'Loyal and True' were words included in the inscription on the headstone of an Orangeman who died in 1894 in Nova Scotia. What did this mean? By the early 1900s there were over 100 Orange Lodges in Nova Scotia from Cape Breton Island in the east to Yarmouth in the west. This book explores the beginnings and history of Spurgeon... Loyal Orange Lodge No. 1624 of Torbrook Mines, Annapolis County. It was organized in 1892 and declared dormant in 1923. The headstone inscription was for one of its' departed members. The book also includes as an Appendix A listing of Orange Lodges which were active throughout the Province and their locations..read more
BIOGRAPHY I am a retired lawyer as well as a genealogist, historian, and heritage volunteer who has authored 14 nonfiction books.
In 2021 my book "Canada's Ulster Scots" was reviewed in Familia, the journal of the Ulster Historical Foundation, and described as "This book would make a very presentable and informative ... gift for Canadians with Ulster relatives and for Ulster folk with Canadian relatives, both of which are legion."
Other popular books by me are "Loyalist History of Nova Scotia" (2020) and "The Royal Black Knights: In Canada" (2021).
My most recent book entitled "The First Church - Old Holy Trinity in Middleton, Nova Scotia" (2023), is about a Nova Scotia heritage property constructed in 1789.
Articles and stories by me have also been published by Celtic Life International, The Loyalist Gazette, The Nova Scotia Genealogist, Historic Nova Scotia, the Ulster - Scots Community Network, and Atlantic Loyalist Connections.
I have volunteered for several community and heritage associations. In 2016 I was presented with a Certificate for Volunteer Service by the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia and in 2022 I was honoured to receive the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.