History

From a current population of 38,968,820 people in Canada with the ratio estimate of 1:10, there would be approximately 3,896,882 people today who can trace their ancestry back to a Loyalist.

This page will provide background information on the founding of New Johnstown and the Royal Townships. It contains videos, maps and articles that give insight into the history of New Johnstown and the people who first settled the area.

Who Were These First Settlers of Cornwall and SDG?

What do Jane Fonda and the founder of the Chrysler Motor Corporation have in common? Both are descendants of Loyalist settlers who came to this area in 1784 as a result of the American Revolution. Both families settled in what is now Dundas County where many German Loyalists found homes.  Other Loyalist settlers took land spreading from Lancaster to Brockville.

Descendants of those Loyalists who came to New Johnstown and the Royal Townships can be found today throughout Cornwall and the United Counties of SDG. Names like Alguire, Grey, MacDonald and Grant are common in our area. From here, many of the first settlers spread across Canada and helped build the future of this great country. In fact, it is estimated that of today’s 30 plus million Canadians 1 in every 10 people are descended from a Loyalist.

Who were these people who left everything for their beliefs and support of England’s King George III? Many were new immigrants to the American colonies from Scotland, Germany and other parts of Europe. The officers were mainly English, while the militia regiments were volunteer soldiers who were farmers, trades people and shopkeepers. After only a few years in this new country, they were uprooted by the American Revolution, lost their land and possessions and escaped as refugees to the wilderness of Canada.

They made their way by boat and foot up through the Champlain Valley from the Mohawk Valley in New York and ended up in refugee camps in the Montreal area. After several years in these camps, they travelled by boat to arrive on our shore on June 6, 1784 bringing with them a few precious belongings. They were issued with a tent, an ax and a bag of flour and given a plot of land.  From these difficult beginnings, these early settlers survived and thrived to begin the City of Cornwall, the United Counties of SDG and the Province of Ontario.

 “It is, I think, the roughest land I ever saw… But this is to be the city, they say… We
are all ordered to land tomorrow and not a shelter to go under”, Sarah Frost, a Loyalist
from New York wrote in her diary.”

Who Were the Loyalists? by Stuart Manson

Learn more about the Loyalists  and their challenges in this informative video presented by Stuart Manson, Loyalist Historian, and produced by Don Smith, Curator, Cornwall Community Museum.

A Short History of the United Empire Loyalists by Ann Mackenzie M.A.

Over two hundred years ago the American Revolution shattered the British Empire in North America.  The conflict was rooted in British attempts to assert economic control in her American colonies after her costly victory over the French during the Seven Years’ War. 

Like Father, Like Son: The Johnson Family and the Town Site of Cornwall by Stuart L. Manson

At the close of the American War of Independence in 1783, thousands of Loyalists from the Thirteen Colonies became `landless’ refugees, in search of a new home. They had supported the Royal cause for a variety of complex reasons and with the war lost, they shared in the negative consequences of its failure.

Sir John Johnson’s Escape – Tom Thacher, Adirondack Almanack, 2014

The legend of Sir John Johnson’s role in naming Raquette Lake has been written and re-written for more than a century.   Below is the earliest source I have found, from the 1891 Annual Report of the New York State Forest Commission.

Historical Background to the 1784 Loyalist Arrival

The Seven Years’ War (also known as the French and Indian War) was primarily caused by the imperial and commercial rivalry between the Kingdom of France and Great Britain, involving also their respective North American colonies, indigenous allies, and European allies (Hanover and Prussia allied with Britain; Austria, Sweden, Saxony, Russia, and Spain allied with France).

In Search of One's German Ancestral Roots: The Palatine Loyalist Pioneers of Stormont and Dundas Counties.

A speech presented by Murray Barkley, on Friday, June 7th, 2024 at the 240th Anniversary of the founding of Cornwall by the U.E. Loyalists in June, 1784.

"The Loyalists: Lies, Legends, and Levity.

A speech presented by Murray Barkley, on Sunday, June 8th, 2024 at the 240th Anniversary of the founding of Cornwall by the U.E. Loyalists in June, 1784.

Town of New Johnstown Map 1786

Loyalist Lots 1784 – showing original settlers and the town Map of New Johnstown, 1786. Note the Indian Lands to the east of the lots. This map shows the original land lot selections by the Loyalists. As well, the map shows where the town of New Johnstown would be located.

Town of Cornwall Map 1792

This survey map shows the town of Cornwall. The street names on the map are the same today in the City of Cornwall. This area was known as the Square Mile.
Cornwall, Ontario Map 1792