Hastings County Militia 1799-1899

Loyalist Gazette, The, Fall, 2002 by Peter W. Johnson

Don C. Kellaway.

Kingston: Thee Hellbox Press. 2000. coilbound. Approx. $17.

This is a modest, but entertaining examination of the Militia in Hastings Co., ON, especially for those with Bay of Quinte area roots. I chose that geographical area rather than Hastings Co., because the earliest militia lists show surnames that would spread out as the 19th century progressed. In other words, your ancestral family may have been in southern Hastings County in the beginning but subsequent generations have moved farther afield.

The publication is dedicated to the memory of the men in the local militia, and the tone of the book is patriotic.

The book is divided into 5 sections. The first section examines various sources from Land Petitions, Militia Rolls, to summaries of military events throughout the 19th century. Kellaway also gives a list of suggestions for further reading.

The rest of the book is devoted to Militia Lists, with Section 2 providing the interesting 1799-1814 period. The 1779 list shows surnames such as Meyers, Bell, Sherwood, Marsh, Harris, Fairman, Badgley, Frederick, Parks, Reed, Wilier (Weller), and Lott to name a few. The next list covers 1807, and there has been quite a change in names with some new ones added such as Rose, Maybee, Adams, Benedict, Sine, Bonisteel, Skinkle, Rosebush and Ketcheson.

Section 3 deals with the 1815-1830 period, although it goes a bit beyond that time. The 4th Section concerns 1837 Veterans. Beyond the lists in this section, there are also recorded "Memories". The book closes with Section 5, covering 1850-1899.

It is certainly a useful book for those with roots in that area, but it would benefit from the addition of an index.

The publisher's address is, Thee Hellbox Press., 241 Glengarry Rd., Kingston, ON K7M 3J6.