"I guess I've said all of this to say that the mecca of Canada as a place of freedom is much more involved than portrayed. And the trip from Slavery on the UGRR to Canada has a starting point that "suggests" the 1830's for most escaping enslaved persons."

Thank you, Art, for the history of the Simcoe Act. It is one of those bits of history that I SHOULD HAVE known about, but didn't. You are correct that it shines a new light on the events, numbers, and timing of flight to Canada.

Another item that influences that history is the presence of former enslaved persons resettled in Canada by the British during the Revolutionary War. Malcolm Bell, Jr., in his book "Major Butler's Legacy: Five Generations of a Slaveholding Family" (1987 Athens, GA), discusses the resettlement of South Carolina slaves from the huge Butler plantations in South Carolina and Georgia to Nova Scotia, where they faced a difficult life of harsh weather and inadequate provisions. Many later went to Sierra Leone.

In the War of 1812, even larger numbers of slaves were "liberated" by the British in South Carolina and Georgia and taken to Canada, where they were given the Butler surname (whether they wanted it or not, and regardless of whether they had already chosen a surname of their liking). Again, the slaves were moved around and many faced severe hardship. On the whole, though, they faced better circumstances than their Revolutionary War forebears, and established free settlements in Melville Island, St. John, New Brunswick, Loch Lomond and outside of Halifax.

Bell lists the settlers at Hammond's Plains as former slaves from St. Simon's Island, Georgia, "Among the people settling there were Kings, Hamiltons, McIntoshes, Wyllys, and Coupers--the latter two having undergone a slight name change to 'Wileys' and 'Coopers.' The Butlers were Maringo, two Williams, Sampson, Isaac, Francis, Hector, Joseph, Georgia, and Abraham. Most had wives and a child, or children."

This is a great book, by the way, if you have interest in the slave history of South Carolina, the Sea Islands, and Georgia. There's also an extensive treatment of the slaves who could fly! (One of the great folklore stories that came out of the culture of resistance by slaves.)