Influential People

James Murray - Lord Dunmore

The last Royal Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore issued the first mass emancipation in American history.

Samuel Birch

A cavalry officer who rose to become the British General in command of New York, Birch was a friend and protector of the Black Loyalists.

John Parr

Governor of Nova Scotia from the time the Black Loyalists arrived there until a great number of them left, Parr both assisted and held them back from their aspirations.

Guy Carleton

One of the commanders of the British forces in North America, Carleton made the final decision to evacuate the Black Loyalists with other troops.

One of the key British Military commanders, Clinton persuaded Benedict Arnold to defect, issued the Philipsburg proclamation, and possibly lost the war by miscalculating at Yorktown.

John Clarkson

Brother of the famed abolitionist Thomas Clarkson, John led the Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia to a new promised land in Sierra Leone.

Marston was the chief surveyor of Shelburne. He left an illuminating journal describing early life.

Stephen Skinner

An interesting character in early Shelburne, Skinner served as Stephen Blucke's local patron and ally. He was also the Shelburne recruiting agent for the Sierra Leone Colony.

Bishop Charles Inglis - like many wealthy whites in Nova Scotia he owned slaves and had sharecroppers working his land.

People

Religious Leaders

Secular Leaders