Laird, James

From: An Island Refuge- Loyalists and Disbanded Troops on The Island of Saint John, The Abegweit Branch of UELAC, 1983

  • LOYALIST JAMES LAIRD arrived at Shelburne, Nova Scotia in 1785 from the Carolinas and proceeded from there to the Island of Saint John. After a series of difficulties in obtaining his grant from the King, he finally settled on the shore of the Vernon River, Lot 50, Queens County, Prince Edward Island. This land is still in the possession of a direct descendent of Laird’s — Glenn Ross.
  • Most of the land on the Island of Saint John at that time was owned by absentee landlords in England. Eighteen of the major land owners agreed to set aside one-fourth of their holdings in favour of American Loyalists as an inducement for them to settle rather than Nova Scotia. The total land equalled two hundred and fifty thousand acres to be divided into parcels of not less than one thousand acres. Governor Walter Patterson made the proclamation on October 13, 1783.
  • Laird was met at Shelburne by Patterson’s official agent, Mr. Grandine. Grandine led Laird to believe that he would receive 500 acres. On his arrival at the Island of Saint John he applied to the Governor for a grant and received 200 acres. On October 10, 1785, Patterson directed, by a Governor’s order, Mr. Thomas Wright, Survey General of Land to measure out farms in favour of the following Loyalists: Samuel Herbert — 340 acres, James Lewis Hayden — 340 acres, John Enslie — 340 acres, James Ramsay — 340 acres, Spencer Crain — 200 acres, William Lavis — 200 acres, John McNickell — 100 acres, Patrick Connor — 100 acres and James Laird — 200 acres. The portions of lands to be annexed to their several names were located on that tract of land in Lot 50 bounding on the Vernon River.