Question

Is there a category that denotes"Hessian" soldiers that served for the British during the American Revolution?

Comments

When the Palatine Migration Project was fairly new, there was a question about whether it would include Hessian soldiers from the Revolutionary War. They are not currently included in that project.

The discussion at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Palatine_Migration_Project_Bulletin_Board#Hessians.3F may be of interest.

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Thanks you for this information.  I generally agree that Hessian soldiers should be handled under Revolutionary war categories and projects rather than under the Palatine project, although I disagree with the term "mercenaries"  used in that discussion.   Most of those that served from the Hesse-Kassel region of what is now Germany were part of regular military units allied with the British and were not "guns for hire".  Three of my direct ancestors were in such units and were granted land by the British in Nova Scotia after the war in recognition for their service.

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I don't know if they were specifically Hessian, but there are quite a number of soldiers with Germanic roots who settled in what was then the Province of Québec and married French Canadian women.

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Interesting.  I wasn't aware that some German soldiers also settled in Quebec.  My "Hessian" ancestors in Nova Scotia and their immediate descendants appear to have mostly married British loyalists that fled to Nova Scotia after the war.

Answer 1

There is a category:

[[Category: Hessians, American Revolution]]

Comments

Thanks,  this should have been obvious, but I appreciate the clarification.  I have 3 direct ancestors for which the Hessian category is applicable.

Answer 2

From "The History and Antiquities of Every Town in the State of New York" by Barber and Howe dated 1841, republished 2016 by AmericanAncestors.org ..... Hessian soldiers also fought for England during the French and Indian War. In 1710 England's General Hunter arrived with 3000 Palatine's who had fled to England, many settling in NY State and Pennsylvania.  In 1711 the English mustered 1000 of them in the then British colonies who participated in the failed attacked on the French in Canada that year. They fought for the British during the Revolutionary war at Saratoga NY.  Of all this 1,000's of the mostly nameless that came from England and Europe, both as civilian or soldier, were killed, captured. enslaved by their adversaries or starved to death serving during the wars.