4u\t'rmiii'iit.il .iction. II will \>v niiilirslcxHl ihiit jitior to I7<)i Ihi" I'roviiici'
roiii])ris«il rpjiiT ami I.nwir (.".mail.i, in whii'h. ipatt frnm the si i^^iinirii-s. tht-
iiiiiiiL-ii^c art'.i fit" \va^U' laiitl In l(iii);ril t<> the Ciowii. As th»'\ har laml was an fas\ tdrni f 2>, ,,\ the
nnmlier, their deniisi' had hieti eoneeah • and the Mrit.sh ('.overnnKut hail con-
tinued its j.ii'mrous relief to necessitous loyalty by j avini.; for their sn])iiort Wluii
th. ;fiitish j)arliainent met in 17S;,, afli-r the cl >se of the war I lis M,ijest\ in the
s])eech from the throne said : " That a ilue .md L;ener(»us attention on.L;ht to lie
"shown to those wlio lia\i' relin(|uishe,S<»,. 110,9.^1 were fyled. on which was allowc.l any indefensihU' prelixls li\ the .\inerit.in ( lovernnient, thoiii;h the
lossi'S were shown to Si- in violation of the 'l'ri'at\ of re.ice. The niotlu'r country
was nenerous to all that class of sulTerers. The old Colonial olVice holders .ippear
to have heen .1 ^.^reedy lot. -ind dilticult to satisfy. Their names cut a l>i,L; lij^ure in
the ollicial records t'or frei- i^MTuits of land. ( )nt' sampU- will illustrate their
character, selectdt hecause his covetous e_\t-. ha\iny heen last ui)on our Townships.
j;ives his L,M'eed a local color.
.\lir.iliam Cu\Urw,is I'ostm.'istir at \lh,iu\'. when the revolution. iry stru;,^le
l)e,i.;.iu, ;ind luin^ a Postmaster w.is natur.dly and otlicially loy.il. lie I<.>t his
otlici', and took the mad of forced exile. lie came to Canada, and later went to
Cape I'.reton, and secured olTu'es at ditfereul tinu-s. r,inj.,'in^ frotn a modest Inspec-
torship to .1 Judj.^eship ; li.id a])]ilied for ,1 Customs appointment, a;id .ictid .is
I,ieulenaut-( loviriior, whilst ki i]iiun oii f\le sundry cl.iiins for land .and com])en-
satioii. He did not ,!.;et on well with the luc.il jiow'ers, so he resij^Mied from the
r.ench. and. the war Ijeini; o\er, he ])Ushed his claims for com])ensalioii in Ni'W
\'ork. as well as in London. I'lom the latti-r j)kn'e he wroti- tlu- Canailiaii .lulhori
ties for ,1 i^rant of tlie whole Townshi]) of Hemminvilord, which not biintj con-
ceded, lu' pointed out lands in Dunham, Staiilirid.L;e. L'.irnh.im, Shefford ,nid Stai;-
.stead, for which lu- desired a j^rant. Then lu turned up with a cla,i;) for ;i part of
8
Till' CANADIAN LOYALISTS.
MoiilrcaL 1)Ul as this had l:i'.ii rc-^raiiUd to a clnirch, liis family was ,L;ivL'ii 3,6rxD
acns of hind elsewhere, .'is an t(Hii\a]int for the ehnreli ])r(.])erty. Later, as hi-
a])])earcd to want a farm of his own to carry C)n, ami the land ot'licials s(.eminj.( hy
that time to liavi- tired of his imjiortunity, it was ordered that <-)Ut (;f the dis])os.ihle
hinds in I'arnh.am, a j^rant shonid hi- j^jiven to IMessrs. Cuxler and Allso|)j). Ik'
and two of his sons, hecame AssociaUs of the To", nship of l"arnhani, and rereived
the nsnal allotments of }.irants as siuli. Hut ;is 'Sly. .\ll>o])]) had received ]irior
grants, and Judj^e (iale had to take a mountain, and liis wif .'s relations, swam])s
and led^res, towards tlu'ir considirahle shares therein, it may he fairly presumecL
that the dis])osahle Crown Lands in I'arnham were exh;uisleil before Judge Cuyler
got into tlie precinct. What finally 1)eca!.ie of him I do not know, hut one cannot
hel]) sadly reflecting, what an adililional glor\- il would have heeii for I'arnham,
had judge Cuyler heen entoml)ed within its borders, to exi'ite, in Liter years, the
grief and curiosity of searchers for jo!) l(*ts of L. L. Loyalists.
It is submitted, that the whole of this class, just considered, wire not I'. H.
Lo} ists. The Colonists were not inrolled as soldiers in the war, and the native
hon I'.ngHshnien were bound b\- the ties of birth and allegiance to lie loyal with-
out exacting C(jm])ensatioii for tidelil\- to such ties,
II
The second class of Loyalists com])rised tlu Colonial soldiers enrolkil in the
army prior to tlu' Treaty of Peace in 17.S3, and w luj came at oiicc. with their fami-
lies {() Canada at the close of the w ar.
'I'luse men ai)pear to havi' left i>\. once w ithout slojjping to l)arter their alle-
giance. Large as their numlier was, the Crow n was generous in granting thviii land,
in conveying them to the jilaci-s allotted for location, and in granting them teni])o-
rary aid and subsistence. And to estal)lish their identity, and to distinguish tlu-m
from the Refugee L(\valists, for all time to come, the (lovernment on the 9th
Novemlier, 1 7S(), by a minute of Council ordered, that : " .All Loyalists who joined
" ihe Standard bi'fore tl:e Treaty of I'eace in 17^;-,, and all children, and descen-
" dants of either sex, are to be distinguished 'n\- the Utters ' l". I'..' allixed to their
" names, alluding to tlu' great ]irinci]ile oi the unity of the Lm])ire." It was fur-
ther ordered, at the same time, that a Register should be kept so that their jjoster-
it\- might be discriminated from future settlers. It is reasonably certain that al^
did not register. The Ontario list, containing many I. astern Townsh)i)s names, is
ju'ocurable, but there is no special list lor (juebec, because Loyalists wen- ex-
chuled from seltUinent on Crown Lands south of the St. Lawrence,
n\- the Order of Council we have a clear and authoritative delinition of tlu-
Loyalists. It is not a courtesy title, nor gained by common re])Ute. l!y it we find
the distinguishing conditions of a \' . I'.. Lovalist to be ; 1. An i-nrollment as a
Colonial soldier in the ann\' during the u.ir ; or 2. A desec nd.mt of such soldier.
The ilescent from such soldier is not dilTicult to establish where there was an en-
rollment in the Register. The absence of registration creates a ])resum])tion
against the claim to be a l'. I',. Loyalist, which cannot be (nercome by a bare state-
ment of such claim. Through ignorance of the ( )rder in Council many have as"
sumed that an earlv land Ljrant mu'-l ha\(.- been the rewanl of lo-^altv, ami there
Till'. CANADIAN I.OVAl.USTS.
9
sceli-
llieir
i'ur-
ICT-
it all
(-•s, is
fnre. an effertive title to tliu distinction of lieitii,' a \'. I!. I,<>; alist. Hut all those
early land j^rants were not j^jiven on aeconnt of loyalty, The ollicial definition
should, however, determine the matter. The true l", I",. Loyalist, as just jiointcd
out, was a Colonial soldier who, us such, had suffereil the hardshi})S of actual war,
and had been ex])osed toits perils and risks, during which he had been conscious
of the ])erseciitions and sufferin,^s of famil\ and friends at home. He had under-
t^one the trials and. miseries of de])ortation when the war closed, and had emlured
}.{reat ])rivations for years thereafter through want of means, and hv reason of re-
moteness from markets and livili/.ation. It is manh'estly unfair to class such men
with those who had not l)orne arms, liowever nuu'h the latter may have suffepMl
through jersecutioii or otherwise'. ( )ne cannot read witliont interest, to say the
least, the jiainful records of those exiled Loyalists. Their primitive makeshifts
may, today, excite a smile, hut they do. not lessen respect. Matiy instances of
such makeshifts are recorded in local history, or have been handed dow!i from
gcni-ration to .plication. Mr I'.dward Harris, a descendant of a l'. !•",. I.ovalist,
in a |iai)er re,-.d before the Canadian Inslilute at Toronto in 1897, related one of
those incidents, common to most of the early settlements in some resi)ects, result-
ing from ])ioneer makeshifts, which deserves re])roduct;()n. He sai also related in Dr. Ryerson's his-
tory of the r. I-",. Loyalists, with considerable dilTerence as to j)articulars, although
b )th he and Mr. Harris obt.'iiiu'il their information! from the same per.son.
III.
the
find
as a
lier.
en-
ition
Late-
as"
ere
The third class of I.ovalists comjirised those Colonial non-combatants who, with
their families, left aftei* the Treaty n( I'eace, at the I'onclusioii of the Revolutionary
war, through the fierce persecut:t)n which for a time followed.
'I'hat this clas!^ came to Canada ; a result of the merciless pensecutioii before
niiMitioned, is recordeil iu the histories of that jteriod, is treasured caniong the
annals of tlie ])eo]iIe, and is borne out and fully verified 1)\ the official documents of
that day. It is the i)iimi|.al, if not the .sole groutid n])on which that large number
of refugee Loyalists based their persistent claims for provisions, com])ensation and
lo
TirrC CANADIAN F,( )VAI.IS'1'S.
1.111(1 grants. Thuv were (jiiick to see the strength of the cry of persecuted lovaUy,
with a well (lisjjosed, and not severely critical Ilxecutive. Hut, as the Provincial
authorities could not at once coinjily with all their urgent demands, theiC was
grave dissatisfaction, fc>llowev-
twcen exiles and blxecutive, is not now really essential. !t is mentioned to show
the character of a class, which, coming so closely on the heels of the W ]'.. Loyal-
ists, and like them receiving land grants, has found iu our day peo]>le who rank
them with those ancient worthies. The claims have even been extended to cover,
as r. l\. Loyalists, th»" calm and ])eaceful (Juakers, forced into exile. The droll
effect of placing the unwarlike they must and go they did, aiul naturally made the best of a bad
bargain, by getting as much compensation as possible, out of the Crown.
Whilst it is essential to the truth of history that the facts should be stated, it is
not necessary to harshly judge those unfortunate aiul impoverished exiles. The
i-oloniis were their homes. There they were born and reared. There were ties of
race, kindred, laws, institutions and religion common between them and the suc-
cessful Co:oi:isi> in the war. Together they had worshi]>i)ed at the same altar,
shared the vicissitudes and jierils of Colonial existence, and borne the burdens and
enjo\ed the comforts and jileasures of civil and social life in their several com-
munities. Tile change to them from a colony to an independent nation, accu.s-
tonud as tl'.e\ had been to a con.siderable measure of local .self-government, would
not 1 e so sudden or distinct as it would have been, had not the.se iditions
existed, or li.id they been con<|uered by an alien race. It is evident, as well, that
the british (Mjvernment had contemj)late(l their so reitiaining, inasmuch as the
treaty of ])eace expressly ])rovided for the protection of their ])ro])erty and rights.
The subse(|uent evasion of the treaty could not have been foreseen. Nevertheless,
we nnist be careful not to unduly magnify the passive position of neutrals in a
ci\ il war, into ihe hightest kinS, Stanbridgc in iSoi, ;ind so on up to 1S07, when a
h;dt was called. St. Armand, St. (icorge de Claiemeville and St. 'l"homas wcrc-
created Seigniories ])ric)r to the com|uest — and not being Crown laiuls, could not be-
granted or made Townshi])S. Governor I'restutt, a few years after the adoption of
the policy in (picsticm. divided the .\ssocialts into three clas.'"s; 1. l'eoi)le who
had always been attached to the british cause; 2. People who have been led
astra\ ; and 3. Mere .speculators, whose .ijijilications he said were inuiuTous. He-
comi)lained bitterly to the honu' (lovernmeut of the attem])ts of the specidators t<
obtain large grants in order to create a nic)no])oly ; of straw men being put up as
TIIH CANADIAN LOYALISTS.
I ;
;i])])lic{ints to evade the rej^ulatioiis ; of the i oiiijiliiity of iiieinl;eis of his own
cfviincil in the sehcnies; of colhisive tiii-ks with ImikI surveyors to firther their
jilatis, and the dissatisfaction of these hmd johliers, as Chief Jn:-tiee ?tIonk lalled
tlicni, when their jilaiis were thwarted. In the I'l-l-er I'rovinre th(. y wen- havinjf
their troul)ks. fnj4
period is ccnclusive that tliose Associates wh.o came (n the creation of the Town-
shijjs must, during their rtsidtnce ft r so ni;;n\ yti'.is in tl.iir old lun.ts, have
satisfied the local authorities there, of tluir satisfaction with, anv Hiitish s\ ni] athi/.c rs, .".nd agains'.
whom that people were violently enragi'd.
This long residencee, where the authorities exacted active and open, and
Wduld n(jt tolerate ])assive allegiance to the new nation, ilispels ;iny p' ssible illu-
sion ;is to lo\alt\- to the Crown. Its tardv nianifeslatiDii, until stimubitcd b\ self-
interest, is iiicom])atible with lo\al sincerit\-, or consistent with theactive vigiLuue
of .\mericans towards suspected bo\alisls. .\ lo\ally which is doimant, or linger-
ing, until spurred into action by the pros] fit (A material advancement is not gen-
eralJN- thought to be of the highest order, or to contain the elements from which
true ]:atri(itisni s])rings. liut whatever face tb.e I'K.vincial autlK-rities ma\ have
])Ut u])on formal professions, it is ixidiut, from tlie (I'lici.d dicr.mcnls, that ll.c\-
looked ujion them ,is a g( od natured contrivann.-, ami were n(.l lUceivcd as to their
value. They were (juile content tit leceivi- a g( od class (-f setlkrs, < n their own
rating, without minutely scanning nmiivL's.
l\unning over the list of .\ssociatos, a similaritv if well kmuu names, ci m-
biuid \\ ith ])arit\' of objec'ts, create s a pn ^uui])liou that someiif tl:e old I'lasses o'
lo\alists had gone astray, or had I crn belated in iecei\ing grants, aiul had joined
the Assen'iates, as their last chance. Their ren gni/ed Io\al (juality, throu,L;h early
arrival, would tend to aid, materially, the .Associates in obtaining Tow ushi]' charters
and alU,tment of lands, but there- weie not many of them at the best.
There also a].]Kar, n( w and ll'.en, isolatei! ^jeeimens (f the old Coh.ni.il
Lnglish ( ffiCials wl;o may liaxe- east in tl.eir lot with the- .\sM»ciates, for tlu- reason
before maintained. .\ case in ]:oiut, and close- at hand, is th.it of the l.ite Samuel
Gale, whose hscal title of Judge- Gale, it will do no harm to accejjt. 'I'ln- ilec.iy of
his tombstone in ICast I'arnham seems, at irregular intervals of lime, to e.M'ite the
grief e»f the c .sual and curieais visitnf, and as the trembling fingers ],ush aside the
moss from the e])it.ij)h commemorating lU-iiarted \irtues and grc.ilnes--, a new rule
of historical interjtretation d.iwiis u],on tlu maddened mind, and jndgt- G.ile- is ].ro-
14
Till", CANADIAN I.OVAMSTS.
iiiotril to the r. K. Loyalist class, to which he has no more rit^hl than to that of
Ju(i,L;e. 'I'here are iiisunnomitahle objections to his bein,t( so cf)nsiceiidants.
The lonjr period which had elapsed between the clo.ie of the war aiui their arrival
indicates that they did not deliberate in haste, nor should the coincidence of a
land ,i;rant be construed as a motive for (|uickened loyalty. The leader iA tlie
Associates of the Township of '-"ly was Amos Lay, jr., a land sur\eyor, who was
i^ranted one-fourth of the Township, much of which passed to his sou, the late Dr.
AmosW. La\, who resided there for many years i)rior to his death. Cov. I'rescott.
in a letter to the home authorities in 179'^, {niti«)n.
There are some indications jiointin^ to a ineniber of the Kuiter family as the
leader of the Associates of tlie 'J'ownshij) of Roxton. There has been no rush to
oht.iin rri'dit for the jiositioii. No one h.is clamored for the honor, or even f(jr
that of first settler, thoiij.jh it has usually been the home of slatesmen. Half a
cintury aj.;o or th.c reahouts, all the jioor land was owned liy the British .\merican
Land Conii)any, from which it niij^hl he inferred that it was ])ractically sole pm-
])rietor. The first settlements were made about 1S34.
Ciranby and Milton were lars^ely {.granted to discharmd soldiers and militia-
men, aliout one hundred of the latter local in j.( in Craiiby, which ni.iy account for
its martial spirit ever since. The descendants of the orij^inal ^iiaiitees of .Milton,
which was not much, if any, settled until about 1S3U. nave disappeared from its
limits.
More local history ])ervades the early settlement of Shefford at the commence-
ment of the century, at least more available local history, than of the other Town-
shi])s of the County.
The leader of the .Vssociates of SheiTord Townshi]) was Cu])i. John Sa\a^e
from the- Iludson or Mohawk \'allc\ of New \'ork, with ^\llonl. as .\ssociates, were
two other b)lin Sava<.jes and a I'eler Sava,i,a', relatives, and the well known names
of Wood, Hayes, Ket/back, Lawrence, Lewis, I!ell, MotTatt, and Mcl'arlamL
b)lin Sava.ue. leader, made his first \isit to Sheff(ird in 1792, ha\in,ir come to
Canada by way of Lake Champlain in 17.S3. Capt. Savajj;e and his Ass(tciates
had a narrow escape from the wiles of land j.rrabbers and ofticials who, by im])os-
\n\f severi' conditions, and coiis])irin,u; with survcxors, usually forced money or land
from Associates or so discoura:.;ed them thai they threw ii]) their a])])lications.
Simon Z. Watson, land surveyor, employed to make the ])rimili\e survey, dis-
covered the attempts to rob Ca])t. .Savaj^e and his .\ssociates without their knowl-
edj^e, and Lhereu])on threw up his job, and made a deposition (.xjjosinjr the tricks,
which he forwarded \.o the ( iovernor-( lem-ral, who, in communicating; it to the
Eni^lish Colonial authorities said : "■ The imbecility sIkiwii in the ])ractical workini^
" of the ])lans of the monojjolists does not lessen the existence of the j)lans them-
" selves." I lad tliese ])lotlers succeeded the settlement of Shefford would ]iroba-
bly havi' bci-ii as long deferred as Hly and Roxton. Whilst the official records
s])eak of Ca])t. Savage and S(|uire .Savage, it is prol)able that both titles belonged
to the same man, one for warlike, and the other for civil distinction. In his
]>etitioii to the (ioverniiieiit in 171^2 for compensation for losses, hv alleged his ser-
vices as an olhcer in a New \'ork Colonial corjxs during the Revolution. His
(luality was acce])ted by the ( Vovernment. Ijut the grant to him later was as an
.\ssociate. In 1 7S3 a rejiort from a fronlier ])ost says : " Wright has returned with
" two brothers .Savage, who have come to look for an asylum for a great number
" of U)yalists, who are determined to leave a country wholly under the direction of
" the op])re.ssors." Cajit. Savage went on from that border jjost to St. Johns. An
ofllcial report from that ])ost on the frmtier said, that the ])eo])le on the American
side ware \ery insulting in their remarks, ])ut in a i)road sjjirit of magnaminity,
ih
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ill
Tin, CANAhl AN I.( »\' AI.ISTS.
'9
the sjiiil lluy ir^^iiK'ad ii ;■•< iiu nly " tlif mail .'•allits of \ iilj^ar fcols."
whiili iiiiiy iKt have hn-n loo n.\*.rf. 'I'lu m iiu' ( llirial rfporl as to S.iva^'e statts
that MisMs. Ci'Jii])l)tll and Ihiiitiiij^tiii, two luimd lo\ali>ls l.ail arrixiil, t'olli wtd
by a Mr. Wirt, \\l:o on llii-y ahaiiilout d tht- crafty .\lUn, Thr Mr. Hunt-
inijtoii rc'fcrrcMl to was ]irohahly ;i relative, or ancestor, of iIk- late lion. Lucius vSeth
lluntinj.'ton, who reprcsfiittMl ;'litft'ord for so many yt-ars in rarlianuiit. It was
wi'll known that he was of T. I-",. I oyalist stocl;, thonjdi it liad not hecome a hal)it
in his day to hoast oi it osteiit.tt'i)Usly.
The early histo; y of SliilTord Townsliij) is the history of the Sa\a;,'e familv.
It was the dominant family in its e.irly settU'menl. and e\en u]> to the middle of
the century, hut (jidy a few are now left there. Tluy wert' of Hutch descent,
Ihougli the name creates a difticuU\ . it may have heeii .\niericani/.e i tli.il
life for us is iiiou' tolerahle, ami the future full of emdin;iu;eiiient. It is to he re-
j.;retted that the i>id\ ])hase of thi- personal life of those early pioneers can onl\- he
j.;athen.d from di\ oflii'ial records, di'.dini.; with the wants .and conditions of
materi.d esistt'iice. No historian recorded their .ids. nor jxiet portrayed tlieir
.sentiments in verse.