Posted by Jack Freeman on 11/15/2004, 8:51 pm
65.94.238.231

The ancestor I am researching and who was a loyalist, is William Fraser. He received a land grant at Manchester, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia in 1784 along with 278 other ex-servicemen of his unit. He served during the American Revolutionary War with the Associated Departments of the Army and Navy. Also known as both the Commissary’s Dept and the Civil Branches, they provided administrative, supply, construction and other support services for the British and American Loyalist fighting units. His unit was evacuated from New York City in Sept 1783 as part of the ‘fall fleet’ to the newly formed town of Port Mouton, NS. This town was destroyed by fire in March 1784 and many of the settlers then were moved to settle again at Manchester on Chedabucto Bay, NS. Manchester’s name was changed to Guysborough and the area is now called Guysborough County. William Fraser probably had been stationed in Queens or Staten Island NYC for a few years, but that is not factually known. The Commissary’s Department was based in Queens, and Long Island was the main Loyalist stronghold where most loyalist refugees from throughout the 13 colonies collected. Fraser undoubtedly was of the lower ranks, a clerk or a laborer, because the 150 acre lot he received was one of the smallest of various sizes that were based on rank; for example, a private received 100 acres. He, his wife named May (or Marjory), and at least one child John born 1778, were evacuated with him and settled on their NS land. 4 other children were born before he died by drowning in 1788 in Guysborough. At the time of his death his age was recorded as 28 therefore he was probably born in 1760. His wife subsequently married Alexander Cummings, a widower who had served in the same unit. There are a few specific references to Fraser and his family in civil, church and family history records while they lived in Guysborough County, but I have not found any about his service with the Commissary Dept, nor any about his origins. It is not known if he was born in America or if he emigrated from Scotland. It is thought his father and mother were Alexander and Isabel Fraser, but it has not been determined if they emigrated from Scotland or where they may have lived, either in Scotland or America.