Tracking Descendants

Several people have expressed interest in either tracing their roots or connecting with descendants of War of 1812 veterans.

Are you a descendant of a War of 1812 veteran or family affected by the conflict?
Do you have suggestions for those tracing their roots?

Please let us know below.

Tags: 1812, descendants, of, war

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Permalink Reply by steven moore on January 16, 2013 at 9:38am

Hi,Simon. I was wondering which Dixie you are referring to?I am also a descendent of the Dixie famiy from Elizabethtown.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Scott on January 16, 2013 at 9:47am

No doubt Simon will reply when available - but i think you might of misread - it would be Dixie Ellis of the Ellis Family ! not the Dixie Family. Kind Regards Robert Scott.

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Permalink Reply by simon ellis on January 16, 2013 at 8:12pm

Dear Steven

As Bob says the family name is Ellis not Dixie. Dixie is the first name. He was also the only Ellis until then to have the first name of Dixie. I guess Dixie is related to Richard, but that name also is very rare in the family. Hercules and Henry were most common in the eighteenth century Ellises!

Yours

Simon Ellus

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Permalink Reply by Rodney Lee on September 25, 2012 at 7:54pm

I have just found some information from the UK the Prize list from the raid on Ogdensburg NY 22 Feb 1813

Listing members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment Fencible Infantry 7th Company under

Capt Robert P. Skinner and lists my ancestor by name :)

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Permalink Reply by Ruth Davies on October 13, 2012 at 12:10am

My 4th great grandfather was Hugh McClive and I believe he was part of the King's 8th Regiment of Foot. Around 1806 he signed up in Portsmouth, England and came with his family to Quebec and then to Niagara around 1808. I'm looking for information on his involvement in the war of 1812. He may have been involved at Fort George in Niagara On The Lake during the war. Any information would be so helpful.

Thanks,

Ruth

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Permalink Reply by Ruth Davies on November 2, 2012 at 12:00pm

My 4th great grandfather was Hugh McClive and he was part of the King's 8th Regiment of Foot as stated on his daughters baptism record in Quebec, 1810. Shortly after Hugh came to Niagara. I'm looking for any possible information on his involvement in the war of 1812.

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Permalink Reply by Ron Dale on November 4, 2012 at 10:40pm

The King's 8th Regiment was heavily involved in the War of 1812. Unfortunately, I cannot find him listed in the muster rolls of the 1st or 2nd Battalions. It is possible that he either transferred to another regiment before June 1812 or left the army at that time.

Do you have any other evidence that has him in the army after 1810? Under what circumstances did he come to Niagara? With his regiment?

Ron

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Permalink Reply by Ruth Davies on March 4, 2013 at 10:46pm

Ron, I have recently found his discharge papers they state that Serjeant Hugh McClive (McClieve) was discharged from the King's 8th Regiment in 1811 on being appointed Barrack Master at Fort George until 1813.

Ruth

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Permalink Reply by Ron Dale on March 5, 2013 at 2:54pm

Hi Ruth,

Now I know why the name rang a bell. Hugh was likely born into the regiment, eg his father may have been in the 8th when Hugh was born in Quebec around 1770. He seems to have been taken on strength at a very young age, suggesting that he had been a drummer in the regiment before rising through the ranks to become a sergeant. He was relatively young, only 41 when discharged. Perhaps he was worn out by then.

He was stationed in Quebec on August 20, 1811 when offered the position of Barrack Master at Fort George. As you undoubtedly know he and wife Margaret had at least one child by then, Isabella who was born the previous August. McClive's position of Barrack Master was confirmed in General Orders on September 23, 1811 but McClive had already been ordered to "repair to his Post in batteaux prepared for the conveyance of Brigade Major Evans" proceeding to Upper Canada.

When McClive arrived at Fort George he had an adminstrative mess to sort out. He had been appointed to replace the former Barrack Master Laughton who had been dismissed for "improper conduct."

Presumably he he was provided with quarters in the complex of buildings near Navy Hall and we know he was provided with a horse. There is a document on forage money for one horse provided to him.

There is no record of him actually fighting in the Battle of Fort George and it is actually quite unlikely that he would have done so. He was not taken POW so must have retreated with the army to Burlington Heights. He does not seem to have been able to sort out the Fort George accounts as we see a reference to "the deranged state of his accounts" in an 1815 document. This may mean, however, that papers were lost in the burning of Fort George or on the retreat to Burlington Hts. He was employed as a temporary clerk in the Commissariat Department, possibly in Quebec in March 1814 and had his pay increased in January 1815.In October 1819 he was given permission to receive pay in Canada as a Chelsea pensioner.

There were McClives in Niagara in the later 19th century, including a Hugh so I am guessing that he returned to Niagara to retire.

Ron Dale

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Permalink Reply by Ruth Davies on March 5, 2013 at 6:39pm

Thanks so much for the information Ron.

I'm wondering, how do I find out about Hugh's father and the possibility that he was in the 8th? I believe his name was John McClive.

Ruth

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Permalink Reply by Ron Dale on March 5, 2013 at 7:37pm

Hello Ruth,

You could research the Pay lists of the 8th for the period around 1770 but this sort of thing does little more than list names and how much pay they received along with the specific location of their posting at the time. The 8th garrisoned Fort Niagara in Youngstown for quite some time and because the old fort has an extensive library they might be able to help, As you probably know, the 8th arrived in North America in 1768 and left in 1785, returning to Quebec in 1810 just before Hugh's discharge.

A number of years ago Parks Canada worked with the PRO in Kew and the National Archives in Ottawa to microfilm the pension records of men from regiments stationed in Canada--and this would include the 8th. That would give you Hugh's various papers deposited with the Chelsea Hospital and would include his attestation papers and a record of service.

I will put some feelers out to see if anyone has copied the pay lists for the rev war period. It is quite possible.

Ron

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Permalink Reply by Ruth Davies on March 7, 2013 at 6:49pm

Hi Ron,

I was just reading over the information again. I was wondering how we would go about finding out where he was a clerk in the Commissariat?

I do have a land petition for Niagara from Hugh in 1816. Hugh and his sons and their families etc. did settle in Niagara in the 1800's then in the 1900's dispersed. My grandma McClive was born in Niagara where I now live. Most McClives now are in the states and I've had the pleasure of recently connecting with some. Our quest now is to find Hugh's father. I have seen a listing for a paylist for 1770 for a John McClive in Quebec. At the time that I first saw it, I didn't know there might be a connection but seeing as Hugh's first born son was John I'm thinking that it is likely his father.

Ruth