Post-Loyalist Settlement I (1814 - 1830)

Information for the use of Military and Naval Officers proposing to settle in the British Colonies, 1834

Document Summary:

This document is a copy of an advertisement circular handed out in 1834 to British military and naval officers interested in settling in British North America. It says that military personnel can no longer receive free land in the colony. However, they can qualify for a partial refund on their land purchases based on a scale according to their rank (either officer, captain or subaltern) and the number of years they have spent in service (between seven and 25 years or above).

This offer does not extend to military chaplains, midshipmen, warrant officers and other minor ranking officers. Also, retired officers who have been out of service with the military longer than a year are not allowed to take part. Those who wanted to retire from military service for the purposes of settling in the colonies needed a special certificate.

The circular also notes that military officers had no right to land in the colonies if they had no intentions of settling it. To prevent infractions of this rule, land titles were to be withheld from officers for a period of two years.