In a message dated 1/31/2005 5:08:37 PM Pacific Standard Time,
stellabellamartin(a)hotmail.com writes:
I am very interested in hearing from anyone who is descended or interested
in patriots sent to VDL on the ship HMS Buffalo.
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Hello again, StellaBella. I wrote earlier about the patriots who were
transported to VDL, but I had read your initital inqury too quickly: silly me!
I assumed you meant one of the forty or so French patriots who were shipped
off to somewhere else in Australia (not to VDL, I think) after losing a few
guerilla actions in Quebec - - - but I realize now you meant the Americans who
joined the Canadians fighting near New York state's northwest border. As I
recall, these actions were separated by only a few months in 1837.
The result was not so different - both small groups of would-be
revolutionaries ended on the HMS Buffalo as convcts bound for Australia. There may have
been others - Canadian citizens of English and Irish descent - who were also
aboard, bound for VDL for the same reason.
The material in the archives of this list (not the 1865 ships list) talks
about both the French-descent and American groups. The references to convict
memoirs, etc., are applicable to both as well. The Australian genealogical
community is very knowledgeable about the background of its convict-settlers and
very generous with information - you may wish to try some of the Aussie
RootsWeb lists.
Just trying to clear up my mistakes for any who are interested in following
through on this interesting episode of Canadian history.
Ginny Crawford
eating crow...