The story of the Chelsea Pensioners in Upper Canada is one of former British soldiers dismissed from active duty because of illness, injury or long service. In an effort to reduce costs, the British government decided around 1830 to offer assistance to all those on the pension rolls who were willing to emigrate to a British colony. This assistance was called commutation and was a lump sum covering four years worth of payments, minus the price of their passage and any other expenses they might incur. Over 2,000 took advantage of this offer and agreed to relocate to British North America.

Their story, in most cases, is one of hardship and poverty, and efforts by the Upper Canadian authorities to provide some type of relief. This presentation will discuss the history of these unfortunates, the types of related documents that have survived, and where they can be found.