Maritime Loyalists - Muster Master’s Office, 1777 to 1785
Search names of Loyalists who settled in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island.
Historical language advisory
In your research, you may encounter historical language referring to Black Canadians that is considered offensive today. Please read the notice about historical language in LAC’s collections.
On this page
Search tips
- Try searching by surname first. Some entries include only an initial for the given name.
- Some individuals may be identified by given name in one document and then by both given name and surname in another document (for example: “Fortune” and “Fortune Sterling”).
- To identify Black people, try using keywords such as “Black Pioneers,” “Black servant,” or “Negro” in the group/regiment field.
- Some information in the database may be incorrect or incomplete due to difficulties reading the original documents.
- The content of the database entries reflects the original language used in the documents. This information was not translated.
About the records
These records come from Ward Chipman’s fonds (MG 23 D1). Chipman acted as deputy muster master general for six years. His fonds consists of business records, missionary records, and papers relating to the Loyalists and the Boundary Commissions (1751 to 1844). Volumes 24–27 contain over 19,000 references to the Muster Master’s Office sub-series.
These records refer mostly to Loyalists who settled in the Maritimes. References to their wives and children are included in the documents along with references to soldiers of British regiments and members of Black Loyalist regiments. The following document types can be found:
- abstracts
- accounts
- casualty returns
- correspondence
- land grants
- muster rolls
- provision lists
- receipts
- returns of prisoners
- returns of settlers
Access the records
Digitized images are attached to the Collection search records, but you can also view the complete microfilm C-9818 on Canadiana Héritage.
You can consult the microfilm reels in person in our self-service microfilm room in Ottawa.