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| This Map of Detroit River and Adjacent Country, was created by John Melish about 1813. Thomas Decker lived in Detroit when it was still merely a military base of operations during the Revolutionary War. |
Detroit, originally a trading post for trappers, served as a Canadian military base during both the French & Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Thomas Decker served on the side of the British during the Revolutionary War. Butler's Rangers, with whom Thomas Decker served during that war, used the area on the mouth of the Detroit River as a staging ground from which to send troops into the northern colonies of New York, Pennsylvania and what would later be Ohio. Thomas Decker would have been very familiar with the area when he applied for a land grant after the war for his service under the Canadian forces.
Thomas Decker is listed in an early census of the Detroit area:
| Thomas Decker | MI | , Wayne County | , Detroit and Area | 1791 |
[Jackson, Ron V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.. Michigan Census, 1827-70 (database on-line). Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.]
Thomas Decker also shows up in records of Upper Canada, as a recipient of a land grant:
Name: Decker, Thomas
District: Hesse
Year: 1790
Description: re land
Volume: 4
Page(s): 68 [Image 990]
Reference: RG 1 L4
Microfilm: C-14026
Available from Heritage Canadiana
This record reads as follows:
Minutes and Records of the Land Boards Accumulated by the Executive Council Office
John Gordon, states to the boards, that he was originally granted Lot No. 41, that he was allowed by Major Close to exchange it for 96, / which appears by the Schedules / He produces also a certificate Thomas Deckers, who was originally grantee to Lot 96, declaring to have lost the ticket & assigning all right & title to the said Lot —-
Further records from Upper Canada indicate that Thomas Decker received this "ticket", or right to claim land for his service in the British Royal Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Name: Decker, Thomas
District: Hesse
Year: 1791
Description: List of disbanded Rangers and Loyalists residing at or near Detroit
Volume: 3
Page(s): 374 [Image 582], 378 [Image 589, of Regiment 84], 391 [Image 604]; pgs 314 [Image 516], 319 [image 521] Received Provisions
Reference: RG 1 L4
Microfilm: C-14026
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| This page begins the list of Butler's Rangers applying for provisions. |
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| This is the rest of the list, Thomas Decker's name appears as sixth on the list. |
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| Thomas Decker (sixth from bottom on the list) is shown here as part of Butler's Rangers. He was employed as a laborer, and was living "In the Settlement" meaning he was living in the town of Detroit. |
From all of this we can discern that in the early 1790s Thomas Decker was living in, or very near, the town of Detroit. He had received a certificate for 200 acres of land for his service in the British Royal Army. However, he had traded this land grant, that would have placed him north of Lake Ontario, in favor of a chance to purchase land on the Detroit River as part of a new settlement there. The rest of the images make it clear that he had served as one of Butler’s Rangers.
Col. John Butler assembled his troops beginning in 1777. They were specifically assigned to coordinate their efforts with local Indian tribes, in efforts to thwart the Rebel Army's incursions into the northern colonies. Their efforts originally were concentrated in upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania, but eventually spread to as far west as Ohio and as far south as Virginia.
Col. John Butler assembled his troops beginning in 1777. They were specifically assigned to coordinate their efforts with local Indian tribes, in efforts to thwart the Rebel Army's incursions into the northern colonies. Their efforts originally were concentrated in upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania, but eventually spread to as far west as Ohio and as far south as Virginia.
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| Thomas Decker appears sixth from the bottom on this list. |
The Upper Canada historical documents further show that Thomas Decker served in the 84th Regiment during the early stages of the Revolutionary War. The 84th Regiment of Foot came from the area of upstate New York, near Lakes Ontario and Erie. In 1 August 1778, John McDonell, who had been serving in the 84th Foot, was commissioned as a Captain in Butler’s Rangers. It is likely that McDonell managed to transfer men from his former regiment into his new group. Thomas certainly served in both the 84th Foot and Butler's Rangers with John McDonnell.
A surprising revelation is found in this brief history of the 84th Regiment of Foot in Wikipedia:
A surprising revelation is found in this brief history of the 84th Regiment of Foot in Wikipedia:
"The 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants) was a British regiment in the American Revolutionary War that was raised to defend present day Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada from the constant land and sea attacks by American Revolutionaries.[1] The 84th Regiment was also involved in offensive action in the Thirteen Colonies; including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and what is now Maine, as well as raids upon Lake Champlain and the Mohawk Valley. The regiment consisted of 2,000 men in twenty companies. The 84th Regiment was raised from Scottish soldiers who had served in the Seven Years' War and stayed in North America. As a result, the 84th Regiment had one of the oldest and most experienced officer corps of any regiment in North America.[2] The Scottish Highland regiments were a key element of the British Army in the American Revolution.[3] The 84th Regiment was clothed, armed and accoutred the same as the Black Watch, with Lieutenant Colonel Allan Maclean commanding the first battalion and Major General John Small of Strathardle commanding the second.[4] The two Battalions operated independently of each other and saw little action together."
Wikipedia Article "84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/84th_Regiment_of_Foot_(Royal_Highland_Emigrants)
That the 84th Regiment "was raised from Scottish soldiers who had served in the Seven Year's War" makes it possible that the Decker name came to America by way of Scotland. Thomas Decker may have come to America in order to serve as a Scottish Royal Highland soldier during the French and Indian War. After his service was complete, he settled along with many of the 84th Regiment in the vicinity of Lake Ontario in the colony of New York. When the Revolutionary War began, he served with the loyal 84th again, against the rebellious colonists.
The Decker name does not seem to be Scottish in origin. Most of the Deckers in America probably came here from the Netherlands, settling in the northern colonies when they were still part of New Amsterdam. It is possible that the Decker family may have fled to Scotland from the Netherlands, or the Flemish region of Belgium, during the late 1500s, at the time when many Protestants were fleeing religious persecution for their faith. It is known that many of these people emigrated during the late 1500s, some coming to England or Scotland. The Deckers may have been part of that migration.
Much more research needs to be done to consolidate or refute these findings. I would welcome any comments that might lead to correcting or expanding upon this information.
The Decker name does not seem to be Scottish in origin. Most of the Deckers in America probably came here from the Netherlands, settling in the northern colonies when they were still part of New Amsterdam. It is possible that the Decker family may have fled to Scotland from the Netherlands, or the Flemish region of Belgium, during the late 1500s, at the time when many Protestants were fleeing religious persecution for their faith. It is known that many of these people emigrated during the late 1500s, some coming to England or Scotland. The Deckers may have been part of that migration.
Much more research needs to be done to consolidate or refute these findings. I would welcome any comments that might lead to correcting or expanding upon this information.
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