The English families who moved to southern Quebec after the Revolutionary War were loyalists, right? Not all of them.
Late Loyalists, as this group were known, were economic refugees who came to southern Quebec to take advantage of low-priced land. Some were in fact, loyalists. A significant number were not. They were, instead, former members of the colonial militia who had fought in the Revolutionary War for the Americans. They kept that allegiance through the War and only moved north for land. As such, these families do qualify their descendants for the Sons of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the American Revolution.
To document their lines, the same process used to document “new patriots” must be employed. You’ll need to rely on the record keeping system of Quebec, which had no civil registration until the 20th century. Focus on church and notarial records to document birth, marriage, and death and relationships.
For more information on Late Loyalists, see our article in NGS Magazine.
Questions? Contact us.