PAGE TWENTY-SIX
THE GUARDIAN, CHARLOTFETOWN
The Aeadians Of Prince Edward Island
Earliest white Settlers Well - Represented Today In Thriving Communities
By Prof. J. Henri
At the end of n century of conflict. by the treaty of Utrecht in 1713, France lost a large part of her possessions in North America. Ceded to Britain by this treaty were the Hudson Bay tcrritory,the Island of Newfoundland and the colonies in Nova Scotia. To make up for this loss, France immedi- ately determined to make strenu- ous efforts to colonize her remain- ing territories. The great fortress of Louisburg in Cape Breton ls- land was built, and Isle St. Jean (Prince Edward Island», hitherto neglected, began to receive a large share of attention.
Accordingly, from the harbour n! Rcchefort, Fiance, on April 15. 1720, three ships carrying 300 per- sons and all the supplies consid- ered necessary for the establish- ment of a new colony. set sail to- wards the West. Four months later, on August 25th. they enter- ed the harbour of Port Lajoie (Charlottetownl. Soon, log houses were built, and a small fort mounted with six cannon was raised up. Within a few months a church dedicated to St. John the Evangelist was erected, a tall black cross was set up over a plot of ground for a cemetery, and thus. the first European settlement in Prince Edward Island had its birth.
Early Progress
At first progress was slow. The first census taken in 1728 showed a population of 336, while that of 1735 showed an increase o! twenty-four families, making a total of five-hundred and forty- three souls. distributed as follows.
At St. Peter's Harbour
At Tracadie ..
At Port Lsjoie .
At St. Peters Lake . 1 At Malpeque f At East Point 1 At Three Rivers .. . . .
‘Ln 1728 and again in 1738 a plague of mice destroyed all vege- tables from Malpeque to Souris. (The name Souria tfr. for Mouse) has come down to us from that day.) In 1742 a great fire destroy- ed all the forest for miles around St. Peter's and 13 persons perish- ed in the flames. Thus in many ways. these early settlers were sorely tried.
After the founding of Halifax in 1749 large numbers of Acadians escaped from Nova Scotia to Isle St Joan. By this influx of settlers the population increased so rap- idly that the authorities were of- ten in great straits to supply the necessities of life to such large numbers of destitute persons, for it must be remembered that most of these people in their hurried departure arrived without food and with scanty clothing.
The 1752 Census
An official census in 1752 show-
ed a population of 2,223 while the last official census by the French authorities in 1753 gives the pop- ulation of the 27 villages as 2,663. There were then five regularly established parishes with resident pastors. At Malpeque, l'Abbe Dos- que was in charge of the parish of The Holy Family. This church was situated at Low Point, on property now owned by Mr. New- combe. The adjoining cemetery has long ago been washed away by the waves. At Port, Lajolo, Abbe Patrice Lagrie was the pastor of St. John the Evangelist Church. Abbe Cassiet was pastor of St. Louis Church tScotchfort) where the old cemetery is still pointed out. St. Paul's Church (near E1- don, where the old cemetery is still shown on a farm belonging to Mr. MacMillani had as its pas- tor 1'Abbe Girard whose harrow- ing experience on the ship “Duke William" is so graphically told in ‘Judge A. B. Warburtons "A His- tory of Prince Edward Island."
The year 1755 brought the ex- pulsion of the Nova Scotia Acad- ians. Amid the disorder of the embarkation, however, many es- caped. Of these. some sought the protection of friendly Indian ‘tribes; others made their way to Quebec, while many crossed thc Strait and came to Isle St. Jean. Helpless. penniless. without food, ‘they came in such numbers that the total. population now exceeded 4.000. Their countrymen in Isle St. Jean received them kindlyand did everything in their power to Iuccor them. but the chalice of their sufferings was not yet emp- tied to the dregs. Soon the re- fugees from Nova Scotia and their friends in Isle St. Jean were in- Ivoived in one common ruin.
On July 28, 175B. Louisburg cap- ltulated to the British. immediate- ly after its fallAdmlral Boscawen dispatched Lord Rollo with s por- tion of the fleet to Isle St. Jean. I-lis orders were to destroy all the property and deport the inhabit- lnts. On his arrival at Port Lajoie the inhabitants of the Island held a meeting at which they prepared a memorial declaring their com- plete submission to the British Q-own and begging to be allowed to remain in the peaceful possess- ion of their homes. But Boacowan decided that the order of 609°?!‘ atlon must be canted out- The Medians of lsle 8t. Jean were treated like those of Nova Scotia: they were placed on board ships. and eventually some 9.000 of them were lmdod in France.
' Iabsllllll Illlhr! In. am: all mm misfortunes. ‘ n ttouof " , - forth:
Iishchard, LLJ).
where they hoped to return to their beloved island of 5t. John. Thus a number of these families were taken to the Islands of s: Pierre and Miquelon. l-‘rom these islands some ten families eventual- ly found their way back to Prince Edward Island. They became the ancestors of the Acaclians of the parish of Rustico. After peace was declared and when they thought that all danger had passed away, others who had taken refuge in the forests of the mainland came to join these first comers. Some fifteen families settled around the shores of Malpeque Bay and a doz- en others returned to Bay Fortunl. Prom these few families ars des- cended the 15,000 Acadlims now re- siding in this Province.
Seven years after the deportation Captain Samuel Holland 1n his re- port of the survey of Prince Ed- ward Island writes that he found about 30 Acadlan families, “miser- aby poor, living in the woods," and Abbe liiathurin Bourg who visited them in 1785, mentions only 50 families. Forty years after the de- portatlon, the British census of 1798 lists only 112 families. This census of 1798 gives the names of all the Acadian heads of families. they were: Arsenault, Aucoiri, Ber- nard. Blanchard. Biscquisre. Bourque, Buote, Chevorie, Chias- son, DesRoches, Doiron, Doucet. Gallant, Gaudet. Gauthier, beBr-un. Longueepee, LeClair, Martin, Pin- eau, Pitre, Poirier and Richard. To- day the facnllies bearing these names constitute over 95 per cent of the Acadian population of this Province. Acadians today con- stitute a large percentage of the ,Cathollc parishes of 'l‘ii:nlsh, Pal- ‘mer Road, Bloomfield, Wellington, lEgmont Bay, Mount Carmel, Mis- couche. Summer-side, Hope River. North Rustico. Rustlco. New Acadia, and Rollo Bay. They are also important elements of the parishes of Charlottetown and Souris with smaller contingents in the parishes of Georgetown and Seven Mlle Bay.
Handicaps surmounted
On their return from exile the few repatriated Acadlan families found their lot an extremely dif- ficult one, Leaderless, lacking ecu-- cation and economically destitute. with the authorities viewing them with suspicion, and surrounded as they were by a population naturally not too sympathetic, they found the road to recovery by no means an easy one. In spite of all these handicaps they have met with a considerable measure of success.
In the political life of the Prov- ince they have furnished a Prem- ier and Judge of the Supreme Court in the person of the Hon. A E. Arsenault. and a Lieutenant Governor in the present represent- atlve of l-lla Matlesty, the Hon. J. A. Bernard. These gentlemen were the first Acadlans ln any Province to be appointed to these positions Incidentally it may be mentioned that the first; Acadian member of the Senate of Canada. was the Hon. Joseph 0. Arsenault. father of re- tired Justice Arsenault. while the only Acadian to become a member of the House of Commons. Mr. b. l". Polrier, was ‘the maternal grandfather of our present Lieu- tenant Governor.
At. present three Acadlans are members of the Provincial Legislat- ure, one of them, the l-Ion. J. Wilfred Arsenault, being a member n-ithoui, portfolio in the Govern- merit.
Other Professions
The Acadlans have not as yet! given any very considerable nurn ber of men to the professional life of the Province. Nevertheless they have produced a number of priests. doctors, lawyers, and teachers who have given g good account of themselves. From the Acadian pas- ish of Rustico have come fifteen priests, s County Court Judie. lawyers, doctors, and since the coming into force of the Public Schools Act of 1877. more than 1Z5 of their young men and women have succeeded in obtaining teachers’ licenses from the Pro- vincial Department of Education.
Acadians also own and operate commercial and industrial enter- prises of considerable importance at Tlgnish. 8t. Louis, weillngtol. Miscouche. Summerslde, Rustlco and Souris.
0f the 15.000 Acadians in Prince Edward Island. about 1.1.000 live in the rural districts where they are practically all engaged in ag- riculture or the fisheries, while about 4,010 reside in Bummerside and Charlottetown. According to the census of 1941. 11,000 oif the Acadians still give French as their mother tongue.
Fine War looord
In the two great. world wars. the Acadians furnished their full quota of volunteers for the vari- ous services. In World War I, in the 106th Battalion recruited in Prince Edward Island. there were 236 Acadlans. of whom 4A bore the name Arsenault, and 51 the name Gallant.
I.n a general way,- therefore, we are justified in saying that the descendants of the 30 Acadian families who returned to Prince Idwsrd Island after the Deporta- tion of 17b8, have proved them- selves worthy citizens of the-Prov- inos and have furnished a fair share as far as their circumstan- ces permitted. to the general wei- fare. In spite of the many ob-i uncles and difficulties which have hindered their advance. they have come through with credit to them- now with much bet-
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P. E. Island Shown As Part Of Nova Scotia In Early British Map
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of the British Dominion: in Nor
map to be made of the area afte
nual Register, and to be placed at for 1763."
by Thomas Kitchln, an English geographer.
in 1759. the map was prepared according to the legend , at the bottom, "for the History of the War in the An-
It shows British possessions in the entire
th America was made The first
r the British conquest that time.
the End of the Volume
Soon after the British conquest of Canada, this map area east of the Mississippi from the Gulf of Mexico to a point north of Lake Huron. Mississippi was Louisiana, which was French territory at
It is interesting to note that the tlireo present pro- vinces of Prince Edward Island (Isle of St. Johni, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are included in the map as "Nova Scotia or New Acadia" and part of the present
To the west of the
province of Quebec is
State, which stretched n
called "Government of Quebec.”
What is now Western Ontario is included in New York
orthward from Virginia. The site
where Windsor now stands is marked "Utawas", and De-
troit is called Fort Pontchartrain. French explorer and colonlzcr, brought four groups of Indians into this area and the Utawa or Ottawa Indian village was located across the river from Detroit.
Cadillac, an early
-'P"l71l!h9d by CORNER)’ 0f the Windsor Dally Star.
On the morning of November l7. 1775, the citizens of Charlotte- town awoke to find that the Am- erican Revolution, which had broken out a few months previ- ously among their neighbors to the south, was at their doors. Two American armed cruisers hall en- tered the harbour and sailed boldly past Fort Amherst to the front. of the town, where they cast anchor. The fort had been dis- mantled flve years previously, the Governor himself was absent in England, and the town was quite defenseless.
The invaders hailed from Mar- blehead. One ship, the "Lynx" was armed with six guns and ten swivels and had a crew of sev- enty men under Capt. Nicholas Broughton. The other ship, the "Franklin", carried four guns and ten swivels, with a crew of sixty men under Capt. John Selman.
Word of the arrival sped like wildfire to the government coun- cillors. A hasty conference was called and it was decided to wel- come the rebels officially in the hope of warding of! trouble. Boats‘ crews, heavily armed. were on their way to the shore when
by their Assumption and 8t. Thomas Aquinas locietiel. they should be eble greatly to improve their position in the next few years. Hitoric Relies
Of the French occupation of Prince Edward Island, there re- main hardly any traces, unless it is the obscure foundations of one or two churches and a few indef- inite mounds in cemeteries at Bay Fortune, St. Peter's. 8t. Louis (Scotohfort). 8t. Paul's (near El- don). Tryon, and Port ldjole. There is also the hell now used in the church of 5t. Aiscris at Rollo Bey which was formerly the bell which called the faithful to the church at 6t. Peter's. A similar bell is now resting in the Presby- terian church at Malpequs.
Evidences of the French occup- ation 0f Prince Edward Island will no doubt. be longest preserved in the many place-names which have come down to us from those days. First. there are the surviv- ing names untranslated. such as: Bouris, Fortune (Bay and Cove).
Moi-ell, Gaapsreaux. Nsufrase, Pinettl. Point Prime. Double, Orspaud. ‘havens, (cape). etc.
Then we have the Indian names
‘__ from the French period: 590011110. ‘I1Illiah. Malpaque, Mis- coucho. Oasoumpequo. Piaquld, Trscadle; finally translations of former French names: 8t. Peter's (bay, lake, harbour. and island). live Houses. Ospe Bear. Wood la- lsndi. ‘risree Rivers, Governor's
mnddudanaoasl. mutilate“ for qua-s . » WWW
Charlottetown Looted By American Privateersl
Administrator Phillips Calibeck. Surveyor-General Wright and David Higgins, a naval officer, ar- rived at the wharf.
Charlottetown Looted
The privatecrs swarmed ashore. and disregarding the welcoming delegation proceeded to take pos- session of the town. Calibeck, Wright and Higgins were at. once seized and pushed into the wall- ing boats. and while they were being rowed out to the vessels the rebels proceeded to plunder right and left, setting fires as they went and "raising hell" generally.
Breaking into Callback‘: home. they stripped the rugs from the floor. the curtains and blinds from the windows. and even the bedclothing. They rifled chests and clothes closets, plundered the larder and emptied the wine cel- lar. All the silver plate that could be found was taken aboard the ships. It was fortunate that Mrs. Calibeck was at her husband's farm, four miles distant, for the marauders declared their inten- tion of cutting her throat because she was a daughter of a Loyalist residing in Boston, named Coffin.
Breaking into Government House, the invaders stois public and private papers and carried off the great Silver Seal of the Pro- vince. as well as some church furniture which had been stored there for safe keeping.
After all the principal houses had been wrecked and all valu- ables and liquor seized. the men were recalled to their ships, which then hoisted anchor and sailed away. They did not wait for the two English brigs they had alleg- edly come to seize, but made at once for their American rendez- vous.
loisssod ly Washington
c Fourteen days later the privat- eors arrived at General Washing- ton's quarters at Winter Harbour. 110 miles east of Cambridge, and the island prisoners were brought before him. On learning of the treatment they had received, Washington was sorely vexed. 1h bowled out the rebel officers. dil- mlssed them from their‘ com- mands, and released the prisoners with profuse apologies. Wright and Calibeck lost no time in gst- ting out of the country and re- turning to Charlottetown. The stolen valuables were to be re- turned later, but when that..tima arrived the Sliver Seal of the Province had been lost. No trace of it has ever been found. Writing to Lord Dartmouth on 15th December from Halifax after
Island, I00-
iils release, Calibeck gave an ac- i. .
count of the incident, concluding as follows:
"From the reception we met with at the headquarters at Cam- bridge, and particularly from Gen- era). Washington, I have reason to believe that these transactions were not intended, but proceeded from a spirit of revenge in the commanders of these vessels, on their having been informed that recruits had been raised on the Island. and sent for the defense of Quebec; of this they accused us with, to the General. and par- ticularly that I (although it was my duty as a magistrate) had been very active thereto, in hav- ing attested them. We were re- ! leased from our captivity, to make ' the best of our distressed situa- tion. without the least offer of redress for the injuries we had sustained, to almost the inevitable ruinbf my family."
Calibeck says that previous to attacking Charlottetown the pri- vateers had been in the Gut of Canso three weeks, and captured five vessels loaded with fish, and on their return captured three more. without the least opposition.
After this, Calibeck devoted himself to fortlfying the Island capital. He continence‘ the erect- ion of St. George's battery on what is now Dundas Esplanade, and began recruiting 10o men for the defence of the town.
Another Coal-e
hi the meantime. however, (Zhar- inttetown had another invasion
scare. “Early in 1776." writes the Is- historlan, John
land's earliest Stewart (1806). “the Admiral
commanding in America was dir- acted by government to station an armed vessel at Charlottetown, for the protection of the Island; and in May the Dilllgent armed brig, commanded by Lieutenant. now Admiral Dodd, arrived for that purpose. In the month of Novem- ber Mr. Dodd was relieved by (he 311m" 51°01! 0! war. Captain Boyle, who wintered with us, and remained on tho station till Nov- ember 1777. This ship arrived at a very critical period for our pro- faction, as our neighbours in the county of Cumberland tn Nova Scotia. encouraged by the arrival among them of about thirty rebels in two whale boats. fmm Machetes in Maalechtasstta. broke out. int; open rebellion and laid siege u Port Cumberland. then gmisoned by a newly-raised provincial corps under the command of Colonel Goreham. at that time in s very incomplete state.
"By these rascals a second plundering expedition 0o Charlotte- town was intnndsd, but having no mfttoosrr! offsniunberof dismounted cannon than lying about the ruins of Fort Amherst. which was one of their obj , they first Paid s visit to the hau- bour of Plctou in our neighbor- hood, where several of ths- in-
merchant ship. then loading at that port for Scotland: but. not know- lng exactly in what state of de- fence the Island might be in. they stood up into the Bay of Verte, in order to receive from their as-
(Continued on Page 28) ,
ORIGIN OF FOOTBINDING
The Empress Taki of Chin; w“ born in 1200 with club feet. So that she would suffer no embar- rassment an edict decreed that all ladies of the court must have feet as small us the Empress.
’ militia requirements.
' companies, . Edward Island Fencibles, were mu
, tho Island statutes
AUGUST 13. 1949K Highlights In A Military History
When the first British sold arrived here in 1759 under Lei-
' Rollo, they found no trace of any
French fortifications. So ban.‘ the erection of Fort Amherst, slip uated near Port la Jole at thl entrance to Charlottetown h.“ hour, between Rocky Point and Holland Cove, on a farm now owned by Mr. J. O. l-lyndmu" Subsequently barracks were erect- ed in Charlottetown,‘ and For] Amherst was dismantled. Fnp many years a permanent military establishment was maintained. ‘
In 1780 a law was passed ran nuirlng every man between the ages of sixteen and sixty year; to he mustered and made Subject t; In 1194, while war was raging between England and France, two colonial known as the Prlncd
l‘?! Governos
ganired, and tn encourage cruiting Lieutenant
- Fanning offered to give “to every
non-commissioned officer and prim vats who should enlist before ths
- 1st of November in the same year,
one hundred acres of his 0w lend on the Island, free from a
- encumbrances." This corps was r94
duced in August. 1802. it does not appear that there were any claim-
- ants fo the grants offered by ihq
Governor.
Later Regulations
Compulsory service remained on until 1552, when it was provided that the
. militia were no longer to be call-
ed out for muster or training, ex- cept only in times of wiir, civil
- commotion or other sufficient am-
ergciicy. In 1854, war having been do-
» clared against Russia. tho troops
garrlsioned here were withdrawn to Halifax. anti in the following year an infantry corps of volun- teers, known as the City Guards,
was organized tinder Capt. NPll Rankin. It formed a guard of honour at the opening of the
Legislature that year.
On May 24, 1860, the first re- view of a purely volunteer corps was held. A Rifle Association was formed in the following year. which wss_aiso memorable for a threatened "Tenant League" up- rising and the recall of two com- panies of Rcsulars from Halifax. As the old barracks at the uwast end of the town had been re- moved, these troops first pitched their tents near Spring Park. on tho east side of Malpeque Road, where they remained until (h; Victoria Barracks were erected at Brighton Compound. These har- racks have survived, and are to- day the headquarters of the Prince Edward Island (17th Reece) Regiment.
Militia IIQVOIOPHIGTI.
In 1866 the militia was divided Into "active" and “sodentary", the former class being subdivided into volunteer and regular militia. The sedentary militia comprised all males between forty-five and sixty years of age not enrolled in the active forces. The completion of the Drill Shed (Armouriea) in 1m was a great boon to the City Volunteers, and many improve- ments took place in the organis- atlon,
On July 1, 1873. the Island en- tered tiie Dominion, and the is-
(Continued on Page H)
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ESTIMATED rorlli-ATIW
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hsbttants joining them they got Museum of evaluable armed
In 1885 it is recorded that the first street lights were installed in Char- lottetown. Now l give service to about 88,000 folks on this Island. Just like a look at this Chart and see how many have been added to the list °i imple who have called in my service during the last fow years.
YOUR EVER GROWING SERVANT
assume Electric Comp n, Limited