Is there a archive of historic British Army mercenaries? Hessians in particular
My great(way back) grandfather was a Hessian who fought for the British as a Lt. in the War of 1812. They gave him some land in Canada afterwards as payment. (Well, there were people already, you know, living on that land. He gave about 200 acres back to that tribe at least.)
Canada has revised its citizenship laws and basically if you can prove that you had an ancestor that was Canadian, then you can get a formal proof of citizenship. I'm American, for context.
All we, really my Dad, has is some letters from a Private who with in the same regiment as him, also got some land, and their kids got married to each other.
The time period would be 1812- ~1850, as I know one of the 'direct line' descendants fought in a NY regiment during the American Civil War.
Apologies if this is not the right place for this, but yinz seemed like a good group to ask, or point me in the right direction. Thank you!