The History and Master Roll of The King's Royal Regiment of New York--Revised Edition.

The History and Master Roll of The King's Royal Regiment of New York--Revised Edition Authors: Brigadier General Ernest A. Cruikshank and Gavin K. Watt. Publisher: Global Heritage Press Inc., Campbellville, Ontario [c] 2006 ISBN: 1-897210-83-3 Hard cover, 395 pages. $64.95 Cdn.

Gavin Watt has been writing about military and Loyalist themes since at least 1984 when he can be found in the Spring 1984 Loyalist Bicentennial edition of The Loyalist Gazette. He has proven particular expertise in the military campaigns in New York, especially the fortunes of The King's Royal Regiment of New York. This book is certainly worthy of its dedication to "loyal Americans who founded the Province of Ontario". Published twenty-four years after the original edition, this book offers more accurate data based on research in the years since 1982, as well as accurate illustrations. Shared with the original publication, is the writer's ability to produce a well-written history that captures the reader's imagination and brings the characters and the main players to life. There is also the same comprehensive cross-referenced index in both issues.

Gavin Watt has made every effort to tie every piece of information in the Master Roll about veterans of the original Regiment Roll to a coded source. All coded sources, over two hundred of them, are listed in a comprehensive bibliography.

The newly revised Surname Concordance provides a logical path through spelling variations. The names of wives are attached to the location where the enlisted man settled. The additional endnotes, artefacts, surname concordance, reference sources, index and appendices prove everything about this book is carefully researched and as accurately documented as humanly possible. Nineteen illustrations and six maps clearly paint the geographic background of land, water and campaign locations.

This book is a keeper and a very welcome addition to any Loyalist library.

Reviewed by Grietje R. McBride UE, B.Sc.

Many of you will be familiar with the history of this publication. Cruikshank's history of the King's Royal Yorkers was published by the Ontario Historical Society in 1931. It was reprinted in 1984 along with photos, illustrations and the Muster Roll by Gavin Watt. The 1984 edition is certainly sought after and quite expensive.

Now we have the long-awaited 2006 update with corrections, and a Master Roll of the Yorkers which has been reworked, added to, and corrected. For those of you with KRRNY ancestors, this is heaven! Even if you don't, it is certainly a role model.

For each identified Yorker, you will get a surname, given name, born/died, enlistment date, Battalion, Service details, Domicile/trade, and where settled and with what family. Obviously the data included is going to vary from entry to entry.

In the earlier edition there were photos of reenactors in uniforms. That has been avoided this time, because of new research on what the Yorkers wore and continuing debates about it. Rather there are photos of Yorker artefacts, especially the famous Jeremiah French UE uniform, maps, Discharge Certificates, and other pertinent documents and pictures.

I have said it before regarding Gavin's other books. For Loyalist research, it doesn't get better than this! Imagine if we had books of this calibre for all the other Loyalist regiments!!

Reviewed by Peter W. Johnson UE