It has long been recognized that cemeteries form an important link in our cultural and historical heritage. Whether plain or elaborate, gravestones are classified among the earliest examples of creative art. In addition, each and every stone is an irreplacable historical artifact, recording something of a community’s history.

As might be expected in an area with a rich and colorful past, this region is noted for many historic cemeteries. These may be found from Dorchester to Point de Bute; from Sackville to Jolicure; from Fort Beausejour to Port Elgin and all points between. One of the most interesting is the Methodist cemetery in Middle Sackville. A checklist of names on it’s headstones becomes a roll call of the early Yorkshire settlers on the Marsh. Buried here are members of the Atkinson, Fawcett, Dixon and Bowser families, along with many others.

The Fawcetts emigrated from Hovingham, Yorkshire in 1774 and soon became prominent in the life of the township. Numbered among the trustees of the first Methodist chapel were James Fawcett, John Fawcett Jr., and William Fawcett, who donated the land on which it was built.

The tombstone of the latter has long attracted attention for the grim tale it records:

A search of newspaper files reveals few additional details. Fawcett’s obituary notes that when the coroner was called, the body was found in a sitting posture, [the book of sermons] fixed firm in his hand, and open at Wesley’s text — 2 Samuel 18:33 — ‘O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you.’

The plot thickens as the obituary concludes: What renders this dispensation more particularly depressing, is that suspicion has fallen on his only son [Rufus] as perpetrator of the murder. Rufus was to be charged with the crime, and in the trial that followed, acquitted. He then left for the United States and the murder on the marsh remains to this day, an unsolved mystery. Reader Be Ye Also Ready!

In 1786 the newly created province of New Brunswick was divided into eight counties; however, within each, older parish subdivisions were still retained.

In the case of Westmorland County, a parish of the same name paralleled the Nova Scotia border as far as Port Elgin; while the adjacent Cape Tormentine peninsula kept its designation, Botsford Parish. These two names were to be combined in 1849 when the Westmorland and Botsford Agricultural Society was established.

One of its main objectives was the holding of an annual exhibition or fair highlighting the importance of agriculture within the two parishes. In the beginning, exhibitions were held at Oultons Corner (now Little Shemogue) and Port Elgin. Ploughing matches were added as early as 1852 and created a great deal of interest.

Prizes were awarded for superior livestock; for example, the best 3 year old heifer or best ram lamb earned $2.00; with second place being awarded $1.50. Early records indicate that prize money was not the stimulus behind the event. Motivation came from the satisfaction of comparing prize livestock and produce; not to mention the fellowship of friends and neighbors; all enjoying ‘a day away’ from the farm.

By 1882 the Westmorland and Botsford Agricultural Exhibition had grown to the extent that a permanent home base was required. A small parcel of land was purchased in Port Elgin and sheds were erected for the protection of livestock.

Very quickly these became outdated and in 1896, a larger block of land was purchased. The grounds were cleared of bushes, a board fence was erected along with a grandstand and exhibition building. During the first world war, 1914–1918, the facilities were pressed into service for the initial training of local troops.

In 1921 the prize list had grown to a total of $2000, and awards were made in all lines of livestock, including horses, cattle, sheep, swine and poultry; vegetables, grain, fruit, honey, dairy products, fancy work and domestic manufactures, canned vegetables and fruits.

By this time a raceway was an added attraction and a series of horse races were held during the summer months. Over the years many outstanding Maritime standard bred trainers were associated with the raceway. These included names such as: Joe O’Brien, Harley Harrison, Reg LeBlanc, Art Porter and Hal Ramsay.

In 1949 celebrations were held to mark the centennial of the Westmorland and Botsford Agricultural Society’s Exhibition. One highlight was an appearance by the later nationally famous Don Messer and His Islanders.

Unfortunately, this was to be a turning point in the fortunes of the exhibition. Closure came in 1957 and the fair remained dormant until 1994 when the Society was reorganized. The revival was sparked by four founding organizations: the Chignecto Wagoneers, Baie Verte Horse Club, Tantramar Pony Club and the Port Elgin Horsemen’s Club.

Three new barns were constructed, along with an all purpose exhibition building, two show rings and an all weather half mile race track. A fourth barn is under construction and a covered arena is included in future plans.

Over the past three years an annual four day exhibition and numerous horse shows have been held. Regular harness racing meets have generated much local enthusiasm with upward of 3,000 people in attendance at one race. Clearly, the future appears bright for one of New Brunswick’s oldest agricultural fairs.

It is an understatement to note that none of this would have been accomplished without government and corporate funding, and more particularly, the thousands of hours of volunteer labour. The 1849 founders of the Westmorland and Botsford Agricultural Society would be proud of their modern counterparts!

The 1998 exhibition begins tomorrow, August 13th and runs for the next three days. See you there!

Appreciation is extended to Dick McLeod and Terry Oulton for their assistance in providing background material for this column. As a follow up to today’s topic, I am interested in obtaining information about the Sackville Raceway. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have information.

From time to time this column will survey the imprint of the earliest settlers on the Tantramar region. The Mi’kmaq people were considered last October; today it is the turn of the Acadians. Later Flashbacks will spotlight other founding groups such as the New England Planters, Loyalists, Yorkshire settlers and others.

On Aug 11, 1755 Colonel John Winslow (1703–1774) confided in his journal: This day was one extraordinary to the inhabitants of Tantemar, Wescoat [Westcock], Aulac, Baye Verte, Beausejour and places adjacent; the male inhabitants, or the principal of them, being collected together in Fort Cumberland [as Beausejour was renamed] to hear the sentence… that they were declared rebels, their lands, goods, chattels forfeited to the crown and their bodies to be imprisoned. Upon which the gates of the fort were shut and they were all confined, to the amount of four hundred men and upward.

So began le grand dérangement — the expulsion of the Acadians from this area. Obviously, in the space available, it is impossible to cover such a complex and controversial event. Instead, this Flashback will consider the lasting cultural imprint of the Acadians on the Tantramar.

Readers interested in delving more deeply in local Acadian history are directed to the excellent study by Dr Naomi Griffith, The Contexts of Acadian History 1686–1784. Still in print and available in paperback, it’s a distillation of three decades of scholarly research in Acadian history. During 1988–89 Dr Griffith was the Winthrop Pickard Bell Professor of Maritime Studies at Mount Allison. Many readers will recall her public lectures on Acadian themes. These were later incorporated in this book, published by McGill-Queens University Press in 1993.

What was the appearance of the Tantramar prior to 1755? We have a few eye witness accounts to fill in some details. One of these, by surveyor Charles Morris (1711–1781), described the view from Beausejour ridge as: one of the most beautiful the Basin of Chignecto affords in summer… from here may be seen a number of villages built on gentle rising hills interspersed with gardens and woods. The villages are divided from each other with long intervals of marsh.

By the time of the Morris visit in 1748 there were Acadian settlements at Weskak, (Westcock); Pré des Bourgs, (Sackville); Pré des Richards, (Middle Sackville); Tintamare, (Upper Sackville); La Butte, Le Coup, Le Lac (Aulac); Portage, at the head of the Missaguash; Beaubassin, adjacent to Beausejour; Jolicoeur, (Jolicure) and Pont à Buot, (Point de Bute). Farther afield, there were settlements at La Planche (Amherst) and Baie Verte for a total population of approximately 3,000.

The Chignecto Isthmus saw its first Acadian settlers in the early 1670s. The majority moved northward from Port Royal in search of new areas where they might reclaim land from the sea. Among European pioneers, the Acadians were unique in that they had little interest in chopping down the forest in a search for arable land.

In this respect, they were continuing an ancient tradition, for more than half of the original Acadian stock came from the west coast of France. Here, in areas such as La Rochelle, in Saintonge and Poitou the reclamation of tidal marshlands was well developed. Having already mastered the fine art of dyke building; how thrilled the Acadians must have been when they spotted the potential of the Tintamare!

Very quickly, the dominant feature of the local landscape became an extensive network of dykes behind which the Acadians were to successfully practise marsh agriculture for almost a century. That they were able to build these dykes without the aid of any modern earth moving equipment is little short of miraculous.

Although the dykes were sometimes referred to as the aboiteaux; this term is used today for the sluice gate which acts as a valve to hold back the tide. Essentially it is a wooden gate with horizontal hinges that lets out fresh water when necessary, and is closed by the incoming tide as a barrier to salt water. Although the word is Acadian French in origin, it was adopted by the English and remains in popular use in both languages.

A key element in the Acadian saga was their return and eventual revival. The best known of the Acadian migrations occurred in 1767–68 when a group assembled in Boston and decided to go home. All who were fit to travel, numbering about 900; men, women and children, trekked through the wilderness along the Atlantic coast to the Isthmus of Chignecto.

By then their lands were occupied by others. As has been the case with many refugees, both before and since, they moved on. Some found land in parts of present day southeastern New Brunswick and to the north in what is now the Acadian Peninsula. Additional numbers secured a safe haven in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island where their descendants may still be found.

There are but few reminders on the Tantramar of the once flourishing Acadian villages. A few melodic place names linger: Aulac, Point de Bute, Baie Verte and Fort Beausejour… occasionally a metal or stone artifact is unearthed on marsh or upland… and tales are told of buried treasure at Jolicure and of a friendly ghost that stalks the banks of the Missiguash. But in the final analysis, it is the many hectares of fertile Tantramar marshland that, nearly three centuries later, serve to symbolize a people who though exiled, were destined re-establish themselves elsewhere in the Maritimes.

The bard of the High Marsh Road, Douglas Lochhead, has captured their enduring legacy in words that only a poet could find:

here, right where my foot takes weight,
what Acadian sweated and froze in the
ever-wind to make these dykes? there is
a sense of history here and all across this marsh.

It is often said that time has no divisions, yet anyone following recent media accounts would question this conclusion. For weeks we’ve been flooded with millennium mania. By now, I hope that everyone has relaxed a bit, and that you have not fallen victim to Y2K.

In anticipation of future letters and telephone calls, I’ll concede that time experts are in agreement. The new millennium begins next January 1, 2001. However, if both CNN and the Globe & Mail agree that we are now five days into a new millennium; why should anyone quibble? Instead, let’s go back a century ago…

Were fears and concerns being expressed in 1900 about the dawn of the twentieth century? Most certainly — proving that human nature changes but little over time. There were also some interesting predictions for the next one hundred years.

New Year’s Day 1900, was a pleasant one on the Tantramar. The temperature was slightly below zero; but more important, there was fine sleighing. Since it fell on a Monday there was added opportunity for people to harness the horses, and visit friends and relatives all around the marsh. From newspapers and other accounts, New Year’s Day was more important than New Year’s Eve — especially for family gatherings and neighborly visits.

The Moncton Times published a peek into the future by an unknown poet. While not great poetry, his/her predictions were of more than passing interest. Entitled A Century From Now readers were warned: If you and I could wake from sleep… we’d witness such a startling change, find everything so wondrous strange… we’d hurry back across the range… a century from now! Then came the predictions: The people all will fly on wings, not heavenly but potent things… they’ll soar aloft devoid of fear… on pinions of a changeless gear… and change their flyers every year. (Was the last point a hint of future trouble in Canada’s airline industry?)

Not quite so accurate was the prophecy that our daily bread would be replaced by food in tablets or that thirst would be quenched by a chemist’s pill. On the political front it was forecast that a woman forty, fat, but fair, would occupy the Speaker’s chair.

To say the least, the latter prediction was a bold one. Many years were to pass before women were granted the right to vote. It was not until 1967 that Brenda Robertson became the first woman elected to the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly. Later in 1970, she attained a second honor, as the first female cabinet minister in the province.

Before the end of the twentieth century, two New Brunswick women actually made it to the Speaker’s chair. The first was Muriel McQueen Fergusson (1899–1997) who was named Speaker of the Senate in 1972. Twenty years later, in 1992, Shirley Dysart, MLA for Saint John Park, became Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. For the record, neither Fergusson or Dysart were forty or fat; but they both fulfilled the role of Madame Speaker in a fair manner.

Of this pioneering trio, both Robertson and Fergusson graduated from Mount Allison. In the 1990’s, two other Allisonians, Margaret Norrie McCain and Marilyn Trenholme Counsell achieved office as lieutenant governor. Is there something in the Tantramar air?

Leaving predictions aside, in 1900 there were the expected prophets of doom and gloom. They forecast, with great confidence, that the end of the world was nigh. Some were quite emphatic that this event would take place during the latter days of the twentieth century.

Sackville, Moncton and Amherst newspapers, emphasized economic progress in their year-end reviews. Since the incorporation of Sackville was still three years away, local news items centered around Crane’s Corner, the present town center. It was reported that Pickard’s Quarry had supplied stone for the new residence at Mount Allison; while three orders for stone from Saint John and one from Toronto were recently shipped. Senator Josiah Wood had completed his lumber shipments for the year by loading at Shediac, two Norwegian vessels.

The Middle Sackville correspondent was very upbeat. Although a large amount of the business of Sackville is done at Crane’s Corner, yet Middle Sackville is not without its commercial and manufacturing interests. The list that followed was impressive and included: Joseph L. Black, in general trade, with lumber and agricultural interests; W.C. Morice, grist and carding mills; James Smith, Boot and Shoe manufacturers and J. C. Ayer’s Tannery… one of the largest in the Maritimes.

There was also Campbell’s Carriage Factory, then at the peak of its prosperity; producing among other items: 30 to 40 wheeled vehicles and about 20 sleighs and pungs annually. The arrival of the automobile soon afterward, signalled the end of this enterprise; although it did not close its doors until 1949. Thanks to the initiative of the Tantramar Heritage Trust, the factory is in the process of being restored. When completed, it will highlight an interesting chapter in the industrial history of the Tantramar.

A late report in the Jan. 3, 1900 issue of the Moncton Times covered the Christmas entertainment by pupils of Dorchester school. The program, a lengthy one, consisted of choruses, motion songs, recitations, dialogues and drills. The drills were exceedingly fine, and in each case called for hearty encores. As if this were not enough for one evening, the program concluded with speeches by the then Premier of New Brunswick (Henry R. Emmerson); a former Premier (D. L. Hanington); a Senator (Pascal Poirier) and a Judge (Pierre Landry). Although not all of these special guests were then residing in Dorchester, all were lawyers, and had once practised there.

Later in the year, on Aug. 31, 1900, Premier Henry R. Emmerson left provincial politics to contest the federal constituency of Westmorland. Elected to the House of Commons on Nov. 7, 1900, he went on to serve as Minister of Railways and Canals in the cabinet of Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier. He died at Dorchester July 9, 1914. In the early 1900’s Dorchester could justifiably claim considerable clout in the political and judicial life of New Brunswick.

Now back to millennium mania. The current craze was placed in perspective by an item that I encountered while surfing the Internet. Again, the author is anonymous. Supposedly, the satirical account was written, toward the end of the year 999, by a monk attached to Canterbury Cathedral. Looking ahead to New Year’s Day, 1000, he wrote:

An atmosphere close to panic prevails throughout Europe as the millennial year 1000 approaches, bringing with it the so-called Y1K Bug, Just how did this disaster-in-the-making ever arise? Why did no one anticipate that a change from a three-digit to a four-digit year would throw into total disarray all aspects of life in which any date is mentioned?

Every hymn, prayer, ceremony and incantation dealing with dated events will have to be re-written to accommodate an extra digit. All tabular chronologies, with three-space year columns, maintained for generations by scribes, using carefully hand-ruled lines on vellum sheets, will now have to be converted to four-space columns, at enormous cost.

Stonemasons are already reported threatening to demand a proportional pay increase for having to carve an extra numeral in all dates on tombstones, cornerstones and monuments. Together with its inevitable ripple effects, this alone could plunge our hitherto stable economy into chaos.

A conference of clerics has been called at Winchester to discuss the entire issue, but doomsayers are convinced that the matter is now one of personal survival.

A Happy New Year to all Flashback readers!

Recently, when asked the question: Are you familiar with the Grange movement? I responded yes, as the organization was once active in southwestern Ontario where we used to live. Unknown to me was the fact that the Grange had also reached the Maritimes. There were at least four branches in this area; in Sackville, Amherst, Fort Lawrence and Point de Bute.

This question from a Flashback reader was sparked by the discovery of a minute book of the Point de Bute Grange #772 covering the years 1881 to 1886. During the past century and more, this historic treasure was well travelled, as it moved from Point de Bute to Sackville, then to Kentville NS and Victoria BC; and finally back to Point de Bute, following the settlement of an estate.

It’s final home is now the regional collection in the Mount Allison University Archives, as the minute book provides a fascinating account of late nineteenth century rural life. I appeal to all readers to resist the temptation, when housecleaning, to toss out old record books, diaries, school and church registers, newspapers, documents and scrapbooks. They are the primary sources and raw material of history.

Had one family not recognized the value of this minute book, it would long since been lost. Containing about about one hundred pages; it’s very ordinary in appearance. Purchased for sixty cents at G. G. Bird’s Importers of Stationery and Books, in Amherst; this sum was later reimbursed on motion to Grange secretary J. Amos Trueman. Except for a few torn and missing pages, the minute book is in remarkably good condition.

What was the Grange? Briefly stated, it was a social and educational association designed to enhance and brighten farm life. First organized in the United States in 1867 under the title The National Grange of the Patrons of Industry; it came to Canada through Ontario in 1871. Simply called The Grange; it’s focus was the improvement of agricultural practices. This was an age of secret societies; and not surprisingly the Grange adopted the lodge format for meetings. A gatekeeper, passwords, secret signs, initiation ceremonies and four degrees were all presided over by a Worthy Master.

The minutes remain silent on matters concerning the rites and rituals of the Grange, and ceremonial details were never described. The value of this minute book lies in the detail and range of Grange programs, and the glimpse these provide of a thriving and busy rural community. Also worthy of note, and unlike many organizations of that day, the Grange was open to both men and women.

The Grange met weekly and the subject for the next meeting was always announced in advance. Occasionally, there was a speaker, but more often, the program was led by members. Roundtable discussions and debates were common. Although agricultural themes predominated, programs covered a wide range. Topics such as: marsh drainage, farm fire insurance, use of fertilizers, the preservation of fruits and vegetables, the proper feeding of cattle and the value of agricultural colleges, provide examples.

Articles from the Family Herald and Weekly Star were sometimes used for discussion purposes. Once each year, members had an opportunity to fill orders [for agricultural items] from the Grange Wholesale Company. Of particular interest today were programs of a more general or cultural nature.

Members of Grange #722 often travelled far and wide. Whenever someone returned from a trip, they were called upon for a few remarks. Accounts of provincial and local exhibitions were also popular. During the winter months, musical evenings made a pleasant diversion, and throughout the year Harvest Suppers were frequently held.

The Grange was also prepared to tackle controversial issues. A lecture on the Scott Temperance Act of 1878 was followed by a discussion on the question: Does the Grange pledge forbid intemperance? or more pointedly: Can Point de Bute support both a Grange and a Temperance Division? On this matter, members reached a conclusion. All agreed that Grangers should be temperate, but a pledge to total abstinence was not binding.

Another interesting discussion centered on the history of New Brunswick. The lecturer, Granger Samuel Sharp, commented on the lack of knowledge and absence of books on the subject. A slight touch of bias crept into the minutes in the next two sentences: He made a long speech, giving the Grange an account of early settlement, boundary disputes, Miramichi Fire etc., etc. It was suggested that he supplement this speech by another on the future capabilities of New Brunswick.

Secretarial duties were shared by several members during the five year period. J. Amos Trueman, Samuel Sharp, Leonard Carter, Douglas Fullerton, Albert C. Carter, and C. F. McCready all served. Shorter stints, as acting secretary, were undertaken by Robert McLeod, H. M. Copp and W. Johnston Trueman.

A read of the Grange minutes reveals a profile of a prosperous late 19th century rural community. All too often, we look back with sympathy on previous generations, obviously lacking the advantages of a technological age. How wrong we are to do so! Point de Bute in the 1880s was a self-assured and resourceful community.

Some idea of it’s self sufficiency can found, not only in Grange activities, but through late nineteenth century maps and directories. Within the bounds of Point de Bute and Upper Point de Bute there were: two schools, two churches (Baptist and Methodist), a community hall, general store, post office, grist mill, sawmill, tannery, cheese factory and blacksmith shop.

Local leadership in organizations such as the Grange was not lacking. Full slates of officers were installed annually, and at almost every meeting, new members were initiated. Many opportunities were presented for Grangers to speak in public, to debate and lead discussions; to make music and enjoy life. In winter, when travel by sleigh over the marshes was easy, other Granges were visited, or #772 would play host.

Nor were Grangers confined to their immediate area. Coastal sailing ships and later steamers provided travel by sea; while in the 1870s the Intercolonial Railway opened up still wider horizons. Life in Point de Bute during the 1880’s was anything but disadvantaged.

In Port Elgin, the roots of Presbyterianism lie deeply imbedded. In late April 1854 Rev Alexander Clarke (1794–1874) reported: On Sabbath afternoon was at Jolicure. Monday lectured at the Bay [Baie Verte]. Went on to Gaspereau [Port Elgin]. Appointed a building committee, and let the foundation and frame of the [meeting] house. So began the first Reformed Presbyterian church in Port Elgin.

Rev Alexander Clarke was, by any measure, an extraordinary individual. A native of Ulster, he was appointed in 1827 by the Irish Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church to serve in New Brunswick. The Clarke family arrived in Saint John, Aug 23, 1827 and moved to the Chignecto region the following year.

In the mid-1830s, to supplement his salary, Clarke purchased a farm at East Amherst. This was to become his headquarters for the next four decades. The old homestead is still standing, a silent memorial to Clarke’s dedicated missionary service. Travelling east from Amherst, on Highway 6 it is on the left, just beyond the Tyndale Road.

In addition to the Port Elgin church, Clarke was responsible for building throughout Westmorland and Cumberland counties, some 14 other Reformed Presbyterian or Covenanter churches. External recognition came to him in 1860 with the award of an honorary DD by Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania.

Clarke died on March 15, 1874. His long and distinguished career is well summarized on a weather-stained headstone in the West Amherst cemetery:

He was a powerful preacher,
A successful pastor,
An accomplished scholar,
And a zealous servant of God.
The Righteous Shall Be
In Everlasting Remembrance.

Psalm 112:6

As we look back, an important part of Clarke’s zealous service came in laying a firm foundation for Presbyterianism in Port Elgin.

Forty five years after the establishment of the first Reformed Presbyterian church another foundation stone was to be put in place. A new building, the present St James, was erected in 1898 and dedicated on Jan 15 1899. According to the Presbyterian Witness three services were held to mark the event. In the morning the speaker was Rev David Wright, St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Springhill. His appropriate sermon was on the theme the moral power of the church in human history. The afternoon sermon was delivered by Rev Mr Gardiner of the Baptist Church while Rev. Joseph Howe Brownell, who later was to be minister of St James, preached in the evening. Throughout, a community choir of the best singers from different churches rendered excellent music… The offerings were liberal.

It was inevitable that the St James congregation would become involved in the debate over Church Union in 1925. In that year Methodist, Congregational and a large percentage of Presbyterian churches came together to form the United Church of Canada. Significantly, a majority of the members of the St James congregation voted to remain with the continuing Presbyterian Church. This landmark decision constitutes the third foundation stone of Presbyterianism in Port Elgin.

Noteworthy is the fact that the congregation purposefully looked to the future and embarked on a major refurbishment of St James Church. It was at this time that the beautiful stained glass windows which still adorn the sanctuary were installed. Six windows commemorate the life and contribution of the Anderson, Grant, Horsman, McLeod, Monroe and Oulton families. Another honors Rev. Joseph Howe Brownell (1858–1920). A native of Northport, NS he was minister of St James from 1905 to 1920. The impressive chancel window was donated by Port Elgin industrialist and politician Fred Magee (1875 — 1953), in memory of his parents.

From 1925 until 1939 St James was a single pastoral charge with its own minister and manse. However, by 1937 the impact of the Depression was such that discussions began, which led two years later, to a cooperative arrangement with St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Sackville. In 1967 a new manse was erected in Sackville for the benefit of clergy serving both churches.

As early as 1970, Mrs. Eleanor Goodwin was elected an elder of St James. Dr Charles Scobie has noted that she thus became the first woman in New Brunswick to be ordained to that office. In 1998 Rev. Dale Gray, who was also an elder from 1994 to 1996, was the first member of St James to be ordained a minister of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. He is now minister of St Columba and St Matthew’s Presbyterian Church in Saint John, NB. By coincidence, one of his classmates at Presbyterian College, Montreal, Rev. Ruth Houtby made history when she was inducted as the first woman minister of St Andrew’s Sackville and St James Port Elgin on Sept 03 1998.

A centennial is an important milestone for any institution. Poised at the threshold of the twenty first century, St James Presbyterian Church will mark the 100th anniversary of the present building on Sunday, Jan 31, 1999. A special service will be held at 2PM when the guest preacher will be Dr William Klempa, currently Moderator of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church in Canada.

It is impossible to do justice in one column to a story that spans 145 years. Readers wishing more detail are directed to Dr Charles H. H. Scobie’s The Presbyterian Church in Port Elgin, New Brunswick: A Short History. Published to mark the centennial of St James, it provides a comprehensive overview of the events from 1854 to 1999. Important also, is Dr Eldon Hay’s definitive The Chignecto Covenanters. This study describes not only the remarkable career of Dr Alexander Clarke and his associates; it traces the evolution of Presbyterianism in the region. Clarke’s comments in the opening paragraph are quoted from this book. Mrs Jean Baughan was also helpful in providing me with local information.

Words often change their meaning over time; while new words emerge to meet the needs of the present. Terms such as Planter or New England Planter, once in common use, are seldom heard today. Planter was an old English noun that described a colonist or settler. It was applied to the New Englanders who moved northward to Nova Scotia, (which then included New Brunswick), during the years 1759 to 1768.

To set the stage for this migration, it’s necessary to go back to the momentous year of 1755. On June 16th, Fort Beauséjour fell to the British. The deportation of the Acadian population took place the following autumn. Three years later, on July 17, 1758, Fortress Louisbourg was captured by the British, thus bringing to an end French ambitions in the region.

These events were closely followed by the establishment on Oct. 2, 1758, of representative government and the convening of the first elected Assembly in Halifax. Immediately Governor Charles Lawrence issued a proclamation, inviting New England Planters to take up some 200,000 acres of rich farmland, in the colony.

Later, on Jan. 11 1759, a second proclamation was issued spelling out terms and conditions. This document, sometimes called the Charter of Nova Scotia, stressed that local government both at township and provincial level, along with the courts of justice were: constituted in like manner with those of Massachusetts, Connecticut and the other Northern Colonies. Freedom of worship was also guaranteed.

Many New Englanders already had some familiarity with the lands being offered. For years, considerable trade both legal and illegal, in peace and in war, had existed between Acadia and New England. Some had served in colonial regiments, as the British fought for control of Acadia; while others recognized a golden opportunity to escape overpopulation. As one writer expressed it: Connecticut, which was to supply many Planters… swarmed like bees when the hive is full, as the surplus population went off to found new communities and townships.

Two distinct groups answered the call to settle in Nova Scotia. The first was attracted by the rich dykelands at Annapolis, Minas, Cobequid and Chignecto; and by fertile lands along the St. John River. The second founded new settlements on the south shore of the peninsula from Chester to Yarmouth. These were fishermen, drawn primarily from coastal towns in Massachusetts and particularly Cape Cod. By so relocating they were placing themselves much closer to the important Grand Banks fishery.

According to a census taken in 1767, well over half of Nova Scotia’s population of some 18,000 was of New England origin. This migration, described as an overflowing from the exuberant population of New England reached a peak on the Tantramar in 1761, with the arrival of settlers from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

By 1763, three new townships were created — Amherst, Sackville and Cumberland. Reliable statistics are hard to find; however, it would appear that in that year, Sackville and Cumberland townships contained thirty and thirty five families respectively. The first Sackville township meeting took place on July 20, 1762. It was held at the house of Mrs. Charity Bishop, owner of an inn located near Fort Cumberland, as Beauséjour was renamed. New England was officially transplanted to the Tantramar.

Over the next decade some significant shifts in population were to take place. Not all of the New Englanders were interested in farming; while others had been attracted largely by the possibility of land speculation. During the early 1770’s a significant addition of Yorkshire settlers took place, enabling a number of New Englanders to sell their holdings to these newcomers. A few settlers moved to other parts of the colony; while still others returned home.

At the same time, the storm clouds of revolution were beginning to form in New England. Public opinion on the Isthmus was predictably divided among those who supported the revolutionary cause, those who did not, and the remainder who wanted to maintain neutrality, as His Majesty’s Yankees. In this tense atmosphere public opinion was easily inflamed. When news of the battle at Bunker Hill, fought on June 17, 1775, reached Chignecto, supporters of the revolutionary cause hired a chaise (carriage) and six horses, postillion (rider for the lead horse), and waving a flag of liberty, drove about the Isthmus, proclaiming the news and the blessings of freedom.

Space prevents recounting details of the unsuccessful rebellion on the marsh led by the two local MLA’s Jonathan Eddy and John Allan. Readers interested in a full analysis are directed to Ernest Clarke’s thorough and well documented account: The Siege of Fort Cumberland 1776: An Episode of the American Revolution.

Reasons for the rebellion’s failure were many, as support for the Revolution was far from unanimous. There was little interest in the rebelling thirteen colonies to support an uprising in the fourteenth. The presence of the Royal Navy in the North Atlantic made the sending of support to the Isthmus next to impossible. Raids by New England privateers helped sway public opinion against the rebels. Finally, on the Tantramar, there was a new group of pro-British Yorkshire settlers, almost none of whom had the desire to aid the American cause.

Historian R. S. Longley, descendant of a distinguished Planter family, once observed: By the end of 1760 Nova Scotia’s Annapolis County had a new Massachusetts, Kings County a new Connecticut and what was later to be Hants County a new Rhode Island. It is true that New England Planter influence was greatest in the Annapolis Valley; however, its long range impact on the Tantramar and elsewhere should not be overlooked. The next

Tantramar Flashback on Feb. 2 will consider the local and regional legacy of the New England Planters.

Failure of the Eddy Rebellion did not mean an end to New England influence on the Tantramar. An examination of the lists of original land holdings indicates that many families, whose ancestry may be traced to the Planter migration, are still found on the Isthmus of Chignecto. Consider the following examples: Ayer, Briggs, Cole, Copp, Estabrooks, Fillmore, Hewson, Hicks, Jones, Maxwell, Merrill, Read, Richardson, Throop or Troop, Tower, Tingley and Ward.

While many Tantramar New Englanders remained neutral during the Rebellion, the same could not be said for their political leaders. The first MLA for Sackville Township, Robert Foster a Massachusetts Planter, strongly supported the rebel side. His seat was declared vacant on July 8, 1772; however, he was subsequently re-elected in a by-election. After the Eddy Rebellion, Foster absconded to Machias, Maine, and his seat was once again declared vacant.

The member for Cumberland Township from 1765 to 1770, Josiah Throop a native of New York, was later appointed rebel agent to the Congress of Massachusetts. Then there were the two MLA’s who represented Cumberland Township during the 1770’s — Jonathan Eddy and John Allan; both of whom provided leadership for the revolutionary cause on the Tantramar and beyond.

Of interest is the fact that these two are remembered in local place names. A creek that flows into Cumberland Basin south of Sackville was the site af a hideout where Allan escaped detection before returning to New England. It is still known as Allen’s Creek. The Eddy Road once linked Amherst with Fort Cumberland Ridge. Although few know about its location today, the rebel leader’s name lives on in Eddy Street, Amherst.

Following his return to New England, Jonathan Eddy was rewarded with a grant of land on the outskirts of Bangor, Maine. The town of Eddington, also named for him, serves as a reminder of his unsuccessful effort to lead the fourteenth colony into the American union. A few of the rank and file Planter rebels also returned to New England. Others made peace with their neighbors and their descendants still live on the Tantramar.

One legacy of New England settlement was the introduction of a distinctive architectural style that may be traced to Massachusetts and Connecticut. Many Planters brought with them the sawn lumber, hardware, glass, mortar, and bricks necessary to build new homes. In this way the Cape Cod style of architecture was introduced, and may still be found, in its many later forms, on the Tantramar and elsewhere.

In travelling northward the New Englanders brought more than building materials; they also carried concepts and ideas which were to leave an indelible imprint on their new homeland. The majority were devout members of Baptist and Congregational churches. Deeply ingrained within these religious bodies was the principle of separation of church and state. Both were also committed to congregational self government. The Planter’s following of these principles helped hasten the end of religious privilege wherever it was found.

One group deserves particular mention. In the spring of 1763, a close circle of Baptist Planters left Swansea, Massachusetts, bound for Chignecto. Before leaving home, and because of their determination to stay together, they formally constituted themselves as a church. Landing at Slack’s Cove, Rockport, the Swansea Planters went on to establish not only the first Baptist church in the colony, but the first within present day Canada.

Although a number of these Baptist founders returned to Massachusetts in 1771, the denomination was to endure. As church historian, Beryl MacFadden, has written: From 1763… there has been a continuous Baptist witness, sometimes the light burned brightly, at other times it was dim, but it has never been extinguished. In 1963, Main Street Baptist Church and Middle Sackville Baptist Church celebrated the bicentennial of this important event. In the spring of each year Main Street Baptist Church holds a Heritage Sunday when tribute is paid to the New England Planter founders of the congregation.

Much to their disappointment, the Planters were never able to enjoy all aspects of of local government New England style. However, this did not mean that Planter interest in political matters was submerged. Over the years, Planters and their descendants have remained politically active at all levels of government. Numerically, the New England Planter migration was small when compared with others that were to follow. Nevertheless, three of Canada’s twenty Prime Ministers: Tupper, Borden and Bennett can lay claim to Planter ancestry. This trio of Planter Prime Ministers will be the subject of a later Tantramar Flashbacks.

While sometimes confused with the later and larger Loyalist migration, it should be noted that the New England Planters did not endure the bitter uprooting experienced by those who came following the American Revolution. The Planter’s parting with their homeland was by choice, and as a result they were to exert a leavening influence on the anti-Americanism of some Loyalists.

Because of the New England Planter and Loyalist migrations Boston was to remain the center of the universe for generations following the end of the eighteenth century. Much later, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries a reverse movement of people from Atlantic Canada to New England took place. Even today, few families on the Tantramar are without relatives in New England.

Earlier this year many parts of the world were struck by devastating tornadoes. Of all the accounts given by survivors the most frightening came from those who experienced the eye of the storm and lived to tell the tale. No words or pictures can truly convey the impact of these freaks of nature; they must be experienced to be understood.

The same holds true for the side effects of war. What’s it like to be in the thick of battle? Ask any veteran or civilian who endured the Second World War, or listen to the stories of Canadian peace keepers returned from duty in Bosnia.

It is sometimes overlooked that the Tantramar region was, more than once, in the thick of battle. The last occasion took place during the American Revolution and is referred to as the Eddy Rebellion.

But first, let’s focus on its impact on those who lived here in the 1770s. By this time the Expulsion of the Acadians was over, and the Tantramar was largely resettled by New England Planters, drawn from Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Each of these colonies strongly supported the American revolutionary cause.

Following the Declaration of Independence on July 4th 1776 there were many unanswered questions: Should the Tantramar settlers follow the lead of their friends and relatives to the south and take up arms? Would Nova Scotia, which then included present day New Brunswick, be the fourteenth colony to rebel?

Certainly Jonathan Eddy, who served as MLA for Cumberland Township from 1770 to 1775, thought so and did his best to enlist sympathizers to the revolutionary cause. Further, there was concern among the British authorities that uprisings might occur, particularly in areas settled by New Englanders.

When a call went out for the establishment of militia units to cope with such possibilities, one recruiter reported to Governor Francis Legge: As nineteen out of twenty are natives of New England, what dependance or reliance could Your Excellency have on such troops?

In the end, although the rebellion failed, its repercussions were to be felt for generations. Psychological wounds created by families and neighbors once bitterly divided against each other take time to heal.

Can you imagine what it was like to be in the midst of the Eddy Rebellion? How did the conflict impact on daily life in the autumn of 1776? One eye witness account fills in some of the detail. Unlike many of his neighbors, the writer and his family did not support the uprising. A teenager in 1775-6, he later reminisced about this fateful year.

In the fall of 1776 some people [Eddy and his supporters] came among us; raised all the disaffected and disarmed all friends of the British government. They forbade us to stir off our farms, burned buildings and threatened many with imprisonment and death. In the night they would fire upon the garrison, [Fort Cumberland — previously Fort Beausejour] and the garrison would fire on them.

It was our usual custom to sit up the whole night at cards and dancing. When we heard the cannon roar, and the discharge of musketry, we would watch the flash of fire from the guns; and as soon as that was over, return again to waste our time in sin and vanity. We could easily see the garrison from my father’s house. Death and danger were always at our door.

Such were the memories of the Reverend William Black of his boyhood in the thick of battle on the Isthmus of Chignecto in 1776.

During the past few weeks I have forsaken my usual Tantramar beat for a visit to London, England. While there, the local press featured a story with an important historical twist. The giant department store chain, Marks and Spencer, was in the process of digging the foundation for a new building, when all work was forced to stop.

It was discovered that the site was once occupied by an ancient Roman shopping mall! A team of archaeologists, historians and technical staff were quickly assembled, to assist in the unearthing of the ancient foundations. Each item was photographed and measured, and all debris carefully sifted for surviving artifacts.

What emerged was a fascinating picture of merchandizing and trading during the Roman occupation of Britain. Carbon dating and further scientific studies will now be able to pinpoint the precise time period of the mall and provide valuable insight regarding life in Roman Londinium.

I am always impressed with the way in which some jurisdictions proceed with historical and architectural preservation. In the example just cited, the various partners cooperated for the greater good of all. London will be the richer for their having done so.

To catch up on local news following my return, I scanned back issues of the Tribune Post. Three stories with an historical bent caught my attention. By the time this Flashback is read, Heritage and Citizenship Week will be over. Both the town of Sackville, the Tantramar Heritage Trust, along with many other organizations are to be congratulated on the creative way in which the week was recognized.

Also on a positive note, the week witnessed the unveiling of ten bronze plaques placed on historical buildings and sites in the centre of town. One distinguishing characteristic, not only of of Sackville, but of Dorchester, Port Elgin and surrounding areas lies in our architectural heritage.

The third story by Tribune reporter Katie Tower raised the issue of the demolition of the former Drury Lane Restaurant adjacent to Fort Beausejour. Was this old house of historical significance? As many will recall, the modern exterior of the building masked the fact that it was in reality an early one-and-a-half storey farmhouse. In a subsequent letter to this newspaper, Barbara Fisher noted that it was probably built by one Gaylord Silver and can be dated c.1782 through its inclusion on a late 18th century map in the Provincial Archives of Nova Scotia.

Unfortunately, it is now too late to do anything about this building. In order for it to have been saved, or demolished with care and attention, precise information should have been available to clarify its importance. How might this have been done? Fortunately we have an example close at hand.

For the past several years the Municipality of Cumberland, in conjunction with the Cumberland County Museum, have been building up a registry or inventory of architecturally and historically important buildings. While the task is far from complete, an impressive start has been made. Were the Gaylord Silver House on the other side of the provincial boundary there is a good chance that it’s history would already have been researched and on file.

No one would be so rash as to suggest that all old buildings are worthy of preservation. Far from it! However, in order to ensure that historically and architecturally significant buildings are not flattened at will, a registry of such structures is required. Here is a Millennium Project worthy of endorsation and action by all historical and heritage organizations in the region. The challenge is before us all.