Coffin, Thomas Aston

  • DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN BIOGRAPHY ARTICLE: Marcel Caya, “COFFIN, THOMAS ASTON,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 5, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/coffin_thomas_aston_5E.html
  • DCB profile notes:
    • Office holder; b. 31 March 1754 in Boston, Mass., son of William Coffin and his wife Mary; one daughter, Sarah, was born of his liaison with Sarah Johnston, and he and Louise Benin of the faubourg Saint-Roch, Quebec, had two others, Marie-Louise and Louisa; d. 31 May 1810 in London, England.
    • Thomas Aston Coffin studied at Harvard College, Boston, where he obtained his ab in 1772. He remained loyal to the crown during the American revolution. When the war ended, Coffin was private secretary to Sir Guy Carleton, commander-in-chief of British forces in North America; Carleton had been sent to New York in 1782 to oversee, with others, the evacuation of the loyalists and His Majesty’s troops. This mission completed, Carleton embarked for England on the Ceres late in 1783, accompanied by Coffin.
    • When the British authorities decided to establish the headquarters of the commander-in-chief for British North America in Halifax, N.S., in 1799, Coffin was obliged to move there and resign his civil offices in Quebec. By way of compensation he received from the War Office an appointment as controller general of army accounts in British North America and an increase in salary. But after being summoned back to England, he was able to settle permanently at Quebec while retaining his new duties.”
  • Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory –https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=1634
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