Preface

In July of 1790, my great great great grandfather, Caleb Seaman, left his blacksmith's shop in the village of Lyn and journeyed twenty kilometres into Augusta Township. He appeared before the Luneburg District Land Board and with a petition as a “U.E. Loyalist” applied for a grant of land. He got his wish, for the land board record shows “Certificate granted 6th July 1790, 200 Acres.” The chairman of the land board, who signed the certificate wrote “Sworn before me Justus Sherwood Esq. this fifth day of July at Augusta.” After seeing this certificate, I wanted to know more about Justus Sherwood, my ancestor's benefactor.

A plaque at the foot of Merwin Lane, west of Prescott, Ontario, hints at a neglected hero. It reads:

Justus Sherwood 1747-1798

Born in Connecticut, settled in Vermont in 1774. On the outbreak of the Revolution he was arrested as a Loyalist, but escaped to join the British at Crown Point. He was taken prisoner at Saratoga in 1777, and after being exchanged was commissioned as a captain in the Intelligence Service. From 1780 to 1783 he had charge of secret negotiations which, it was hoped, would result in Vermont's rejoining the British Empire. Sherwood, who took up land in this township in 1784, played a leading role in its settlement. One of the District's first magistrates, he was also a member of the local land board until his death.

A second plaque at Blockhouse Point, North Hero Island, in Lake Champlain, tells the story from the American point of view:

On this site was erected in July 1781 Loyal Blockhouse by Justus Sherwood, Captain, Queen's Loyal Rangers. This spot was a stopping place for British refugees during the American Revolution and from here were conducted the negotiations between the Republic of Vermont and the British Government. This tablet was erected September 1912 by the Vermont Society, Sons of the American Revolution.

Clearly, Sherwood was an interesting man, and if I could find enough material, I wanted to make his story into a popular biography. I did find the material, although some interpolation was necessary because there were gaps that needed to be filled. When I started this book I had already explored the loyalist era as it pertained to Ontario and the war years, and had the confidence to interpret what was happening when the sources were slim.

I want to thank the people who have made the publication of this book possible. My husband, Geoffrey, is tolerant of a wife who spends hours immersed in the eighteenth century, neglecting the twentieth. Gavin Watt, who has re-created a detachment of the King's Royal Regiment of New York, was generous in sharing his own findings. Professor Ian Pemberton, of the University of Windsor, was a valuable correspondent, and Norah Hugo-Brunt typed the manuscript and offered advice on the weaknesses in my prose. Ron Rochon designed the book, and Kirk Howard, of Dundurn Press, agreed that a Sherwood biography fitted in with his policy of publishing new approaches to Canadian history. Lastly, we owe a debt of gratitude to the Toronto Branch, United Empire Loyalists' Association of Canada, for generous financial support.

Place Names Relating to Justus Sherwood