Landing of Baptists from Swansea, Massachusetts

Cairn with historical marker commemorating the landing of 13 Baptists from Swansea, Mass. in April 1763 Slack’s Cove, Lower Rockport Road, Lower Rockport, N.B.Both Middle Sackville Baptist Church and Sackville Main Street Baptist Church trace their origins to the first Baptist congregation in Canada established by these settlers in Middle Sackville.
	1763 THIRTEEN BAPTISTS FROM SWANSEA, MASS. LANDED AT SLACK’S COVE APRIL 21 1763. MIDDLE SACKVILLE AND MAIN ST. BAPTIST CHURCH SACKVILLE N.B. WERE THE FIRST BAPTIST WITNESS IN CANADA. FOUNDED ON THE ROCK CHRIST JESUS. DEDICATED JUNE 1973. PASTOR & Mrs NATHAN MASON MR. & MRS THOMAS LEWIS MR. & MRS OLIVER MASON MR. & MRS BENJAMIN MASON MR. & MRS CHARLES SEAMANS MR. & MRS GILBERT SEAMANS EXPERIENCE BAKER Marker placed by Merle and Roy Snowdon, in 1973
Photographs courtesy of Dr. Winston Dykeman
On the history of the Baptist churches in Sackville, see Milner, W.C., History of Sackville New Brunswick (Sackville, N.B.: The Tribune Press, 1934), pp. 54-56 MacFadden, Beryl, with Donna Beal and Kim Mitton, Passing It On: Meeting the Challenge 1763-1988 (Sackville, N.B.: Main Street Baptist Church, 1988.

1763