In William Smy’s Annotated Nominal Roll of Butler’s Rangers 1777-1784, Jacob appears as a Private in Butler’s Rangers, in Fry’s Company. His brother Robert Jr. was also a Private in Fry’s Company. Jacob was twenty-seven years old in Nov 1783 and is recorded as drawing rations. From the structure of the list it appears that he was single. He is described as “settled between the Four Mile Creek and the Head of Lake Ontario” in 1785, although his Christian name is given as “James”, in this account. However, there is no doubt that this is Jacob, as the name appears immediately behind that of Robert Bessey, his brother.
Jacob Bessey’s land entitlement, in the District of Nassau, in 1792 totalled 400 acres. By Aug 1795 he had received 200 acres of his entitlement and was granted an additional 100 acres to complete his military lands.
Jacob married Elizabeth Slough, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1797. They settled at Homer, in Grantham Township. Their children who petitioned and received land as sons and daughters of a United Empire Loyalist were Mary Catherine, David, John, George, and Charlotte.
Submitted by descendant Art Quinn UE citing research by Andrew Humeniuk
Art Quinn UE and Susan Miller UE