2026 is the Semiquincentennial Birthday of America.
Through the years, I’ve researched both sides of my son’s family tree and found quite a few Patriots AND Tories, who remained in the United States at the close of the American Revolution plus Loyalists who had such strong beliefs supporting the King that they upped sticks and left for New Brunswick, Canada.
Regardless of their beliefs, each of these ancestors had a part in the formation of our newly born country and need to be acknowledged.
Sabo Patriot Ancestors:
Bucknam, Joses, MA, Private, POW to Mill Prison, England
Haskell, Hubbard, MA, Committee of Safety 1776
Hay, William, MA, Private
Scripture, James, NH, Private
Scripture, Samuel, NH, Private, Bunker Hill
Tarbox, Samuel, MA (ME), Town Moderator 1776
Wilson, Robert, Campobello Island, Canada; helped with the American attack on Fort Cumberland 1776
Sabo Loyalist Ancestors:
Adams, John, CT, Queens Rangers
Astle, James, NY, to New Brunswick, Canada
Burt, Benjamin, CT, Queens Rangers
Carlisle, Robert, Royal Fencible Americans
Crouse, Phillip, NC, to New Brunswick, Canada
Stewart, Walter, NY, to New Brunswick, Canada
Stufflebean Patriot Ancestors:
Alberty, Frederick, NC, Battles of Brandywine and Germantown
Beeson, Benjamin, NC, Quaker who gave material aid
Black, Hans, NC, material aid
Crabtree, Abraham, VA, militia and Cherokee Expedtion
Douthit, John, NC, material aid
Hash, John, VA, militia and Oath of Allegiance 1777
Head, Anthony, VA, messenger at Battle of Point Pleasant
Kennedy, Thomas, VA, built Strode’s Fort Station, 1779
Miller, Jacob, PA, Private, Battles of Brandywine and Stony Point
Steelman, Mathias, NC, Oath of Allegiance 1778
Stufflebean, John, NY, Private, POW of British and Iroquois
Sturgill, Francis, VA, militia and Oath of Allegiance 1777
Tillman, Tobias, NC, Private and Minuteman
Wooldridge, John Sr., VA, Patriotic Service
Woosley, Moses, VA, Private, Battles of Germantown and Stony Point, Valley Forge
Stufflebean Tory Ancestors:
The Brashers, Hambys, Pyles, Bobos, Woodruffs and Coxes were a closely knit FAN club with Tory leanings, although none of these men are specifically named as Tories.
Brasher, Aquilla
Hamby, John
Riddle, William – hung by Col. Benjamin Cleveland, c1782
Woodruff, Samuel
Interestingly, my Tory ancestors clung to their beliefs right until the surrender at Yorktown and all removed to Canada.
In the Stufflebean tree, the handful of Tory sympathizers at the least, moved westward into Kentucky, Tennessee and beyond. None went to Canada and I have to wonder if being Southerners and not partial to the Canadian cold, they decided they would like the western wilderness more.
