72 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



that he collected and converted most of the assets into American 

 stocks and British goods within a year after he arrived in England. 

 He remitted the stock to Barent Bleecker in Albany and the goods to 

 Peter Rem.sen in New York, who sold the goods for him. The proceeds 

 of the goods amounted to $400,000; of the stocks $123,000, 

 making a total of $523,000, which was at that time considered an 

 immense sum even in circles familiar with the wealth of the Van 

 Rensselaers and Schuylers. Tradition states that the entire estate, 

 as converted, was sent to America in a ship chartered for the purpose 

 after the outbreak of the war of 1812, and that an order was issued 

 by both the British and the American Governments instructing their 

 war vessels not to molest this ship bearing the estate of the British 

 General to his heirs in the United States. Doubtless considerable 

 profit was made by the device of turning the British moneys into 

 goods. In the family all these events naturally created much pleasur- 

 able excitement and were regarded as a kind of romance. 



I am sorry that my further information is very defective. I 

 know nothing about the General's life either in Ireland or London, 

 about the place or nature of his Irish estates (although, I presume, 

 they were in Downshire), the story of his wife and marriage, his 

 army career, beyond the meagre particulars given above — not even 

 his exact appearance, as I have never seen any picture better than 

 the rude sketch by Kay; but I have reason to think he was a tall, 

 dark, handsome man, of perfect constitution. I have a hope that 

 others may yet add some of these particulars from army records, 

 and from letters in the hands of the descendants of his English and 

 Irish military friends, by whom he was evidently valued and esteemed, 

 while other particulars may doubtless be gathered in the United 

 States. What I have tried to do is to rescue from oblivion the 

 memory of a hero of the Empire, and the Loyalist of the highest 

 military rank. 



Montreal, December 23rd, 1921. 



