Joseph Huffnail UE (1724 - 1785)

Born 1724 in Germany

Descendants

Died Mar 1785 at about age 61 in Fredericksburgh, Lennox and Addington County, Ontario, Canada

Joseph Huffnail was a United Empire Loyalist.
UEL Status:Proven
Date: Undated

Biography

Soldier in Col. Peters' company of Loyal Rangers.

"Joseph Hofnagle" is landowner in Adolphustown in 1797, even after his death in 1785. A way to record name of the original owner? Also listed are his son Andrew and his son-in-law Henry Davis:^[1]

• http://my.tbaytel.net/bmartin/adolphus.htm

Land Claim of widow:

868. Claim of Jobert Hofnial [sic], Charlotte Co., New York. His Widow, Margaret, appears. Says her Husband resided at Sorel [Quebec] in the Fall & all the winter. He was a native of Germany. Came to North America 23 years ago [= 1764?]. Lived at Kingsboro, Charlotte Co. , when the Rebellion broke out. He joined the British forces in 1780. Joined Jessup's Corps & served during the war. He died 2 years ago [March 1785] without a Will. Left a Son, Andrew, now in the 4th Township, who served in Jessup's Regiment 3 yrs. as a Drummer. Andrew joined with his Father. He is not yet of age.

Her Husband had 60 acres in Kingsboro. His Brother gave the Land to him, but they had not cleared any part. The Brother was a man of substance. Now lives in the States.

They worked on the Brother's Land but had not cleared any part of their own. They cleared on their Brother's Land & had a House there where they lived.

Her Husband had 5 horses, 2 taken by the Rebels, 3 killed by the Rebels, 3 Cows, 2 Calves, a yoke of Steers, 10 Sheep, 3 Hogs, farming utensils, taken by the enemy.

In the year 1777 he staid [sic] behind & would not go away with the Rebels. The Rebels suspected all persons who staid thus behind to be Tories & to stay with Intent to join Burgoyne. The Indians got some of the Sheep.

John German, Witness:

Knew the late Jobert [sic] Hofnail. He was a good Loyalist. He was always Loyal. Illness prevented his coming into Canada in 1777. He joined in 1780. Witness has understood he had a stock of his own on his Brother's Lands & believes they were taken or detroyed by the rebels.

The Reid book (Loyalists in Ontario) lists 4 children^[2] who filed UEL land claims:

• Barbara HUFFNAIL
• Catherine HUFFNAIL
• Mary HUFFNAIL
• Andrew HUFFNAIL

Adam Huffnagle (drummer; most likely "Andrew" who was mentioned as a drummer in his widowed mother's land claim, above) and John Huffnagle (fifer) appear on the roster of Jessup's Rangers in May 1781, as does their father Hobst Huffnagle [sic].^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Davy-172
2. ↑ http://web.archive.org/web/20030520083400/http://qschooner.com/reid/d0000/g0000018.html#I2393
3. ↑ http://www.nyhistory.net/drums/jessups_roster.html

• http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~hazlett/Huffnail/HuffnailDesc2.html

This family history refers to him on page 1 by various first names -- including Jeptha & Jobet:

• http://vanalderwerelt.name/pdf_families/5_TheDavisFamily.pdf

• William D. Reid, The Loyalists in Ontario: The Sons & Daughters of The American Loyalists of Upper Canada, Hunterdon House, Lambertville, New Jersey USA, 1973.