PRESENTER: Mike Woodcock UE
United Empire Loyalists (UEL) were members of the thirteen colonies who remained loyal to the Crown during the American Revolution and when the conflict was over, were the first political refugees to come to the northern colonies (today’s Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) that eventually became Canada.
After an explanation on the emergence of the Loyalists, Mike will focus on some fascinating early UEL descendants who made their way to Victoria. Using archival materials from the City of Victoria and the Victoria UELAC Branch Archives. Mike will then trace the early Victoria UELAC branch (established in 1927) development and the early member’s efforts to develop UEL presence and legacy in Victoria.
For more information on the Victoria UELAC Branch, visit their website at
https://victoria.uelac.ca/.
Mike Woodcock is the Past President of the Victoria Branch of the United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada (UELAC) and remains on the Victoria Branch Executive with responsibility for Membership and Outreach. Mike is also a Director with the Victoria Genealogical Society (VGS) and a member of the Old Cemeteries Society, Victoria Historical Society, and the Saanich Pioneer Society.
To raise the profile of United Empire Loyalists on Vancouver Island, Mike has developed an online
Loyal-List with profiles of over 800 UELAC descendants found here between 1860-1950. Please visit the site and find a Loyalist ancestor. Mike continues to refine this genealogical resource and welcomes additional information and edits through the site.
Mike has given cemetery tours on Loyalist Descendants buried at Ross Bay Cemetery for the Old Cemetery Society. He is considered the expert on early British Columbian UEL descendants.