[siebert] SETTLEMENT OE LOYALISTS AT MACHICHE, P.O. 411 



or working for a livelihood." 1 The wail of distress on the part of 

 many families who had once known better circumstances was still 

 heard from Machiche in the fall of 1783, when it was voiced by Samuel 

 Adams, who wrote (October 4) to Quebec to say that he and some 

 of his fellow-Loyalists were thinking of settling in Nova Scotia, where 

 they would be able to relieve their necessities by the abundance of 

 fish and game to be found there. Later, Adams and his friends repre- 

 sented that they had been stricken from the provision list by Cuyler. 

 The complaint was promptly investigated by Captain Gershom 

 French, who reported that most of the distress of the people arose 

 from their keeping their older children "out of service." 2 



For several months past Governor Haldimand had given consider- 

 able attention to plans for forming permanent settlements of the 

 Loyalists who had come under his jurisdiction. In November, 1783, 

 the people at Machiche were officially invited to participate in the 

 colonization of Townships Two and Three at Cataraqui, at the head 

 of the St. Lawrence River. However, only twelve or fifteen families 

 showed any inclination to join in this enterprise, and even these fam- 

 ilies raised objections on the score of the distance of the place, the 

 difficulty of transporting provisions, the unseasonableness of the time, 

 and their lack of cattle and farming implements which the government 

 said nothing about providing. The schoolmaster, Josiah Cass, 

 wrote that these considerations were causing his fellow-townsmen 

 to take lands on seigniories and farms on shares, or try the more 

 disagreeable method of returning to the States for the purpose of 

 gathering "some Fragments of their former Estates." Nevertheless, 

 Cass thought that a considerable number would agree to go to Cata- 

 raqui, if they were given encouragement equal to the undertaking. 

 Another objection to the proposed allotment of lands was stated by 

 Jeptha Hawley, namely, that these allotments, according to report, 

 were not to be "free donations," but, on the contrary, were to be by 

 leases on seigniories, with the usual reserves, acknowledgments, 

 and services to seigniors. Hawley made it plain that the people 

 at Machiche wanted free lands to replace the property they had lost, 

 and had not expected that "Loyalty would deprive them of Freedom." 

 Haldimand's secretary, Lieutenant Mathews, hastened to assure Mr. 

 Hawley that his apprehensions were entirely unfounded, and that, 

 although the lands were to be distributed in seigniories in conformity 

 with the laws and customs of the country, the Crown had reserved 



1 Haldimand Papers, B. 165, p. 54; Second Report, Bureau of Archives, 

 Ont., Pt. I, 434; Haldimand Papers, B. 164, p. 125. 



2 Ibid. , B. 162, pp. 112, 113; B. 166, pp. 159, 160; B. 165, pp. 183, 205. 



