The Loyalist Inn, located on Oliver Campbell's 1802 Original Land Grant in Kingston, Ontario
First of all, you should know that there never was a person named "ALBERT OLIVER CAMPBELL" from New York who was a Loyalist & fled to Canada in 1783-1796, according to actual records of Loyalist migrations.
The "ALBERT OLIVER CAMPBELL" found in numerous family trees is the result of researchers blending two different families, one being the family of my great x 4 grandfather ALBERT CAMPBELL born 1748 from Orange/Rockland county New York (see my previous posts), the other the Loyalist family which eventually settled in Cramahe township, Northumberland, Ontario, Canada.
The man who was a Loyalist was actually named OLIVER CAMPBELL, born about 1744 in New York. According to several websites I found, he fought for the British during the Revolutionary War.
So clearly, OLIVER CAMPBELL could not be the same person as ALBERT CAMPBELL, because ALBERT never fought for the British. Like all of his brothers & brothers-in-law, ALBERT fought in the 2nd Regiment, Orange County New York Militia, under Capt Jacob Onderdonk (see "New York in the Revolution" by Bethold Fernow). The Campbells, Smiths & Van Houtens were definitely NOT Loyalists, and fully supported the Revolution.
So who was OLIVER CAMPBELL? When did he arrive in Canada? There are records which indicate he settled first at Adolphustown, date unknown, but shortly after 1784:
The muster of Loyalists under Grass and Van Alstine at Kingston and Adolphustown in October of 1784 is unfortunately late....None of the late people and their famlies can be found in the Lists at New York or Quebec but many had been registered as Associated Loyalists on the U.E. List (established in 1789 to honour Loyalists families and adherents.) In Kingston they include Benjamin Babcock, James Dawson, Andrew Denych, Andrew Ten Eyck, James Hawley, Jerimah Lap, Bensley Peters, Francis Powley and Arthur Yeomans.
In Adolphustown the late Associated Loyalists include Oliver Campbell, William Casey, John and James Canniff, William Griffith, Obadiah Simpson, Michael Sloot, Peter Wanamaker and Henry Ridner. I have not included these names under the Lists of Grass and Van Alstine and their story has not yet been told. [Turner, Larry, Voyage of a Different Kind: The Associated Loyalists of Kingston and Adolphustown, p. 122]
There is a notation in the Ancestry.com database "Loyalists & Land Settlement in Nova Scotia" shows a man called OLIVER CAMPBELL was given land in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1785. Was this the same man?
The United Empire Loyalists Association of Canada website indicates that OLIVER CAMPBELL was born 1744, has been proven as a Loyalist, and settled first at Adolphustown, then in Cramahe township, Northumberland, Ontario. His sons WILLIAM CAMPBELL, STEPHEN CAMPBELL & JOHN CAMPBELL appear in these locations also.
Some sources indicate there was another son CORNELIUS CAMPBELL, but so far I have found few records for him, and one source actually shows him emigrating to Canada in 1843 (?), long after OLIVER & his other sons settled in Cramahe township.
A newspaper article from 2001 indicates that OLIVER CAMPBELL was given a land grant of 300 acres in Kingston for his loyalty to the crown, granted May 17, 1802, but that the Campbell family did not remain in that area for long.
A list of settlers in Cramahe Township in 1797 shows OLIVER CAMPBELL, WILLIAM CAMPBELL & JOHN CAMPBELL acquiring lots adjacent to each other.
OLIVER CAMPBELL is on a tax list for 1805 Cramahe Township.
According to many family trees & some Loyalist records, OLIVER CAMPBELL was married to CATHERINE STEPHENS--not CATHARINA VAN HOUTEN of Orange Co NY, who married ALBERT CAMPBELL.
I look forward to further researching OLIVER CAMPBELL who apparently died Nov 11, 1805 in Cramahe Township, Northumberland, Ontario, Canada. His story must be an interesting one. But it is not the same story as my great x 4 grandfather ALBERT CAMPBELL, who was a Patriot--not a Loyalist.
Have a great day!
Betty
© Betty Tartas 2017
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