We had an old neighbor who was born in Atlantic Canada, who died at age 90 about forty years ago, and years later my Dad said that his family roots were in New England but they left during the revolution, and he had belonged to the United Empire Loyalists. An organization which I had never previously heard of.
If your ancestor was an UEL you can put UE after your name for Unity of the Empire...a law passed by the Parliament in Canada for all loyalists and their children and descendants both men and women...I have 5 Loyalist ancestors 2 of them women...they were some of my 4th, 5th and 6th great grandparents...among them the most famous heroine of Canada, Sarah Kast McGinnis...
I have certificates from the UELAC The United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada for all 5 ancestors...
Sgt Stephen (Etienne) Secord, (1757-1808) his father Lt James Secord (1732-1777) interpreter with the Indian Dept, Stephen’s wife was Hannah De Forest (1767-1841) and both her parents were Loyalists, Simon De Forest (1739-1777) and Mary McGinnis De Forest...Sarah Kast McGinnis (1713-1791) was Mary’s mother...
The Secords were from New Rochelle, NY by way of Mehoopany in the Wyoming County, PA on the Susquehanna River and the De Forests were from Albany, NY...
All Americans born to American parents...
and I’m exceedingly proud of them all...
I was in Fredericton, New Brunswick, once for a conference. A number of the early residents there were Loyalists. I went to an old cemetery to see if I could find any grave markers which could be of Loyalists but no grave markers that old survived.