History of the Loyalists: the Story of Samuel Denny Street

Year
1893
Month
11
Day
22
Article Title
History of the Loyalists: the Story of Samuel Denny Street
Author
James Hannay
Page Number
1
Article Type
Language
Article Contents
HISTORY OF THE LOYALISTS THE STORY OF SAMUEL DENNY STREET. An Officer Who Was Active In the War of the Revolution. [Continued] The war was now drawing to a close and further opportunity did not occur for the display of Lieut. Street’s talents in active operations. He remained with his family in the garrison at Fort Howe. The family record shows that two of his children Samuel Lee, born June 25, 1782, and Charles Freeman, born Jan. 25, 1784, were baptized at Fort Howe on the 7th day of April, 1784, by the Rev. James Sayre, chaplain of the 3d Battalion New Jersey Volunteers, of which Lieut-Col. (afterwards Judge) Isaac Allen was commander. The close of the war rendered it no longer necessary to maintain the former army establishment; a number of regiments, including all the loyalist corps, were accordingly disbanded. The following brief letter from the General commanding the British forces in Nova Scotia is of interest in this oonnexion: FORT HOWE, October 1st, 1783. SIR:—You are to disband the companies at the Royal Fencible American at this place, observing the same instructions relative to this corps as have been given you by his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Guy Carleton, relative to such of the British American regiments as have lately arrived at this place. I am, sir, &c. &c., HENRY E FOX, Brigr. Gen'l. Captain Prevost, Deputy Inspector General. On the 28th October Lieut. Street wrote to Capt. Mathews at Quebec that the Royal Fencibles having been disbanded Capt. Evans of the 57th regiment had been placed in command of the garrison at Fort Howe. Jan. 21,1784, Lieut. Street again wrote to Capt. Mathews, addressing his letter from the "Town on the east tide of St. John's Harbour.” (The two letters referred to are in the Haldimand collection at Ottawa) With the disbanding of the Royal Fencibles in garrison at Fort Howe, Lieut. Street’s duties as an army officer were at an end, but his life was not destined to prove one of idle ease, on the contrary the next two years were perhaps the busiest of his life. Along with his old comrade in arms, Major Studholme, he was APPOINTED AN AGENT for the location of the Loyalists emigrating from New York to the province. With his customary forethought Sir Guy Carleton had sent Col. Edward Winslow, Muster-Master General of the provincial forces to the river St. John in the summer of 1783, to arrange for the settlement of the disbanded troops. In company with Brigadier General Fox, whom he accompanied as military secretary, Winslow made a personal inspection of the lands upon the St. John, and the general location of each regiment was then assigned. The details of settlement both in the case of the disbanded troops and of the loyalists in general were superintended by Major Studholme and Lieut. Street. The latter expressly states in a memorial presented to his Excellency Lieutenant Governor Smyth; "The settlement of the Loyalists in this province was principally conducted by me as agent for government jointly with the late Hen. Gilfred Studholme." The circumstances of the exiled loyalists were such that they were objects of real compassion, and to add to their misfortunes much of the wilderness land on the St. John river and elsewhere had been previously granted to non-residents, who it is true had failed to comply with the conditions of their grants, but from whom it could not be recovered without a tedious process in the court of escheats. Lieut. Street had obtained at the close of the war a recommendation from the Lords of Trade and their order to Governor Parr for 3,000 acres of land at Barton. The exigencies of the loyalists however were such that he surrendered 2,000 acres of this grant together with a lot at St. John for their immediate accommodation under an assurance from Governor Parr that after the loyalists had been provided for an equal quantity of land should be granted him wherever he should elect. Mr. Street’s generous surrender of his lands—for such under all the circumstances of the case it must be considered, only served to deepen his sense of the wisdom of the inspired words, "Put not your trust in princes." Notwithstanding Governor Parr’s assurances, he was never able to secure the promised regrant. Samuel Denny Street was probably THE FIRST ATTORNEY TO PRACTICE his profession in the province, and for 40 years his name stood at the head of the roll of attorneys. Before the division of the old province of Nova Scotia the following card had made its appearance: — SAMUEL DENNY STREET, NOTARY PUBLIC, AND CONVEYANCER, Will transact all Notarial business, &c., for the present at Major Studholme’s office, Fort Howe. March 7, 1784. When the Supreme Court met at the town at Parr in February 1780, Mr. Street produced a certificate of having been admitted an attorney in other parts of his Majesty's dominions and was thereupon admitted to the court of New Brunswick. The settlement of the loyalists having been completed he retired to his lands at Burton with which he seems to have been well content as he gave to them the name of Elysian Fields. Here his household in the course of time became a very large one including, in addition to his own family of ten sons and two daughters, the three orphan children of a deceased brother officer, Dr. Ambrose Sherman, late surgeon in the Royal Fencibles, who was drowned at Burton in the year 1793. The mother of these children having died some years before, they were left without a single relative in America. Mr. Street’s own children were:— Ann Frances, born January 4, 1779. Thomas George, born August 30, 1780. Samuel Lee, born June 25, 1782. Charise Freeman, born January 20, 1784. George Frederick, born July 21, 1787. Edwin Denny, born February 28 1789. William Henry, born April 11, 1793. John Ambrose Sherman, born Sept. 22, 1795. Susanna Maria Louisa, born June 23, 1797. Alfred Locke, born May 10, 1799. James Wallis, born May 7, 1801. Samuel Denny Lee, born Jan. 23, 1806. Of the two daughters the elder married George D. Berton, the younger Nathaniel Hubbard. Of the sons, Thomas George was a captain in East India Co. Service. His son Samuel Denny, who died in St. George, 1837, aged 22 years, and George D, a well-known member of the Bar at St. Andrews, died in 1882 aged 70 years. The second son Samuel Lee, died at Tobago 1803 in his 21st year. The third Charles Freeman, lived on his father’s property at Barton, a farmer, and his sons still reside there, The fourth, George Frederick, studied for the law, in which profession he attained distinction, was Solicitor General of the province for many years, and in 1845 became a judge of the supreme court, holding the position until his death in 1855. Edwin Denny, the fifth son, following the example of his brother Charles, remained on the homestead in Burton a farmer; he died unmarried. William Henry, the sixth son, was a merchant in the city of St. John, mayor of the city in 1835 and again in 1847, and AT ONE TIME REPRESENTED THE CITY in the provincial legislature. John Ambrose Sherman was the seventh son, and a man of remarkable ability. He was a lawyer by profession, represented the county of Northumberland for 20 years, and was attorney general of the province in 1851 In the memorable battle over the question of Responsible Government during the session of this and the succeeding years he proved a tower of strength to the Conservative party, and almost single handed met the attack of such assailants as Charles Fisher, Wm. J. Ritchie, Albert J. Smith, and John M. Johnson. Had the Partelow-Street government remained in power one year longer Attorney-General Street would have gone on the bench on the death of his brother Judge Street, instead of the distinguished gentleman who was actually appointed, the late Sir William Johnstone Ritchie. The late William W. Street of Fredericton, was a son of the Hon. John Ambrose Street. The eighth son of Samuel Denny Street, Alfred Locke, was also a lawyer. He was at one time Surrogate at St. John and practiced his profession at St. John and St. Andrews. He died at the latter place. His son the Rev. Wm. Henry Street is now rector of Campobello. James, the ninth son, was a well-known merchant at Saint Andrews. The tenth son and youngest child Samuel Denny Lee, was for more than 40 years rector of Woodstock, N. B., where he died Dec. 8th, 1870, universally beloved by his parishioners. Two of his sons reside in the province, viz., Alfred F. Street, collector of customs at Fredericton, and E. Lee Street, druggist of Newcastle. On the organization of the province in 1785, Samuel Danny Street was appointed Clerk of the Peace and Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas for Sunbury County. He was also made a Master in Chancery, by no means an un-remunerative office in such suits as the celebrated Simonds versus Hazen and White contest, which was in the court of chancery for 25 years. (To be continued)