5. Black Loyalist Stephen Blucke
The origins and eventual demise of black Loyalist Stephen Blucke (circa 1752 – circa 1795) have long been shrouded in mystery. The historical record shows him taking over the command of the Black Brigade after the death of Colonel Tye in 1780, and successfully leading it through the end of the war. After the war, he went on to found Birchtown in Nova Scotia. The details surrounding the rest of his life are decidedly sparse, other than that he had been born in the British island of Barbados to a white father and a black mother, sometime around 1752.
At some point, exact year unknown, Blucke arrived in Britain’s American Colonies, where he married a woman named Margaret. The couple eventually adopted a daughter, Isabel. When the American Revolution erupted, Blucke was swayed by British promises to free all negroes who voluntarily joined them, and became a black Loyalist. He joined the Black Brigade in the late 1770s, and distinguished himself while serving in its ranks. In 1782, he took command of the unit after the death of its leader, Colonel Tye.