Family Legend ~ Buchner Family's United Empire Loyalists History

 

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2021: Week 2 (FAMILY LEGEND)

I remember learning about the United Empire Loyalists (UEL), the Battle of 1812, and the Underground Railroad as a youngster in school. As a Canadian I was proud of the role my country played in bettering the lives of American people seeking a different way of life. 

When looking for someone who fit the prompt FAMILY LEGEND I decided to write about Sergeant Jacob Buchner who acted as a guide for the British Army during the War of 1812.

The events that took place during that time definitely fit the prompt for me because there is a FAMILY connection to the larger than life story passed down (definition of LEGEND).

Jacob Buchner
BIRTH 31 MAY 1763 • Hardwick Twp., Sussex, New Jersey, USA
DEATH 11 AUG 1841 • Woodhouse, Norfolk County, Ontario

Jacob was married to:
Catherine Shular
(alternative spellings include: Shelar, Sheelar, Schulyer)
BIRTH 20 SEP 1767 • Sussex County, New Jersey
DEATH 8 FEB 1855 • Woodhouse, Norfolk County, Ontario

Jacob & Catherine are my husband's 4th AND 5th great grandparents via two different family lines. 

Jacob's parents were:
Johannes Theis (John) Buchner
BIRTH 18 SEP 1729 • Unnau, Westerwald, Hessen, Germany
DEATH 11 SEP 1791 • Hardwick Twp, Sussex, New Jersey, USA
and
Catharine
BIRTH ABT. 1730 • Germany
DEATH UNKNOWN • Sussex, Sussex, New Jersey, United States
*** Catherine's maiden name may have been Mueller, but I have not yet finished a reasonable exhaustive search to confirm the surname. ***

~

Jacob's father John's UEL status has been proven. I haven't found proof that Jacob's has been proven. He did receive land grants as a Loyalist noting his father was a Loyalist, and Jacob was in his own right. 

It had been many years since I learned about the United Empire Loyalists so I decided I should research them. 

This has been an added side benefit of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - my desire to know more about the life & times of the people who make up our Bramble Bush. Every time I choose an ancestor to feature the ensuing research is informative.

This time was no exception. I discovered:
"... It was pressure from the UEL's that led to the Canada Act of 1791. They wanted to ensure that they had free title to their lands - the freehold system of land tenure ..." 1

I was wondering why it was that this obscure fact resonated with me while I was researching. I perseverated on it so much that I missed quite a bit of other information that was more relevant to our Bramble Bush folks' story. Then I realized it's because we are currently looking at real estate listings, and the first thing we check is if the property is FREEHOLD or LEASE.  

It is 100% true that we view through our own lens. The information we process first goes through a series of checks. What we currently have going on in our personal lives effects how we perceive the information we process. 

I wonder how many times I have skimmed over information about our ancestors, and missed the entire point that was being made. This was never more clearly observed than in today's fixation on the establishment of freehold while I missed so much more important information about the achievements on the United Empire Loyalists. 

With that in mind I think it's time to look back at X5 & X6 great grandmother Catherine to ensure her story can be told.

Looking back over previous research with fresh eyes!

This is why I search - 



Cause ... 





You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!
















***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***




Footnotes:

1 United Empire Loyalists, the Canada Act, Canada History Project. Retrieved January 10th 2021 from 
http://www.canadahistoryproject.ca/1791/1791-04-loyalists.html

Sources:

Buchner-Boughner Family Origins, The Niagara Settlers, by R. Robert Mutrie. Retrieved January 10th 2021 from 
https://sites.google.com/site/niagarasettlers/pioneer-lives-2/buchner-Boughner-Familty-Origins

Canada Immigration, United Empire Loyalists (National Institute), Family Search, Retrieved January 10th 2021 from 
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Canada_Immigration,_United_Empire_Loyalists_(National_Institute)

Loyalists in Canada, The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 10th 2021 from
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/loyalists

Mutrie, R. Robert. The Long Point Settlers, Log Cabin Publishing,1992, P 33

Soldiers and Supporters "B", The Niagara Settlers, by R. Robert Mutrie. Retrieved January 10th 2021 from
https://sites.google.com/site/niagarasettlers/soldiers-and/soldiers-b

UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS VERSUS LATE LOYALISTS, Retrieved January 10th 2021 from 
https://grandriversaga.com/journal/the-american-parents-of-upper-canada/

Upper Canada Land Petitions, The Niagara Settlers, by R. Robert Mutrie. Retrieved January 10th 2021 from
 https://sites.google.com/site/niagarasettlers/upper-canada-land-petitions

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

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