United Empire Loyalists were Americans who remained loyal to King George III and the British Empire. They moved to Canada after the American Revolution.
Joseph Slack was born about 1760 in Albany, New York.
Joseph married Margaret Phillips who was born in 1765 in Dutchess County, New York. She was the daughter of Philip Phillips and Margaret Jenkins.
Mary Slack (1782, married Benoni Wiltse, Jr.),
William Slack (1784, married Sarah Phillips),
John Slack (1788, married Emma Palmer),
Samuel Slack (1790, married Catherine Wiltse),
Joseph Slack (1800, married Almina Murray), and
Philip Slack (1803, married Susannah Covell).
Joseph, Sr. died in 1806 in Bastard, Leeds County, Ontario
Abigail, Ana, Benjamin, Hannah, Hester, John, Joseph, Philip, Polly, Samuel, Sarah & William in 1820 census.
Dutchess County, New York patriots forced colonists loyal to the British government to flee north into what became Ontario.
The first European settlements in Ontario were after the American Revolution when 5,000 loyalists left the new United States.
from History of Leeds and Grenville Ontario by Leavitt, Thad. W. H.
Among the original settlers, was Joseph Slack,
originally from the vicinity of Albany, New York.
Mr. Slack came to Canada with an ox team, with
which he transported his wife and six children to
Montreal, the journey occupying six weeks.
As a
United Empire Loyalist, he drew Lot No. 10, in the
9th Concession of Yonge; at that time no road had
been cut from Brockville to Farmersville [now Athens]. He put
up a shanty on the spot now occupied by the barn
on the farm of the late Philip Wing.
Mr. Slack
killed upon the farm, known as the Flint farm, one
mile east of Farmersville [now Athens], 192 deer, 34 bears and 46
wolves; in fact, he was in early days the Nimrod of
the Township.
Joseph Slack built the mill now
owned by the Messrs. Saunders. He also engaged
in the manufacture of bull ploughs and ox carts;
he
bought half of Lot No. 9, for a cart and plough. . .
