Who were the Loyalists

In many respects, the American War of Independence (1775-1783) was a civil war. One group, the Patriots, bolstered by France and Spain, fought to secure the independence of an American Republic from British control. Another group, the Loyal Americans (the Loyalists), wished to preserve their ties to the British Crown. Many Loyal Americans joined the Royal Navy but most able-bodied men who served fought with the British Army as members of the many regiments of the Royal Provincials. When it was apparent that the end of hostilities was coming, many of those Loyalists left the new United States. The British agreed to transport those who wished to leave and were surprised at how many would make the trip. From 1783 to early 1784 about 30,000 Loyalists came to this area. So many went to the Colony of Nova Scotia that Britain created the colonies of New Brunswick and Cape Breton. Interestingly, an estimated third and sizeable segment of American society had sought to avoid taking a side and just survive the War with their person and property intact.

The Merritt Family

The Merritt family immigrated from England to British America in 1662 and settled in Wethersfield, Connecticut. In 1673, the Merritts purchased a large plot of land in Rye, Westchester County, in the Province of New York. Upon the American War of Independence outbreak, Thomas Merritt IV and many of his sons became active advocates for the British. This activism led to the destruction of their home by Patriots in 1784 which drove them to leave the newly formed United States for the British colony of Nova Scotia (which was divided in mid-1784 creating the colony of New Brunswick). Upon arrival in Parrtown (in 1785 renamed Saint John), Thomas Merritt IV and his sons, David Daniel, Nehemiah, and Thomas V, began a dry goods business. In 1810, having built up a large wealth from the family business, David Daniel Merritt constructed the home we know today. Construction was completed in 1817. Five generations of the Merritt family lived in the home before it was sold to the New Brunswick Historical Society in 1958. In 1961, the house was opened as a museum, featuring artifacts that belonged to the Merritt family during their residency. Loyalist House remains the only building in the centre of Saint John from that era that has never undergone structural alterations.