From: [log in to unmask]
Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 18:04:56 EST

We are very pleased to announce the GRAND OPENING of the first
website dealing specifically with the Loyalists of the American
Revolution to combine genealogy, military history and living history.

The On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies
(Royalprovincial.com) is the collaborative effort of Todd Braisted
of New Jersey and Nan Cole of Illinois.  Todd is an independent
researcher with an extensive background in Loyalist military studies.
Nan is a genealogist and researcher and hosts both a Loyalist
and a Canadian genealogy chat group.  This project was started
in April of 1999 with the goal of providing detailed, accurate Loyalist
information to anyone who might have an interest.  The site is not
intended to serve as an introduction to what a Loyalist is, but rather
is a place for those who are seeking detailed, specific information
about individual Loyalist regiments or soldiers.

The site is broken down into several major areas: History, Military,
Genealogy, Reenacting and Miscellaneous.  Among the original
information to be found is a complete listing of all known Loyalist
units that existed between 1775 and 1784, and a chronological
list of battles and engagements during the war, along with the
Loyalist units that took part in each.  There are hundreds of
transcribed documents, including courts martials, muster rolls,
orderly books, regimental correspondence, deserter descriptions,
battle reports, newspaper accounts, songs, poems, memorials,
land grant petitions, intelligence reports, clothing returns, church
records, Black Loyalist materials, proclamations, recruiting notices,
Rebel accounts of Loyalists, distributions, and women's documents.
Our on-line research address book provides addresses, hours
of operation, phone numbers and website links to the major
research centers for Loyalist manuscript materials and genealogies
and will be expanded in the future to include additional repositories,
churches, organizations and societies of interest to Loyalist
researchers.  In the Reenacting section you will be able to learn
about Living History and the groups that portray the Loyalists today,
see photos of the groups and of past events, and find out how to get
in touch with the group of your choice.  Plus much, much more.

While the site currently contains over 1,000 pages of information,
it is by no means complete.  The amount of information planned for
the future is more than double the amount currently on-line.  So, if
you do not find information on the individual or group you are looking
for now, please stop back soon, as we will be updating things on
an ongoing basis.  You can also sign up to receive a free monthly
notification of the new materials that have been added.

To celebrate our grand opening, we will be conducting a special
Loyalist contest on Monday, February 7th, our first day live.  It costs
nothing to enter and will give you a chance to test your knowledge
(or just get lucky and guess right!) to win a small prize.  Please
stop by for details and enter!  And while you are there, take a
minute to sign our Guestbook or post a message or query on our
Genealogy or History Message Boards.

We look forward to greeting our visitors and assisting them with
their Loyalist questions.  Please follow this link/address to enter
our site.     Thanks!

The Online Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies
http://www.royalprovincial.com/

Nan Cole & Todd Braisted