Bureau of Archives, the Haldimand Papers, the Audit Office records, land board records, and the old U.E. List. He eliminated men who had obviously served in the Indian Department, finding in some instances that the men themselves did not realize they did not belong to the rangers.
Where we have been able to choose, we have selected rolls which show each regiment at its most complete. Missing are names of men who had been killed, died of wounds or disease, or been discharged before the return was made. With the exception of Butler’s Rangers, the rolls do not indicate cumulative strength, which would have been difficult to establish. Omitted from the rolls are the King’s Loyal Americans, Queen’s Loyal Rangers and other small units such as McAlpin’s, that served in General John Burgoyne’s army during the summer and autumn of 1777. Many of the survivors served later on, in the Loyal Rangers or the second battalion, King’s Royal Regiment of New York. The names of many men who had served in units that ceased to exist in the autumn of 1781 are found on the rolls of the two latter battalions, and the length of service gives a clue to which men had obviously been in the older units. If a reader is looking for a name not in these published rolls, the War Office Records in the Public Archives of Canada, identified as M.G. 13, W.O. 28, volumes 4 and 5, contain lists of some of the units that were lost through reorganization of the provincial troops in 1781.
Certain of the War Office rolls are in alphabetical order, to the extent that names beginning with the same letter are grouped together. Some rolls are listed by company, others are simply long lists, and there may be no indication as to which company an officer belonged. Names on some rolls are numbered, apparently in the order of enlistment in a company or corps, and are not in alphabetical order. We considered arranging the names in alphabetical order to make the men easier to find, but decided that this would detract from the authenticity of the documents. Where rolls were by company, an alphabetical listing would be only marginally helpful, and we felt that changing the original numbering would be inappropriate.
At the same time we have added numbers to rolls of the Royal Highland Emigrants and King’s Rangers, although none are shown on the originals. This was done so that company and corps size would match the numbered rolls and make comparisons simpler.
The information on the men is not the same on each roll, and the spelling varies widely. The officers and clerks who made up the rolls spelled phonetically, and in some instances the handwriting was hard to decipher. Pronouncing a name aloud may help in deciding its modern version. Abbreviations used for the country of birth of each man are usually self evident, for example, E. for England, I for Ireland, A. for America. One that may confuse is N.B. for North Britain, implying a Scotsman. Unfortunately, the ages and heights of all the men were not included on certain of the rolls and lists, and never for the officers. Such material would have been of great interest.
Permission to publish, with the repository where a roll may be consulted, is stated at the beginning of each roll.
THE ROYAL HIGHLAND EMIGRANTS 84th FOOT
The following is the only official muster roll of the first battalion, Royal Highland Emigrants 84th Foot, which was part of the Northern Department. (A second battalion was raised mainly in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, and attached to the Eastern (or Northeastern) Department. Five companies served in Nova Scotia, and five were sent to serve in the southern campaign. When the revolution ended, the second battalion was given a township in Nova Scotia.)
The muster roll for the first battalion lists only nine companies. Missing is Captain Daniel Robertson’s company, on duty at Fort Oswegatchie when the roll was made. It covers the period from June 1780 to December 1781, and is dated Sorel, 16 April, 1781. The Public Record Office reference is W.O. 12/8741 (1780-1789).
Permission to publish was obtained from the Controller of H.M. Stationery Office, London, U.K.
Headquarters Company 84th Regiment, First Battalion
Lt-Colonel Allen Maclean, Commanding the District of
Montreal.
Capt.-Lieutenant Alexander Fletcher
Ensign John Pringle
Non-Combatant Officers
John Bethune -- Chaplain
Randle McDonald -- Adjutant
Dunkin Murray -- Quartermaster
James Davidson -- Surgeon
William Menzies -- Surgeon
James Walker -- Surgeon’s Mate
Other Ranks
Sergeants -- Andrew McFarland
John Gault
Joseph Greer
Corporals -- Daniel Grant
George Moore
Drummers -- John Bezet
Donald McLeod
Colonel Maclean’s Company -- Private soldiers
1. John Bryon
2. John Burke
3. Tobias Burke
4. John Boyle
5. Baptiste Boncure
6. Joseph Burgess
7. James Campbell
8. Peter Charidier
9. James Cook
10. Thomas Faulkner
11. James Frith
12. John Gorman
13. Paul Gaudet
14. John Grant
15. Louies Golia
16. John Green
17. George Hillard
18. William Howard
19. Edward Higgenbotham
20. George Hillimere
21. Francis Labadier
22. Cornelius Landrigan
23. Daniel McColm
24. John McEwan
25. John McDonell
26. Daniel Millard
27. Jesse Millard
28. Joseph Morrow
29. Bark Miller
30. Alexander McPherson
31. Allan McLean
32. Charles McCarthy
33. Angus McPhee
34. Edward Mopsley
35. Michael
