Library and Archives Canada
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Port Roseway Associates (Black Loyalists)
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Background
The term "Loyalists" refers to American colonists who remained loyal to the British Crown. Many of them served under the British during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Loyalists settled in what are now the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Ontario. During the American Revolution, the British and Loyalist forces evacuated New York in 1783. Hundreds of Loyalist refugees joined as the Port Roseway Associates with the intention of finding new homes and creating a new settlement together in Nova Scotia. These Loyalists, with their families, servants and slaves, founded the community of Port Roseway, shortly renamed Shelburne. The free Blacks amongst the Loyalists formed a separate enclave known as Birchtown.
Library and Archives Canada holds the Shelburne historical records collection (MG 9 B9-14). The collection consists of records relating to the community of Shelburne including the minute book of the Port Roseway Associates, 1782-1783; several muster rolls of Loyalists, 1783-1784; proceedings of the Court of Quarter Sessions, 1784-1860; and a register of writs, 1787-1807. The collection is divided into three sub-series:
- Port Roseway Associates
- Capture of the schooner Eliza
- Shelburne County Court Records
The collection is available on microfilm reel H-984.
The Port Roseway Associates sub-series contains the minute book of proceedings of the Port Roseway Associates, 1782-1783 (volume 1; pages 1-218), including a list of the Associates and muster roll of free Blacks who settled at Birchtown in 1784; a petition from the overseers of the poor to the magistrates of Shelburne for the relief of Blacks, 1789; and a "Sketch of Shelburnian Manners" attributed to a Mr. Fraser of Miramichi, 1787.
Database
This research tool provides access to 1,498 references to the Muster Book of Free Blacks who settled in Birchtown held at Library and Archives Canada.
Information from the muster book was input into this database and the muster book was digitized.
The content of the database entries reflects the original language used in the documents. This information was not translated.
Important note: Given that some of the original documents are very difficult to read, some information in the database may be incorrect and/or incomplete.
Search Screen
The search screen allows you to search by the name of the person. You can enter a surname and/or given name.
Note that some entries include only an initial for the given names. Try searching by surname only.
When you have entered your search terms, click on "Submit". The number of hits found will be shown at the top of the results screen.
How to Interpret the Results
Results List
Your search results will be posted as a summary list from which you will be able to obtain more detailed descriptions.
The results list contains the following fields:
Name (surname and given name)
Age (in 1784)
You can export the results to a diskette or to your own computer.
Click on the underlined name of the person of interest to you to access the detailed description.
Detailed Description
The detailed description contains the following fields:
Name (surname and given name)
Age (in 1784)
Year
Page
Volume
Record Title
Reference
Microfilm
You can view the corresponding page of the muster book by clicking on "View image".
How to Obtain Copies
You can print the images or save the images on your own computer. Use the following Access link for other options such as obtaining photocopies.
How to Access Library and Archives Canada Records
Other Resources
Other Loyalist records exist. Consult Loyalists for more information about these records.
