It’s been ninety-six years now that this Loyalist family of four, captured for the ages in bronze, has stood looking northward towards Main Street East in Hamilton (except for the little boy, who seems to have been distracted by something off to the southeast).
Unveiled in 1929
It was Stanley Mills and his wife, Helen Davis, who commissioned the statue and oversaw its unveiling on May 23 — Empire Day — in 1929. Mills was a grandson of United Empire Loyalist John Mills and his wife, Rebecca Smith, of Sussex, New Jersey.
The monument is the work of the British sculptor Sydney March who, together with his siblings, was later responsible for the National War Memorial of Canada in Ottawa.
From the 1920s to the 1950s, the monument stood in front of the old courthouse (photo above). After the building of the new courthouse, it was re-dedicated, atop a new pedestal, in 1958.
The War of 1812 Memorial Garden
The United Empire Loyalists were refugees of the American Revolutionary War (1775 – 1783), but the courthouse site is also home to a memorial to those who served, thirty years later, in the War of 1812.
Early in this century, on Jun 19, 2004, the garden in front of the monument was dedicated as a memorial to the defenders of Upper Canada during the War of 1812 – 1814. The white and blue plaque installed that day stands at the south end of the garden, with the following inscription:
Dedicated to the Defenders of Upper Canada during the War of 1812, the United Empire Loyalists and the Six Nations Indians whose courage to uphold the Crown, God and Country led to the beginning of a new Nation.
The garden originally consisted of red geraniums planted annually by the City. This reflected a tradition begun by Ruth Redmond of Lundy’s Lane. Today, that tradition has been lost. The garden contains an assortment of flowers, and its symbolic purpose seems largely forgotten.
The Monument Seen From 360 Degrees
North Side
This monument is dedicated to the lasting memory of
THE UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS
Who, after the Declaration of Independence, came into British North America from the seceded American colonies and who, with faith and fortitude, and under great pioneering difficulties, largely laid the foundations of this Canadian nation as an integral part of the British Empire.
Neither confiscation of their property, the pitiless persecution of their kinsmen in revolt, nor the galling chains of imprisonment could break their spirits or divorce them from a loyalty almost without parallel.
“No country ever had such founders —
No country in the world —
No, not since the days of Abraham.” —Lady Tennyson.
West Side
THE UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS
were distinguished for their devotion to principle, for their valour in battle during the American Revolution and for their loyalty and bravery in the War of 1812 – 1814 in defence of Canadian homes and hearths.
They set the stamp of their character in the institutions of this country and handed them on to succeeding generations glorified by their sacrifices, enriched by their labours and made sure by their indomitable spirit.
South Side
FOR THE UNITY OF EMPIRE
The United Empire Loyalists, believing that a monarchy was better than a republic, and shrinking with abhorrence from a dismemberment of the Empire, were willing, rather than lose the one and endure the other, to bear with temporary injustice. Taking up arms for the King, they passed through all the horrors of civil war and bore what was worse than death, the hatred of their fellow-countrymen, and, when the battle went against them, sought no compromise, but, forsaking every possession excepting their honour, set their faces toward the wildernesses of British North America to begin, amid untold Hardships, life anew under the flag they revered.
“They drew lots for their lands and with their axes cleared the forest and with their hoes planted the seeds of Canada’s future greatness.” —
Elizabeth Bowman Spohn.
East Side
DEDICATED TO THE GLORY OF GOD
Erected by
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Mills
of Hamilton
in grateful memory of their
United Empire Loyalist forebears
and connections
The Davis, Gage, Hesse, Howell, Mills and Willson familiesUnveiled
Empire Day
May twenty-third
Nineteen hundred and twenty-nine.
Indigenous Landmarks and Monuments Review
“Potentially Problematic”
In June 2023, the City of Hamilton identified the monument, and three others in the city, as potentially problematic for Indigenous communities. It was the beginning of a two-year process of consultation and engagement with Indigenous and other communities.
City workers placed a sign at the site of the monument and memorial garden, explaining the challenge to “provide a broader and more inclusive view of the past.”
UNDERSTANDING LANDMARKS AND MONUMENTS
The City of Hamilton is working together with the community to provide a broader and more inclusive view of the past which may challenge some to rethink what they held to be truths.
There is more than one story here.
Each of the stories associated with this monument must and will be told.
The sign included QR codes allowing people to listen to the message in Mohawk, English, or Anishinaabemowin.
You can hear the message or .
The Concern Is the Garden Plaque, Not the Monument
By November 2024, following a series of engagement sessions and two community surveys, the City had determined that “the concerns about this site pertain specifically to the War of 1812 memorial garden plaque,” and that “the current concerns are not associated with the United Empire Loyalist Statue.”
You can read more about Hamilton’s United Empire Loyalist monument here: