Birdsall, Benjamin

  • Quakers who were U.E. Loyalists by: Randy Saylor @ https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~saylormowbray/genealogy/quakerloyalists.pdf
  • BIRTH 3 JAN 1783 • Of, Niagara, Ontario, Canada
  • DEATH 22 JAN 1854 • Lakefeild, Ontario, Canada
  • In 1807, Benjamin and his wife Sarah had married outside the Quaker Society. This was reported and “The committee in Benjamin Birdsall & Sarah his wifes case, for their out going in marriage report they believe them to be sincere & this meeting unitedly believing Friends would be safe in receiving their acknowledgement which is accordingly accepted & they continued members.”
  • They were now both members of the Quaker meeting. Children of Loyalists could also be recognized as sons or daughters of a Loyalist and receive a free land grant. In 1809, Benjamin Birdsall petitioned successfully for land as the Son of a Loyalist (SUE). “Benjamin Birdsall of the District of Niagara a son of a U.E. Loyalist … came into the Province with his parents at the age of six years and is now married and settled in the Township of Howland … having never received land from the Crown … prays … as is usually allowed to the sons of U.E. Loyalists …” The notes state that Benjamin is the son of Samuel Birdsall UE and is a “decent well behaved, sober and industrious man.” He was granted 200 acres.xxxi In 1811 this complaint came forward. This Meeting was Informd that Benjamin Birdsall is Living in the Neglect of Attending meetings Appears out of plainness both in Dress and Address and making use of the Vain Compliments of the World & that he is Concernd in the Distillation of Grain also that he has Recievd a tract of Land of land from Government under the Appelation of UE. His Case is ordered up to Monthly Meeting. Benjamin was disowned 7 months later. Notice that his receipt of a land grant as a Son of a Loyalist is mentioned in the original complaint but not in the testification against him.
  • Proven Son of Loyalist in Loyalist Directory: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=9559
  • Find A Grave: Cannot locate