• We know from a History of Stamford by Huntington that Jesse Mills, who was shot at his sister’s house in the north part of town (Stamford) “escaped from his pursuers and went to Nova Scotia.”1692,1693, p 266

• Jesse Mills, son of John and Sarah Mills of Hanford [sic, likely Stamford?] in New England, and Martha Mills, daughter of David and Rebecca Mills, of Franklin Manor, were married October 15, 1784.1694, p 1,1670, p 2

• Jesse Mills, a Stamford area Loyalist, married in Nova Scotia in 1784, and his parents were listed on the town books as “John and Sarah Mills of ‘Hanford’ in New England.” “Hanford” did prove to be “Stamford.”1695, p 3

• Granted 200 acres at River Remsheg in 1785 for service from Westchester, New York.1683, p 40

• The Petition of Jesse Mills, most humbly sheweth that your petitioner is a native of the State of New York, that he served his Majesty during the late American War, that he was wounded and lost the use of his left hand in the service, that at the conclusion of the war, he was obliged to seek refuge in Nova Scotia, that he settled in the county of Cumberland where he has ever since resided, that he has a wife and a numerous family of Children, that under the administration of his late Excellency Sir John Wentworth your petitioner obtained an order of Survey for one thousand acres of land as a compensation for his Services & Sufferings, that five hundred acres only was located to him, that upon his applying lately for a grant of it he was informed that no minutes could be found in the offices to authorize the giving of the grant of it.
Your Petitioner therefore humbly prays that he may be allowed a grant of the said five hundred acres of land. And your petitioner
Amherst 28th Octr 1814
Will ever Pray
[signed] Jesse Mills1696, p 10

• He must have served as a British soldier as he had been wounded and had three buckshot in one arm, making it almost useless. He came as a UEL with his sons and his parents, John and Sarah Holmes ( - Sept. 11, 1792). They went first to St. John, NB and in May 1784 moved to the Joggins and Minudie area. He secured a farm on the east side of River Hebert or Franklyn Manor as it was then called. He married Martha Patty Mills, daughter of David and Rebecca Mills. She had come over on the same boat as he had. They married at Fort Cumberland, NS in 1784. All their children were born in River Hebert. in 1785 he was granted 200 acres on the Remsheg River (part of the Westchester Grant) as were Reuben Mills and Samuel Mills, perhaps his brothers. At some point he moved to Linden and lived with his son Daniel Mills (c1800 - ). In 1818, he was living in Linden when he wrote a petition to the governor regarding the land he had near River Hebert.1697, p 1

• Mills, Jesse, had rendered himself so offensive to the patriots of the north part of the town that, he was pursued into his sister's house, which stood near where Isaac L. Jones' store now stands on Highridge, and was wounded by a shot. He escaped from bis pursuers and went to Nova Scotia.1693, p 266

• The precise place of Jesse's birth is not know, but he was a Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War and relocated to Cumberland County Nova Scotia with the Westchester Refugees. It is most likely that he was born in Westchester County, New York and family tradition holds that he was born in the town of Bedford. However, the marriage register (see below) indicates that Jesse's parents were from Connecticut. See research notes.
Jesse Mills lived in British Colonial America prior to the American Revolutionary War. During the war, Jesse fought on the side of the British Loyalists. According to the Nova Scotia Public Archives, Reuben Mills was from Bedford, Westchester County, New York. Jesse's status as a United Empire Loyalist is confirmed by the land grant he received in 1785 in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.
Jesse was evacuated from New York City with the Westchester Refugees, arriving in Nova Scotia in 1783.
Jesse Mills married Martha (Patty) Mills, 15 Oct 1784 at Ft. Cumberland. The marriage register has the following: Jesse Mills, son of John Mills and Sarah Holmes of Hanford (Conn) in New England, and Martha Mills daughter of David MILLS and Rebecca Mills, of Franklin Manor, were married October 15, 1784.[4]
He was awarded a land grant in Ramsheg (Wallace area), Cumberland County, Nova Scotia in 1785 (see Land Grant: Ackerley and others). However, rather than settle in Wallace, Jesse acquired a parcel of land in the River Hebert area where he settled and raised his family.
Jesse died 3 Feb 1825 and is buried in the Linden Hillside Cemetery in Linden, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia.1698

• 1794 Census: District of Rivers Macan, Nappan and Hebert, Nova Scotia.1699

• They were among those who went to Nova Scotia at the time of the disturbance between Gr. Britain and her American colonies and were known as Loyalists, and were highly honored by Gr. Br., because of their loyalty to the King. This was shown, not only by gifts of large tracts of land, money, stock and agricultural implements.1700, p 10