april 2024

Editorial

Dear Friends,

In 2012, Colin MacKinnon wrote an article entitled “Mysteries Carved in Stone on Mary’s Point and Grindstone Island” for The White Fence No. 57 in which he presented a photo of a large flat stone at Mary’s Point with the name “R. Hale” engraved on it. Dr. Robert Hale was a graduate of Harvard University and began the practice of medicine in 1723. An adventurer and a trader as well as a medical man, he sailed from Boston on 6 June 1731, on his way to the Bay of Fundy. He arrived at Annapolis Basin on 20 June where there were mainly French and few English inhabitants, except at Fort Anne. Throughout his travels he kept extensive notes on his experiences and observations. Colin was familiar with Hale’s journal and in his 2012 article he wrote that “It is quite plausible that he [Hale] might have landed at Mary’s Point although, as far as I know, this is not mentioned in his journal.” And now, Al Smith sent me excerpts from Dr. Hale’s journal that were compiled by W.O. Raymond and published in 1906. I must warn you – Dr. Hale does not mince words! He makes some critical comments on the French population in the area – just note his views on the priest in the delivery of religious services – not unbiased or especially sensitive. Nonetheless, his commentary on the behaviour of the French people, their clothes and their small homes is, overall, generally positive and gives a first-hand account of Acadian life at this early time. Some of the details in his observations make for very special reading. Dr. Hale’s spelling of words and place names before the standardization of the English language, has been left as originally written. Where spellings may confuse today’s readers, Al Smith has clarified within square brackets. I must admit to you that for me, as editor, it wasn’t easy to leave the text untouched! Al and I preserved the original text which captures the flavour of Hale’s journal and his time. I hope that you find these extracts of the journal as interesting as we did. And, like me, you may have to read it more than once to absorb it all. But the most important thing, as always,

Enjoy!

— Peter Hicklin

(Extracts from)
Journal of a Voyage to Nova Scotia in 1731

by Robert Hale (Beverly, Mass.)¹

Describes conditions around Cumberland Basin in 1731

Compiled by W.A. Raymond

The last number of the Essex Institute Historical Collections, (Vol. XLII), printed at Salem, Mass., is of some interest to the people of the Maritime Provinces. The opening contribution – a “Journal of a Voyage to Nova Scotia, made in 1731 by Robert Hale, of Beverly” – is printed from the original manuscript now in possession of the American Antiquarian Society.

Robert Hale was born at Beverly, Mass on February 12, 1702-3. He graduated from Harvard in 1721, and began the practice of medicine in his native town in 1723. He filled many positions of public trust and for thirteen years represented Beverly in the General Court of Massachusetts. He commanded a regiment at the siege of Louisburg in 1745 (See Stone’s History of Beverly, pp. 38-53). Colonel Hale, as he was termed in his later years, seems to have been a man of extraordinary versatility. In addition to being a practicing physician, a legislator and a military commander, he was capable of navigating a vessel. His journal – from which we shall quote – shows that he sailed as master of the schooner Cupid, (of which he was part owner) in the voyage to Nova Scotia in 1731. He had as mate Wm. Haskell, and William Nicholson was his pilot. The rate of wages, paid monthly, was as follows: to the master £6, to the mate £5, to the pilot £9. The schooner sailed from Boston about the 6th of June, and on her way to the Bay of Fundy called at Portsmouth and at Pemmaquid (or Frederick’s Fort) on the coast of Maine. Owing to various detentions the vessel did not arrive at the Annapolis Basin until the 20th of June. “Just after our entrance,” says Hale in his journal, “2 Frenchmen came on board us, one of whom had wooden shoes on, the first that (to my remembrance) I ever saw.” At Annapolis there were, at this time, no English inhabitants, save those who lived in or near the fort. The French were settled in small villages in the vicinity of the fort, and up the Annapolis Valley for a distance of thirty miles. The presence of Governor Philips and his garrison served to impart some little stir to the place. Hale mentions in his journal, under date Tuesday, June 22: “Yesterday one of the Drummers at the Fort was buried, at whose interment (as is the custom) 12 men fired 3 volleys. Today a soldier was whip’t 20 lashes for getting drunk last Sabbath. There are now 3 schooners and 6 sloops in the Harbour.” He adds: “We went ashore & I seeing some Firr trees endeavoured to get the Balsam which is pretty plenty, but the Knats and Muskettoes being very plenty also, I was soon forced to give over; as I was going down I saw 2 speckled snakes like Adders, upon the beach, such as I never saw before, which I killed. The Water where wee anchor upon trial wee find to ebb & flow 20 feet & 8 inches and no more.” The next day the schooner weighed her anchor and set sail for the coal mines at the head of the Bay of Fundy, near “Checnecto” [Chignecto]. At sunrise on the 25th June the schooner passed Cape Enragé, which Hale calls Cape Anroshia, and was soon at her destination, Granchoggin, in the vicinity of the Joggins coal mines. In describing the location, Hale observes: “Wee past by the Coal Banks & a little farther came to the place where Coal is taken in, which is about 5 leagues below Meskquesh [Missequash] the chief place of Checnecto.” After no little difficulty the schooner was brought in to the wharf and as much coal put on board of her as she could float at the wharf with at high tide. The incidents that occurred during the next few days are valuable as throwing light upon the manners of the Acadians one hundred and seventy-five years ago ago [in 1906 when W.O. Raymond did the compilation]. Robert Hale shall tell us the story in his own words:

“Sat. 26 [June] 1 A.M. Made a second Attempt to gain the Wharff but gott aground a Boats Length from it.

“2 P.M. Wee got our Vessel in to the Wharff, & took our Cask out of the Hold, & Capt. Foresyth’s Hands went to Loading & put in as much Coal as wee tho’t our Schooner wou’d float with.

“Sab. 27. 2½ A.M. It being the highest Tide wee cou’d expect wee hawl’d off into the Creek, but when the Tide went out, wee had like to have oversett, because she lay on the side of the Bank. The Coal which they dig about 7 miles below the Place, they bring hither in 2 Lighters [small boats] & throw up into Cribs which they have made in the Edge of the Marsh, close to which they have cut down the Sodd or Marsh so as to make a Wharff & so low that a Vessel can go in a little before highwater. The Persons now concern’d in this Affair are Maj. Henry Cope of Annapolis, Capt. Alexr. Forsyth, Mr. John Liddel, and Mr. John Carnes, of Boston. They have permission from Govr. Phillips at Annapolis & began to dig last April. Only 2 Vessels have loaded here before us. This Creek is the nearest place to transport the Coal to where a Vessel may ride or lay Safely all Weathers, for tis dry half a Mile below the Wharff at low water. Coal has been dug here this 30 years, but they alwayes us’d to land it up below high water mark, but now they dig it out of the Cliff near an 100 feet above. Capt. Belcher of Boston, formerly caus’d coal to be dug here, & brought to the very place where the Wharffe now stands, & a large quantity of it lyes there now, which was sett on fire (being mixed with much dirt) about 3 weeks agoe, & the Fire is not out yet. They suppose this Mine of Coal reaches to that at Spanish River,² it being but a few leagues across the Land from one to the other. One man will dig many Chaldron of this Coal in a day. They have a House at this Creek which they call Stanwell Hall, & the Creek is call’d Gran’choggin. No other House is within 2 Leagues of it. They have a Serjeant (who is also impowered as a Collector for the Port of Granchoggin) & 6 Soldiers more from Annapolis; they imploy besides about 10 or 12 Frenchmen, besides the men who go in the Lighters. There is abundance of Muskettoes here – so that in a Calm hot day, tis almost impossible to live especially among the Trees. There is no such thing as an Oak, Walnut, or Chestnut Tree in these parts, & the Land is so poor, that no other Trees grow to be above a foot or a foot and a half over & very few so large. Spruce & Birch is the chief of the Wood, which the Land is covered with & where there are no Marshes, the people don’t pretend to settle. All the whole Bay above Cape Checnecto is called by that name, & the little Villages of 3 or 4 or half a Score Families have other Denominations. This Bay seems to mee to be as Subject to Strong winds as (Near Annapolis) it is to Calms, for besides that the Shores are washed higher, & that the people build all their Houses low, with large Timber & Sharp Roofs (not one house being 10 feet to t he Eves) you see in abundance of Places, spots of Land of phaps 2 or 3 Acresin a Spot, which have not a Tree Standing, only perhaps here & there a trunk of a large tree, 10, 15  or 20 feet high, but the Ground all covered with trees blown up by the Roots & multitudes of young trees 10 or 15 feet high all of near an heighth. I cou’d not find that the Water flows at Checnecto about 8 or 10 fathoms at most, which is about 50 or 60 feet.

“1 P.M. I took my Boat with 2 hands designing to go about 2 Leagues up the River to the nearest French Houses (my Pilott being an Interpreter) but as I had got about the middle of the Bay the Fogg came in very thick, & we row’d an hour and a half before we saw Land, & then wee discover’d it on the opposite shore about 3 Leagues above our Vessel. Soon after wee got on, the Fogg clear’d up & wee saw near our Boat an Indian Wigwam on the Beach, & at about 2 Miles distance a Small Village of 3 or 4 French Houses called Worshcock [Westcock] & lyes up Tantamar River, to which wee went, & the French entertain’d us with much Civility & Courtesy & when we came away one man would needs accompany us to our Boat, & conduct a nearer way over the Marshes than that by which we came.

“8 P.M. When wee came to our Boat (which we left at highwater) wee found her aground near 1/4 of a Mile, but as the Shore was all descending, Muddy & very Soft & Slippery with our Guide’s Help wee made a Shift to Launch her, and it being by this Time young Flood wee put away for Meshequesh [Beaubassin]³, a Small Village about 2 Leagues farther up the River, tho’ indeed it is the largest in this Bay; but as it was now dark wee were obliged to keep in with the Shore lest wee shou’d miss the Crick [Missaguash River], up which wee were to go about ¾ of a Mile to the Town; but the wind blowing very hard and right on upon the Shore, wee were put to much difficulty, & once got upon a Rocky flat a considerable distance from the Shore where wee had like to have Stove our Boat to pieces, but at length wee espied the Creek & thrust our boat in & soon had Smooth Water, & about 11 P.M. wee got up to the Town, to the House of one William Sears the Tavern Keeper, who let us in & gott water to wash our Legs & feet (bedaubed with Clay in coming ashore) & other Refreshments.

“Monday. 28 5 A.M. I rose & after Breakfast walk’d about to see the place and divert myself. There are but about 15 or 20 Houses in this Village, tho’ it be the largest in the Bay, besides 2 Mass Houses or Churches, on one of which they hang out a Flagg Morning & Evening for Prayers, to the other the Priest goes once a day only, Habited like a Fool in Petticoats, with a Man after him with a Bell in one Hand ringing at every door, & a lighted Candle & Lanthorn [Lantern] in the other.

“3 P.M. Wee had design’d now to down to our Vessel, but the wind blowing very hard at S. W. wee were Oblig’d to quit our purpose till next Highwater for ’tis impossible to go against the Tide. I went to see an Indian Trader named Pierre Asneau, who lately came from St. John’s in Canada River [Prince Edward Island] with Furs & Seal Skins; they go up this River till they come to a Carrying place [Missaguash River portage route to Baie Verte] of about 10 miles over & then they are in that River, so that tis not half so far to N. found land that way as to go all by water. When I came to enquire into the Price of things, I found their Manners is to give no more (or Scarce so much) for our Goods as they cost in Boston, so that all the Advance our Traders can make is upon their Goods. All this Province are oblig’d by Proclamation of Gen. Phillips to take Massachusetts Bills in Payment, except where it is otherwise agreed between Buyer & Seller. But tis no Profit to our Traders nor theirs to take any Money except Just for Change, & Money is the worst Commodity a Man can have here, for as our Traders sell as cheap or cheaper than they Buy, it will be but loss to take money to bring away, &the pple hear don’t care to take it, because in the 1st place our Traders will not take it of them for the aforewrited reason; 2nd, the Indians with whom they Trade will not take it, for all the Furs &c. which they get will scarce pay for what Cloathing they want, & that they take up when they deliver their Furrs.⁴ They have no Taxes to pay & 4th They trade but little amongst themselves, every one raising himself what he want, except what they have in Exchange from the Traders, & as a proof that they are govern’d by this Maxim, I need only say, that when I came to pay my Reckoning at the Tavern, the Landlord had but 5d. in Money, tho’ he is one of the wealthiest in the place. I can’t understand that there are more than 400 Families in the Government of Nova Scotia (Exempt of Georgia) who live all either at Annapolis Menis & Checnecto, except a few Families at St. John’s & some other places. This Night wee lodg’d at Sears’s again & at supper were regaled with Bonyclabber, soop, Sallet, roast Shad, & Bread & Butter, & to day we din’d with Mr. Aneau at his Brother’s upon roast Mutton, & and for Sauce a Sallet, mix’d with Bonyclabber3 Sweetened with Molasses. Just about Bed time wee were surpriz’d to see some of the Family on their Knees paying their Devotions to the Almighty, & others near them talking, & Smoaking, &c. This they do all of them (mentally but not orally) every night & Morning, not altogether, but now & then another, and sometimes 2 or 3 together, but not in Conjunction one with the other. The women here differ as much in their Cloathing (besides wearing of wooden Shoes) from those in New England as they do in Features and Complexion, which is dark eno’ by liuing [living] in the Smoak in the Summer to defend themselves against the Muskettoes, and in the winter against the Cold. They have but one Room in their Houses besides a Clockloft, Celler, & Sometimes a Closet. Their Bedrooms are made something after the manner of a Sailor’s Cabbin, but boarded all round about the bigness of the Bed, except one little hole in the Foreside, just big eno’ to crawl into, before which is a Curtain drawn & as a Step to get into it, there stands a Chest. They have not above 2 or 3 chairs in a house, and those wooden ones, bottom & all. I saw but 2 Muggs among all the French and the lip of one of them was broken down above 2 inches. When they treat you with strong drink they bring it in a large Bason & give you a Porringer to dip it with. The Gait of these people is very different from the English for the women Step (or rather straddle) further at step than the Men. The Women’s Cloaths are good eno’ but they look as if they were pitched on with pitchforks, & very often their Stockings are down about their heels. Capt. Blin of Boston who has ben a Trader to Nova Scotia this many years, died about a month ago at Musquesh & lyes buried on the plain below the Town not far from the Pool, where he used to lay his Sloop.

“June, Tues. 29. 3½ A.M. Wee rose and went down to our Boat & made the best off our way to our Vessel, but the wind being against us it was past 8 aClock before wee got down, where when wee came wee found our vessel loaded.

“3 P.M. Wee endeavour’d to haul off our Vessel intending to go out this Tide, in doing which wee ran aground 4 times sometimes on one side of the Creek and sometimes on the other, however at last wee got her into the Road but the Wind blowing half a Storm right against us, we dropp’d Anchor. The wind still increased with Thunder, Rain & excessive Lightning & blew most violently, so that wee took in water over our Side. About 10 a Clock I saw what the Sailors call a Corprisant on the Head of our Foremast & before 12 the Storm was pretty well over.

“Wed., 30. 5 A.M. It being high water wee weigh’d Anchor, the wind at W.N.W. but in about an hour & half it shifted about to S.W. (where it has blown hard almost continually ever since wee gott within Cape Checknecto, except a few hours this Morning) however wee gott down half way between Cape Anroshia & Grindstone Island, about 5 leagues below Granchoggin & here wee dropp’t Anchor about ¾ of a mile from the shore.

“6 P.M. Wee hoisted Anchor and Sail, the wind at S.W., a strong Gale and our due Course W.S.W. It looks like foul weather the Clouds blacken & gather thick at the W. The Sun sets in a Cloud. The wind grows stronger still, & tho’ it be now low water & Tide of Flood & wind both against us wee can’t anchor, but must busk [tack] it from side to side of the Bay till High water in the Morning.

“July, Thurs., 1. 5 A.M. The wind holds still at S.W. right against us, but it being now Highwater wee are in hopes to gain something. The Sky is overcast still. We are now on the N. Shore opposite to the River of Pome,⁵ which is about a League above the N.Point of Cape Checnecto.”

The remainder of the journal is of considerable historic value, but the length of this extract leaves no room for further remarks.

FOOTNOTES
1. In Acadiensis, Vol. VI, No. 4, October 1906; Book Reviews; pp. 262-270 by W.O. Raymond
2. Spanish River is now known as Sydney in Cape Breton.
3. This Village was at or near the site afterwards known as Beauséjour, or Fort Cumberland [actually Beaubassin, now Fort Lawrence].
4. Bonnyclabber is a name applied to milk that has formed into a curd by souring quickly in warm weather.
5. The word Pomme in French means Apple. The river is still called Apple River.

Volunteer of the Year 2023

by Kathy Bouska

Kathy Bouska presenting Volunteer of the Year Award to Charlie Trenholm, May 28, 2023

May 28, 2023—Today we’re recognizing Charlie Trenholm for the myriad contributions that he’s made to the Tantramar Heritage Trust that have had such a major impact on all aspects of one of our biggest projects. He’s done this through his knowledge, expertise, connections in the community, work he’s done for us, and by taking untold other hours of his time to educate the rest of us. Since he lives near the Boultenhouse Heritage Centre, when we call him you barely hang up the phone and soon after he’s standing right in front of Karen’s desk ready to yet again give us guidance, answer questions, or chip in and help. Sometimes, this is an almost daily occurrence!

Little could we have imagined this outcome when a couple of years ago Karen excitedly told me that she’d just ran into a guy while walking to the museum who had been a moulder at the Enterprise Foundry; after telling him about our new Oral History Project on the Sackville Foundries, he gave her his contact information. But more than just that amazing interview he did for us, he became the key to the success of this project and every other aspect of the THT’s goal to document, preserve, and promote the history of both of our major foundries.

With the Oral History project, Charlie had an extensive network of former foundry employees as he had kept in touch with his friends (and he has many!) and he literally tracked down people he hadn’t seen in decades and told them all about the project and got them to come in for interviews. Many of these people we would never have been able to track down nor likely convince them to speak to us – but Charlie did it better than Sherlock Holmes!

From these wonderful interviews and all the items Charlie brought to us, we received many fabulous artifacts made and used at both of our foundries and even some amazing archival materials! But Charlie (being Charlie) then took it to the next level and because he and Danny Bowser of Bowser Construction had been moulders together, he approached him to obtain permission to take us on a tour of the Enterprise (that Danny now owns) and to select artifacts for the museum. Of course once wasn’t enough to accomplish all of this so Charlie took us multiple times, most recently to rescue some remaining records from the foundries, and, as usual, Charlie pitched right in and helped! On top of this, Charlie has cleaned up and preserved a number of the artifacts and our new summer staff already have fresh questions for him, so get ready Charlie!

But this is just my experience working with Charlie; don’t even get Susan Amos started on all the knowledge he shared with her for her hot selling foundries book, as we’d be here all day!

So to Charlie, we couldn’t have done any of this without you and for this and also because you’re one of the nicest people around who always brightens our days and gives us a good laugh, this award is for you!

What’s in a Name?
Charlotte Street

Sackville streets named after women are a rarity as only seven of the 133 town streets are so named. The oldest town street named after a local woman is Charlotte Street which was in place by 1862 as it appears on the Walling map. According to oral information passed down by the Wheeler family, the street was most likely named after Charlotte Wry (1795-1872). Charlotte was the eleventh of eighteen children of John Wry (1750-1824) and Phoebe Maxwell (1763-1824). John Wry was a weaver from Yorkshire, England, who arrived with other emigrants from Yorkshire on the ship Two Friends in 1774. Charlotte Wry married Daniel Wheeler (1804-1851) in 1824 and they had six children. Daniel died in 1851 and there is no record of Charlotte remarrying.

Much of the land along present-day Charlotte Street was owned by the Wry family. The original John Wry purchased 130 acres from his father-in-law William Maxwell, so Charlotte Wry would have grown up on the street that was later to bear her name. The last Wry family descendants living on the street were Charlie and Arnold Wry who resided in an old farm where the present day Autumn Lee Retirement Home is located.

This section of the Walling Map of 1862 shows the road now called Charlotte Street and the house of Mrs. Wheeler between Salem and Lansdowne Streets.

The 1862 Walling map shows a Mrs. Wheeler residing on the northerly side of the street, the only house between present-day Lansdowne and Salem streets; possibly that was Charlotte (Wry) Wheeler. The 1861 census records a Charlotte Wheeler, age 66 years, as head of household in which also resided her 76-year-old brother John Wry Jr., 20-year-old niece Frances Weatherhead and two-year-old Jane Weatherhead.

For many years the street was known as “slab lane,” a reference to the fences made of slab wood on both sides of the street. The name Charlotte was in use as early as 1883 as it appears on a survey plan of the area by C.L. Lund. The 1899 Stewart & Company map of town streets shows it as Charlotte Street.

Source: Smith, Allan D., Aboushagan to Zwicker—An Historical Guide to Sackville NB Street Nomenclature. Publication of the Tantramar Heritage Trust (2004).

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Annual General Meeting
Saturday, May 25 (2 pm)
Campbell Carriage Factory Museum
Guest speaker: Garth Zwicker, “The Veterans Banner Project Story”
Join us for a short business meeting, presentation of the Volunteer of the Year Award, and a presentation from our guest speaker. Reception to follow. All are welcome.

Official Opening of Carriage Factory Museum
Sunday, June 16 (12-5 pm)
Includes entertainment, games, blacksmithing demonstrations, and the very popular annual
Plant Sale.

Canada Day Social
Monday, July 1 (2-4 pm)
Boultenhouse Heritage Centre
Join us for games, tours, music, and delicious homemade desserts.

Make It Workshops
July and August
Heritage-themed children’s workshops – details TBA.

Under the Sky Events
July and August
Community events at our museums – details TBA.

Heritage Field Day
Sunday, August 11 (12-5 pm)
Campbell Carriage Factory Museum
Blacksmithing demonstrations, live music, dancing, snacks, artisan demonstrations, tours, and much more.

Annual Fall Fundraising Dinner
Sunday, September 22, 2024, 6 p.m.
Sackville Legion
Theme: “Sackville: Southeastern New Brunswick Seafaring Centre”
Further details to come!

To keep up with what’s happening at the Trust, follow us on Facebook or Instagram
(tantramarheritagetrust) or contact the office at tantramarheritage@gmail.com and ask to be added to our email list.