General Notes

Name Suffix:<NSFX> U.E.
1  NAME John /Diamond/
JOHN DIAMOND
He was another of the early U.E.L. pioneers of Fredericksbu
rgh, whose descendants are numerous and respected in this a
nd the adjoining counties. He was a native of New York Stat
e, near Albany, where he and several of his brothers were b
orn and reared. They were loyalists to the British cause, b
ut one of the older brothers was drafted into the America
n ranks. Such a service was so repugnant to his feelings th
at he soon made his escape, but fell very sick and was kep
t concealed for a time. The visits of a doctor, who was wat
ched, led to his discovery. His father was at once require
d to give a bond of $1200 that the son should not be remove
d while sick. He got well and again attempted to escape a s
ervice that was repugnant to his feeling. He was caught, ma
de prisoner and handcuffed to another prisoner. While bein
g thus removed from one place to another, the two prisoner
s managed to knock their guard on the head and ran for life
, thus bound together. At night they managed to rub their h
andcuffs off, and finally escaped to Canada. Another of th
e brothers was similarly drafted, carried off, and was neve
r afterwards heard of.
John was also drafted and taken to the rebel army when he b
ecame old enough for service, but he also managed to make h
is escape to Canada. He then enlisted in the Rogers Royal B
attalion and was honorably discharged at the end of the wa
r and later on, became one of the first company of settler
s in Third Town, or Fredericksburgh. He married a Miss Loys
t, also a member of one of the early U.E.L. families, we be
lieve, who appears to have been possessed of the same patri
otic and heroic spirit. In Upper Canada they spent their fi
rst summer in clearing a little spot of land, where in th
e fall they got a little grain in the ground. For weeks dur
ing that summer they slept under the shelter of a tree, bu
t managed to erect for themselves a snug log hut before win
ter set in. Nearly all their neighbors had a similar experi
ence, but many of them lived to see their farms cleared, un
der cultivation, with comfortable dwellings and their famil
ies well to do and educated.
The Diamonds have been ever since among the well known fami
lies of the township. They have also been prominently ident
ified with the Methodists from the beginning.
Haldiman Papers, Shewman family; Land Board Records call Ch
ristina, daughter of William Shewman. "Canniff's Settlemen
t up Canada", had this: "John Diamond was born in Albany. H
e married Miss Loyst a native of Philadelphia, whose ancest
ors were German."