Savage, John

• DICTIONARY OF CANADIAN BIOGRAPHY ARTICLE: Paule R. LaBrèque, “SAVAGE, JOHN,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 6, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/savage_john_6E.html
• DCB profile notes:
  • Land developer, militia officer, and jp; b. 1740 in Ireland; m. Ann Pratt, probably in Spencertown, N.Y., and they had seven children; d. 27 Sept. 1826 in West Shefford (Bromont), Lower Canada, and was buried there two days later.
  • In 1775 John Savage refused command of the local company of the Continental Army, despite pressure from fellow citizens and two of his brothers-in-law. As a result he was considered to be an enemy, was ordered to put up a guarantee, and then was imprisoned. Being daring and resourceful, he succeeded in escaping after several attempts and reached New York, where in 1776 he obtained a commission as a lieutenant in the Loyal Rangers.
  • He was captured again, narrowly missed being hanged, and was incarcerated for several months. After being freed, he served in the British army as a spy during the summer of 1782. His zeal in the missions he carried out in the states of New York and Vermont earned him the highest praise. However, republican hostility forced him to secure his family’s safety.
  • Bearing a safe conduct, Savage and his family, with his brother James, left Crown Point, N.Y., and sought refuge in the province of Quebec in October 1783. Savage applied for lands east of Lake Champlain. The Allen brothers, who commanded the Green Mountain Boys, were then trying to attract loyalists to Vermont, claiming that in so doing they were promoting the annexation of Vermont to Quebec. Savage had served as an intermediary between the Allens and the military authorities in Quebec, and he supported this plan with the assent of some senior officers, despite the opposition of Governor Frederick Haldimand, who did not favour settlement near the American border.
  • In 1784 and for some years thereafter, Savage was living at Alburgh, south of the border, on what had been the seigneury of Foucault. The Allens, however, became supporters of Congress, and tried to make him take the oath of allegiance in 1791. Along with a number of other loyalists, he was forced to move to Caldwell’s Manor, a property in Lower Canada.
• United Empire Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=7287
• Find A Grave : https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54960293/john-savage