86 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
of Stamford, who began to teach a school there in the autumn of 1781, 
says that this community was composed of Loyalists, most of whom 
were ‘‘churchmen from Connecticut.” Refugee clergymen occasion- 
ally visited this settlement to hold divine service on Sundays. Some 
of the refugees rented the property of John Sloss Hobart, a revolu- 
tionist, and, locating on it, undertook to support their families by 
honest industry, but complained early in January, 1782, to Lieutenant- 
General James Robertson at New York, that they found themselves 
prevented from enjoying the fruits of their labors by the depredations 
of the crews of the armed vessels stationed in Huntington Bay for 
their protection.! 
In April, 1783, the Reverend John Sayre, who seems to have lived 
at Flushing, Long Island, since his flight from Fairfield in 1779, 
came to Eaton’s Neck to conduct public worship, and at the same 
time inform the refugee community that the King would grant lands 
in Nova Scotia to all Loyalists who wished to settle there, besides 
providing by similar grants for the support of churches and schools in 
localities thus peopled, and would supply the ships necessary for the 
transportation of emigrating Loyalists. Mr. Bates at once procured a 
copy of the royal proposals from Huntington, and at a general meeting 
of the local refugees it was agreed by all present to take advantage of 
che terms offered by removing and settling together in the wilderness 
of Nova Scotia. Accordingly, arrangements were made as speedily 
as possible, and the little colony on Eaton’s Neck embarked on the 
transport Union, Consett Wilson, master, at Huntington Bay, April 
11th to 16th, and, sailing by way of the East River to New York, 
joined nineteen other transports, which were also filled with American 
exiles. On April 26, this fleet proceeded on its voyage for the River 
St. John in what is now the Province of New Brunswick. A fortnight 
later the Union, leading the fleet, arrived at Partridge Island, and the 
next day was moored in the harbour of the St. John, but the company 
remained comfortably aboard until the lower reaches of the river 
should be explored for a suitable location. This task was entrusted to 
David Pickett, Israel Hait, Silas Raymond, and several others, who, 
after a journey of sixty miles up the St. John and a visit to Belleisle 
Bay, recommended the site of the present town of Kingston, of which 
they were to become the founders. The company now disembarked 
from the good ship Union, bade farewell to Captain Wilson who had 
treated them with great consideration, transferred themselves and 
their baggage on board a small sloop, and after a day’s sail arrived at 
Belleisle Bay before sunset. The list or ‘manifest’? of the Union’s 
passengers, which is still extant, shows that of the 210 persons specified 
1 Bates, Kingston and the Loyalists of 1783, 8-10. 
