Elliott, Matthew

  • From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: See full biography at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Elliott_(loyalist)
  • Wiki Biography:
    • Matthew Elliott (c. 1739 – May 7, 1814) was a British Indian Department officer, merchant and politician. He was active in British North America during and after the era of the American Revolution. Elliott held a key position in Anglo-Indian affairs during the time period.
    • Elliott came to America in 1761 and settled in Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War. As a trader in western Pennsylvania and Ohio in the 1760s and 1770s, and as a captain in the Indian Department during the Revolution, he had lived and fought among the tribes of the Northwest, particularly the Shawnee.
    • In 1778 Elliott, along with Alexander McKee and Simon Girty fled to Detroit. He served as a scout on Henry Hamilton’s expedition to Vincennes in the autumn of 1778 but left before Hamilton was captured by the Americans in February 1779. For the remainder of the Revolution Elliott served as a British Indian agent.
    • After the Revolution, Elliott established himself on a farm at what became Amherstburg, Ontario in Upper Canada. He eventually owned over 4,000 acres and numerous slaves, a number of whom he had acquired in the course of raids during the Revolution and refused to relinquish despite government pressure.
    • When Anglo-American relations soured again in 1807, the great importance of Elliott’s influence among the Indians was recognized and in 1808 he was reappointed superintendent in place of Thomas McKee.  By the fall of 1808 it became apparent that the Indians were preparing for war, and the British did not want to be blamed. Elliott worked closely with Tecumseh for an alliance. Before the War of 1812, Elliott had succeeded in gaining the Indian alliance with natives in American territory as well as British.
    • During the last few months of his life, Elliott led Indian raids on the Niagara frontier. He died from illness in 1814 in the Burlington area of Ontario
  • United Empire Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=2550
  • Find A Grave: Cannot locate