the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第1章

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The　Chignecto　Isthmus　And　Its　First　Settlers

by　Howard　Trueman

1902




PREFACE。

For　some　years　past　I；　in　common　with　many　others；　have　felt　that　all　letters　of　interest　and　accessible　facts　in　connection　with　the　early　history　of　the　Truemans　should　be　collected　and　put　in　permanent　form；　not　because　there　is　anything　of　interest　to　the　general　public　in　the　records　of　a　family　whose　members　have　excelled；　if　at　all；　in　private　rather　than　in　public　life；　but　in　order　that　the　little　knowledge　there　is　of　the　early　history　of　the　family　might　not　pass　forever　out　of　the　reach　of　later　generations　with　the　death　of　those　whose　memory　carries　them　back　to　the　original　settlers。　In　getting　together　material　necessary　for　the　work；　numbers　of　interesting　facts　concerning　other　families　came　inevitably　to　light。　In　order　to　preserve　these　facts；　and　at　the　same　time　give　the　book　a　slightly　wider　interest；　I　decided　to　write　a　short　history　of　those　families　connected　by　marriage　with　the　first　and　second　generations　of　Truemans；　and　also；　as　far　as　material　was　available；　of　the　first　settlers　in　the　old　township　of　Cumberland；　which　now　includes　the　settlements　of　Fort　Lawrence；　Westmoreland　Point；　Point　de　Bute；　Jolicure；　Bay　Road；　Bay　Verte；　Upper　Tidnish　and　Port　Elgin。　Finally；　as　a　kind　of　setting　for　the　whole；　I　have　prefaced　these　records　with　a　brief　outline　of　the　early　history　of　the　Isthmus。

That　the　work　falls　far　below　the　ideal　goes　without　saying。　Anyone　who　has　made　the　effort　to　collect　facts　of　local　history　knows　how　difficult　it　is　to　get　reliable　information。　In　almost　every　case　where　there　was　a　conflict　of　opinion　I　have　endeavored　to　verify　my　facts　by　light　thrown　on　them　from　different　directions；　but　doubtless　mistakes　will　be　found。　By　keeping　the　work　in　preparation　for　a　longer　time；　more　matter　of　interest　could　certainly　be　added；　and　perhaps　corrections　made；　but　to　this　there　is　no　end；　as　the　discovery　of　every　new　item　of　interest　reveals　a　whole　series　more　to　investigate。

To　all　who　have　given　me　assistance　warmest　thanks　are　tendered。　To　Dr。　Ganong；　of　Northampton；　Mass。；　Judge　Morse；　Amherst；　W。　C。　Milner；　Sackville；　and　Dr。　Steel　of　Amherst；　grateful　acknowledgment　is　especially　due　for　their　ready　and　cheerful　help。　To　Murdoch's　Nova　Scotia；　Hannay's　Acadia　and　to　Dixon's　and　Black's　family　histories　I　have　also　been　indebted。


INTRODUCTION。

This　book　needs　no　introduction　to　the　people　of　the　Isthmus；　whom　it　will　most　interest。　I　shall　therefore　attempt　only　to　point　out　the　plan　the　present　work　will　take　in　the　general　history　of　Eastern　Canada。

Mr。　Trueman　does　not　profess　to　have　attempted　a　complete　history　of　the　Isthmus。　The　earlier　periods；　prior　to　the　coming　of　the　Yorkshiremen；　are　so　replete　with　interest　that　a　many　times　larger　work　than　the　present　would　be　necessary　for　their　full　consideration；　but　Mr。　Trueman　has　treated　them　with　sufficient　fulness　to　show　the　historical　conditions　of　the　country　into　which　the　Yorkshiremen　came。　It　is　the　history　of　these　Yorkshiremen　and　their　descendants　which　Mr。　Trueman　treats　so　fully　and　authoritatively；　and　withal；　from　a　local　standpoint；　so　interestingly；　and　his　work　is　the　more　valuable　for　the　reason　that　hitherto　but　little　has　been　published　upon　this　subject。　Some　articles　have　appeared　in　local　newspapers；　and　there　are　references　to　it　in　the　provincial　histories；　but　no　attempt　has　hitherto　been　made　to　treat　the　subject　as　it　deserves。　Those　of　us　who　are　interested　in　history　from　a　more　scientific　standpoint　will　regret　that　the　material；　particularly　of　the　earlier　part　of　the　Yorkshire　immigration　could　not　have　been　more　documentary　and　less　traditional；　but　that　it　is　as　here　given　is　not　Mr。　Trueman's　fault　but　a　result　of　the　nature　of　the　case。　It　is　not　impossible；　by　the　way；　that　such　documents　may　yet　be　discovered；　perhaps　in　some　still　unsuspected　archives。　It　is　to　be　remembered；　however；　that　to　a　local　audience；　documents　are　of　less　interest　than　tradition；　and　the　genealogical　phases　of　history；　here　so　fully　treated；　are　most　interesting　of　all。　Mr。　Trueman　seems　to　have　sifted　the　traditions　with　care；　and　he　certainly　has　devoted　to　his　task　an　unsurpassed　knowledge　of　his　subject；　much　loving　labor；　and　no　small　enthusiasm。　I　believe　the　local　readers　of　his　work　will　agree　with　me　that　this　history　could　not　have　fallen　into　more　appropriate　hands。

It　does　not　seem　to　me　that　Mr。　Trueman　has　exaggerated　the　part　played　by　the　Yorkshiremen　and　their　descendants　in　our　local　history。　While　it　is　doubtless　too　much　to　say　that　their　loyalty　saved　Nova　Scotia　（then　including　New　Brunswick）　to　Great　Britain　by　their　steadfastness　at　the　time　of　the　Eddy　incident　in　1776；　there　can　be　no　doubt　that　it　contributed　largely　to　that　result　and　rendered　easy　the　suppression　of　an　uprising　which　would　have　given　the　authorities　very　great　trouble　had　it　succeeded。　But　there　can　be　no　question　whatever　as　to　the　value　to　the　Chignecto　region；　and　hence　to　all　this　part　of　Canada；　of　this　immigration　of　God…fearing；　loyal；　industrious；　progressive　Yorkshiremen。　Although　they　and　their　descendants　have　not　occupied　the　places　in　life　of　greatest　prominence；　they　have　been　none　the　less　useful　citizens　in　contributing　as　they　have　to　the　solid　foundations　of　the　upbuilding　of　a　great　people。

It　is　of　interest　in　this　connection　to　note　that　Mr。　Trueman's　book；　although　preceded　in　Nova　Scotia　by　several　county　histories；　is　for　New　Brunswick；　with　one　or　two　exceptions　（in　Jack's　〃History　of　the　City　of　St。　John；〃　and　Lorimer's　pamphlet；　〃History　of　the　Passamaquiddy　Islands〃）　the　first　history　of　a　limited　portion　of　the　Province　to　appear　in　book　form；　although　valuable　newspaper　series　on　local　history　have　been　published。　May　it　prove　the　leader　of　a　long　series　of　such　local　histories　which；　let　us　hope；　will　not　cease　to　appear　until　every　portion　of　these　interesting　Provinces　has　been　adequately　treated。

W。　F。　GANONG。


CONTENTS。

CHAPTER　I。　　　　　　The　Chignecto　Isthmus

CHAPTER　II。　　　　　The　New　England　Immigration；　1755…1770

CHAPTER　III。　　　　The　Yorkshire　Immigration

CHAPTER　IV。　　　　　The　Eddy　Rebellion

CHAPTER　V。　　　　　　The　First　Churches　of　the　Isthmus

CHAPTER　VI。　　　　　The　Truemans

CHAPTER　VII。　　　　Extracts　from　Journal　and　Letters

CHAPTER　VIII。　　　Prospect　Farm

CHAPTER　IX。　　　　　Families　Connected　by　Marriage　with　the　Second　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Generation　of　Truemans

CHAPTER　X。　　　　　　The　First　Settlers　of　Cumberland


CHAPTER　I

THE　　CHIGNECTO　　ISTHMUS。

The　discovery　of　America　added　nearly　a　third　to　the　then　known　land　surface　of　the　earth；　and　opened　up　two　of　its　richest　continents。　If　such　an　extent　of　territory　were　thrown　into　the　world's　market　to…day；　the　rapidity　with　which　it　would　be　exploited　and　explored；　and　its　wealth　made　tributary　to　the　world's　requirements；　would　astonish；　if　they　were　here；　the　men　who　pioneered　the　settlement　of　the　new　country　and　left　so　royal　a　heritage　to　their　descendants。　To　those　who　cross　the　Atlantic　in　the　great　ocean　liners　of　our　time；　and　think　them　none　too　safe；　the　fleet　with　which　Sir　Humphrey　Gilbert　crossed　the　sea　to　plant　his　colony　in　the　new　land　must　seem　a　frail　protection　indeed　against　the　dangers　of　the　western　ocean。

Perhaps　in　no　way　can　the　progress　made　since　the　beginning　of　the　nineteenth　century　be　more　forcibly　brought　before　the　mind　than　by　comparing　the　immense　iron　steamships　of　the　present　day　with　the　small　wooden　vessels　with　which　commerce　was　carried　on　and　battles　were　fought　and　won　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago。

The　Isthmus　of　Chignecto　separates　the　waters　of　the　Bay　of　Fundy　from　those　of　Bay　Verte；　and　constitutes　the　neck　of　land　which　saves　Nova　Scotia　from　being　an　island。　It　is　seventeen　miles　between　the　two　bays　at　the　narrowest　point；　and　considering　the　town　of　Amherst　the　south…　eastern　limit；　and　the　village　of　Sackville　the　north…western；　it　may　be　put　down　as　a　little　less　than　ten　miles　in　width。

The　southern　slope　is　drained　by　four　tidal　rivers　or　creeks；　namely；　La　Planche；　Missiquash；　Aulac　and　the　Tantramar。　These　rivers　empty　into　Cumberland　Basin；　and　their　general　course　is　from　north…east　to　south…west。　In　length　they　are　from　twelve　to　fifteen　miles；　and　run　through　narrow　valleys；　the　soil　of　which　is　made　up　largely　from　a　rich　sediment　carried　by　the　tide　from　the　muddy　waters　of　the　basin。　These　valleys　are　separated　from　each　other　by　ridges　of　high　land　ranging　from　one　hundred　to　one　hundred　and　fifty　feet　above　the　sea　level。

The　Tidnish　River；　and　several　streams　emptying　into　the　Bay　Verte；　drain　the　Isthmus　on　its　northern　slope。　The　Missiquash　and　Tidnish　rivers；　each　for　some　part　of　its　course；　form　the　boundary　between　the　provinces　of　Nova　Scotia　and　New　Brunswick。　The　tides　at　the　head　of　the　Bay　of　Fundy　rise　to　the　height　of　sixty　feet；　or　even　higher；　and　are　said　to　be　the　highest　in　the　world。　The　mud　deposit　from　the　overflow　of　these　tidal　waters；　laid　down　along　the　river　valleys；　is　from　one　foot　to　eighty　feet　deep；　varying　as　the　soil　beneath　rises　and　falls。

Between　Sackville　and　Amherst　there　is　an　area　of　some　fifty　thousand　acres　of　these　alluvial　lands；　reclaimed　and　unreclaimed。　Some　of　this　marsh　has　been　cutting　large　crops　of　hay　for　one　hundred　and　fifty　years；　and　there　is　no　evidence　of　diminished　fertility；　although　no　fertilizer　has　been　used　in　that　time；　other　sections　have　become　exhausted　and　the　tide　has　been　allowed　to　overflow　them。　This　treatment　will　restore　them　to　their　original　fertility。

Cartier　was　the　first　of　the　early　navigators　to　drop　anchor　in　a　New　Brunswick　harbor。　This　was　in　the　summer　of　1534；　and　the　place　was　on　the　Gulf　of　St。　Lawrence；　near　the　mouth　of　the　Miramich　River。　This　was　on　the　30th　of　June。　Landing　the　next　day　and　finding　the　country　well　wooded；　he　was　delighted　and　spoke　of　it　in　glowing　terms。

The　first　white　men　to　visit　the　Isthmus　with　a　view　to　trade　and　settlement　came　from　Port　Royal　in　the　summer　of　1612。

In　1670；　Jacob　Bourgeois；　a　resident　of　Port　Royal；　and　a　few　other　restless　spirits；　were　the　first　to　make　a　permanent　settlement。　These　were　followed　by　another　contingent　under　the　leadership　of　Pierre　Arsenault。

In　1676；　the　King　of　France　gave　a　large　grant　of　territory　in　Acadia　to　a　French　nobleman；　Michael　Le　Neuf；　Sieur　de　La　Valliere。　This　grant　included　all　the　Chignecto　Isthmus。　Tonge's　Island；　a　small　islet　in　the　marsh　near　the　mouth　of　the　Missiquash　River；　is　called　Isle　La　Valliere　on　the　old　maps；　and　was　probably　occupied　by　La　Valliere　himself　when　he　lived　on　the　Isthmus。

From　this　date　Chignecto　began　to　take　a　prominent　place　in　the　history　of　Acadia；　and　continued　for　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　to　be　one　of　the　principal　centres　of　influence　under　the　rule　both　of　France　and　Great　Britain。

It　was　here　that　France　made　her　last　stand　for　the　possession　of　Acadia。　It　was　here　that　Jonathan　Eddy；　twenty　years　later；　raised　the　standard　of　the　revolted　colonies；　and　made　a　gallant　but　unsuccessful　effort　to　carry　Nova　Scotia　over　to　the　rebel　cause。

From　1713　to　1750　was　the　most　prosperous