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The Loyalist Collection
HARRIET IRVING LIBRARY
University of New Brunswick
The Harriet Irving Library at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, N.B. is a repository of
Loyalist resources which is unique in Canada. The
Loyalist Collection contains microfilm of
British, North American Colonial, and early Canadian primary sources
from approximately 1740 - 1870, with the
chief focus being the American Revolution,
and the early years of Loyalist settlement in British
North America.
The special collection of the Loyalist primary sources on microfilm in the UNB Library had its origin in the late 1960's with the formation of the Programme for Loyalist Studies and Publications. The University of London, City University of New York, American Antiquarian Society, and the University of New Brunswick were the institutions involved in an international agreement to identify, list, and microfilm all the Loyalist primary sources in the three countries. The Canada Council provided financial support in this country. By the time the Canadian section of the project ceased in 1976, approximately 700 reels of microfilm had been deposited in the UNB Library.
In 1982, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada awarded the UNB Library a three-year, $50,000 grant to expand the microfilm collection of Loyalist materials and to enhance the Library's other resources which support Loyalist research. The awarding of this grant coincided with the New Brunswick Bicentennial in 1784 and the founding of the University of New Brunswick in 1785, both events being a direct result of Loyalist settlement. With purchases made possible by the SSHRC grant, by the UNB History Department, and private donors, and with the microfilm accumulated under the Programme, the Loyalist Collection was gradually assembled and organized by Kathryn Hilder, the librarian in charge of the Collection from 1978 until her retirement in 1998. This unique and comprehensive collection of Loyalist resources in one location has confirmed the position of the UNB Library as the principal Loyalist research centre in and for Canada.There are now over 3400 reels of microfilm and 700 microfiche in the Loyalist Collection. It is largely unindexed and contains only primary sources. In addition, there are numerous finding aids to the manuscripts in the Collection.
The Loyalist Collection is arranged by five categories of material:
The Loyalist Collection Inventory was designed and composed by Kathryn Hilder, the author of the Database, Inventory Text, Finding Aids, and the Classification Schedules. The Inventory may be accessed on the World Wide Web at the following address:
http://www.lib.unb.ca/collections/loyalist/
The Loyalist Collection Inventory is available for research purposes and private study only. Please credit the author and UNB Libraries when citing material.
Reproduction of the Inventory and Finding Aids in whole or in part for any commercial purpose is prohibited.
Copyright of the images is retained by the owners and any reproduction is prohibited by applicable copyright law.
Links may be made to this site but under no conditions are the texts and images to be copied and posted on another site's server.
Inquiries regarding the Inventory and Finding Aids should be directed to the following Department:
Christine Jack, Manager of Microforms
Harriet Irving Library, University of New Brunswick
PO Box 7500 Fredericton, N.B. E3B 5H5
Telephone (506) 453-4834 or Fax (506) 453-4595
e-mail: mic@unb.ca
Researchers who may wish to forward suggestions or comments about the Inventory and Finding Aids are invited to contact the author of the Inventory, Kathryn Hilder, Librarian (ret'd). e-mail: hilder@unb.ca.
Researchers planning to visit the UNB Library to use the Loyalist Collection and related material should write or telephone in advance.
Revised 04/2004