A MANUSCRIPT HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF YARMOUTH

Having been submitted to us by the author, the Eev. J. B. Campbell, for our critical examination as to matters of fact, and general accuracy, we, whose names are hereunto signed, have great pleasure in stating that we have thoroughly examined the work, in the composition of which, the author must have most carefully and industriously exhausted all sources of information. The arraugement into several distinct, and yet, well connected sections, greatly increases its value as a book of reference, and renders the whole narrative clear and unconfused. All statements of fact have been carefully verified, and we believe the whole to be an accurate and impartial History of this County.

J. B. Bond, W. H. Moody,
G. J. Faeish, L. E. Bakeb,
J. B. Kinney, T. M. Lewis,
Fbeeman Dennis.

Yarmouth, October 7th, 1875.

Yarmouth

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER

ALTHOUGH not as deeply interested, or as directly concerned in all the details of the County of Yarmouth, as if he had been born in this County, and had listened from childhood to the story of its settlement and subsequent progress; the Author has always considered it a duty as well as a pleasure, to gather up particulars illustrative of the Character and Institutions of the people amongst whom his lot, for some years, has been cast.

This more systematic effort to preserve the floating traditions and to collect the scattered records of the past, by which, when connected with our present condition, the progress which has been made, may he appreciated, was the result of an invitation issued by the Governors of Kings College, Windsor, for Essays on County Histories, under the thoughtful and liberal intelligence of the Akins Foundation. I sent them an Essay on the history of this County in 1872; and, from the expressions of satisfaction with which they were pleased to accompany the reception of my paper,—together with the then general interest in the undertaking, and the subsequent continued solicitations of those whose opinions I respect, I have thought it my duty to publish the work.

The volume from the nature of the case cannot be expected to be very interesting to many persons unconnected with the County. Compared with the important transactions of great countries, the contents must, to unconcerned readers, appear trivial. There is here no account of great men, or great measures; but simply the common-place records of a young, but growing community, in which there is necessarily much of personal detail, and even that confined to a few whose ability to be publicly useful in one thing usually identified them with many, and to whom, therefore, by consequence, frequent reference had to be made. But I venture to think that, as all things are great or small only by comparison, the details of the affairs of this County however insignificant in themselves, are more interesting and more important to its people than are the details of any other limited part of the world. And as every intelligent people loves to know something of its past history, I shall have been amply repaid to think that some things have been herein preserved, which were fast floating away.

As much accuracy in statement, and moderation in style, is required in such a work, as in a greater. In order to attain these desirable objects, the manuscript was voluntarily submitted to a number of well informed, independent-minded citizens, representing wide Political and Religious divergences of opinion; and their criticism freely invited. They were pleased to testify to the general accuracy and impartiality of the whole; but I wish it to be understood that I alone, am responsible for details.

The Author has endeavoured to verify all his statements, by reference to such authorities and sources of information, both written and oral, as were available. Council Books, Proceedings of Assembly, Township Proprietors Book, Sessions Books, Record Books, Journals, Settlers Ledgers, and the local Press, have been made to yield up the little or much they contained. There have been several Histories of Nova Scotia published, which might very reasonably have been supposed to have been servicable. But when I say that the very latest work on the subject, Mr. Duncan Campbell’s History of Nova Scotia, contains only a few trivial allusions to this County, all of which do not occupy half a dozen lines, it will be seen at once how limited is the assistance that is to be obtained from such sources. Throughout the three volumes of Mr. Murdoch’s valuable Repository of facts for some future historian of Nova Scotia, lie scattered references to this County. In Haliburton’s work, published in 1829, there is a well written notice of Yarmouth and Argyle, from the pen of the late Dr. H. G. Farish. That gentleman was asked by Mr., afterwards Judge Haliburton, to give him the needed reference to those places; and the answer sent was inserted without alteration, as I found on examining the papers in possession of several members of his family, and which have been kindly lent to to me for this work. I have obtained valuable assistance from the papers above referred to, and from one or two papers in the possession of other private citizens; although the assistance from this source, notwithstanding a long continued public advertisement, was astonishingly scanty.

But more particularly I ought to mention the Eecord office in Halifax. All the books in that and other offices have been examined, and extracts made from them of whatever was to the purpose. In this work, I was greatly assisted by Mr. Thomas Robertson, of the Secretary’s office; to whom, together with all others who have aided me, I desire to tender my most hearty thanks. More especially I ought to mention Drs. G. J. Farish, and J. B. Bond. To the former gentleman, both the Reader and the Author are more indebted than can well be acknowledged. The completeness of the List of dates of arrivals, and places of first settlement, is entirely due to his industry. So many have contributed separate facts or thoughts, that it would be tiresome, as well as pedantic, to parade the list. Where it has been practicable, I have recorded circumstances in the direct narration: where it has not, I have given authorities when necessary; and, where I have thought it would answer one purpose or another, as for instance when some point is involved, or even when simply amusing, I have preserved the original orthography, although it acknowledges no. laws known to Johnson or Worcester.

The plan of the work is simple. I have endeavoured to trace the origin of settlements, and the rise and progress of all the Institutions in the County, in, as far as was practicable, the order of their occurrence; interweaving at the most suitable time and place, notices of those individual citizens, who for their prominence and influence, ought to be had in remembrance.

It is hoped that the illustrations, which are adaptations in wood, from photographs by Mr. L. G. Swain, will be acceptable. Permission to insert portraits of the late Herbert Huntington, Henry Greggs Farish, E. W. B. Moody, and Thomas Killam had been obtained; but, when it came to a matter of execution, it was found that the available copies were not such as would have done honour to the memory of several of those gentlemen. I have therefore, for the present, very reluctantly, laid aside this whole feature in the work.

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CONTENTS

Chapter I.
Limits of the County. Physical Character. Climate. Natural History
Chapter II.
Introductory Historical Facts. Earliest References
Chapter III.
Aboriginal Inhabitants. Indian Relics. French Settlers and Settlements
Chapter IV.
Early English Settlers. The County known to American fishermen before settled. Government offers to intending Settlers. Grants
Chapter V.
The first arrivals. Their locations, condition and first experiences
Chapter VI.
Progress of the work of Settlement. Committee appointed by Council. Rules for their guidance
Chapter VII.
Continued influx till 1764. First notice of Argyle and Pubnico. Mr. Crawley’s Return, Personal references
Chapter VIII.
Increase between 1764-7. Township Grant. Marks of progress. Grist and Saw Mills
Chapter IX.
Opening up of the County by-roads. Public Worship. First Ministers. Chebogue Church raised
Chapter X.
Township of Argyle. When set apart. Successive settlement of Argyle, Tusket, Rel Brook and Pubnico. The D’Entremonts
Chapter XI.
Fresh Arrivals. Memorial for a Re-adjustment of County limits. Colonial troubles of 1775. Politics of the period
Chapter XII.
Third Decade 1780-90. Loyalist Element in the County. Cape Forchue meeting house. Escheated property. Partition of the Township of Yarmouth. Original Settlers of Tusket. Church Covenant of 1784
Chapter XIII.
Commercial progress. Fishing. Early local merchants. Yarmouth made a Port of Shelburne. J. N. Bond. Religious Devolution. Henry Alline. Jonathan Scott. Harris Harding. Religious Census. Original homes and first locations of the early settlers
Chapter XIV.
Opening of the Nineteenth Century. Condition of Roads and Bridges. Institution of the Post Office. H. G. Farish. Progress in Public Buildings. Episcopal Church. Abbe Sigogne. Social Conveniences
Chapter XV.
Supremacy of Yarmouth gradually asserted. War of 1812-14. Loyal Memorial. Defences
Chapter XVI.
The Story of Yarmouth Shipping Enterprise. Anthony Landers. Ease of the Methodist body. The Free Baptists. Rise and Progress of Sunday Schools
Chapter XVII.
Social Progress from 1800. Negro Slaves. New Settlements. Salmon River. Kemptville. Beaver River. Ohio. Hebron. Carleton. Temperance and Total Abstinence Societies. Great Fire of 1820
Chapter XVIII.
Political and Educational Progress. Confederation. Incorporation. Judicial History of the County. Courts. Common Pleas. Our Schools and School-Masters
Chapter XIX.
Literature. Literary remains. The Press
Chapter XX.
Celebration of the Centennial Anniversary of the Settlement of Yarmouth
Chapter XXI.
The Town of Yarmouth. Churches. Schools. Private Residences. Banks. Insurance offices. Manufacturers. Agricultural Societies. Synopsis. Steam by Land and Water. Fisheries. General Trade. Excapitulation. Conclusion