Lower River Inhabitants, Nova Scotia

Last updated

Canada Nova Scotia location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Lower River Inhabitants in Nova Scotia

Lower River Inhabitants is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Richmond County in Cape Breton Island. The River Inhabitants is born out of tributaries from the hills of Kingsville, Inverness County. These tributaries join to first form two branches of the River Inhabitants in Kingsville, which join together at Princeville, Inverness County. The main river then flows down through the communities of Princeville, Riverside, Cleveland, Grantville, Hureauville, and Lower River Inhabitants/Evanston to join Inhabitants Bay, known locally as Basin Inhabitants or Whiteside Basin. Port Hawkesbury is the market town of Lower River Inhabitants communities.

Contents

Settlement history

The Mi'kmaq are Cape Breton's indigenous population and their encounters with Europeans began with explorers and traders, then the colonizers. [1] There are no current Mi'kmaq communities in Lower River Inhabitants, the closest being Potlotek/ Chapel Island.

The French

The land along the River Inhabitants was first settled, in the early 1600s, by the French from France and some Acadians from mainland Nova Scotia, when Cape Breton Island was owned by France and called Ile Royale. This was done under Sieur de Mont, and the settlers known to the French Government officials as habitants, were supplied by that government with tools, seed, food enough for two years, and farm animals to begin their farming along the river. That is why the river was called Riviére des Habitants, now known in English as River Inhabitants. At that time some family names to be found along the river were, Boudrot, Boucher, Decoste, Fougére, Hureau, Landry, LeBlanc, Nagereau, and Richard.

After the last fall of Louisburg in 1758, when Ile Royale became Cape Breton under the English, the English Government's policy of expelling all Acadian and French settlers was extended to the island. However, this phase of the expulsion was less successful than that carried out on the mainland from 1755 on, because the Acadian and other French settlers on Cape Breton knew what had happened on the mainland. Therefore, when the settlers saw British Man-of-war Navy ships or any other ship flying a Union Jack Flag coming into sight, they fled into the woods, if they could do so, and remained there until the ships and any British soldiers had gone. Only a small number were captured and expelled. The others, however, could not always return to their farms, for farms along the River Inhabitants were burnt by the British on their way to lay siege to Louisbourg. From Riviére des Habitants the British took all the animals and stored food crops to supply their siege against Louisbourg. All the settlers or descendants of the settlers, who were burnt out, had to spend their winters in the lodges of the Mi’kmaq, who were their friends, and often relatives. The next spring the settlers would leave their hosts and go to Ile Madame. On that island the Acadian and the French settlers were not being expelled. The French Huguenots, like the Bourinots, Levescontes, Ameys and Georges, who were allies of the British and used the Catholic Acadians as workers, requested that their workers not be expelled, and were granted that request. There the refugees would blend in with the population. After the threat of expulsion, had passed, they and their descendants were able to settle back on the main island of Cape Breton at places like Louisdale, River Bourgeois, etc.

The Loyalists

With the removal of the French settlers from along the Inhabitants River, land became available for settlement by people considered to be more sympathetic to British rule. These settlers were the Empire Loyalists, who had fled persecution of the citizens of the new United States of America during and shortly after the American Revolutionary War. These new settlers, many of whom were first given grants of land in Eastern Guysborough County, then known as Manchester, demanded good farmland, and were given grants along both sides of the River Inhabitants. Grant, King, McCarthy, Oliver, Proctor, Redmond, Upton and Whalen, were Empire Loyalist families to be found on those grants. The descendants of these Loyalist families can still be found within the communities of Evanston, Grantville, Hureauville, and Whiteside.

Acadian return

Shortly before and after the arrival of the Loyalists, some of the Acadian families had made their way back to a part of the River Inhabitant Valley, where they established small farms and did some fishing in the river. Hureauville, named after one of the families that resettled there, is the community under discussion. DeCoste and Richard were the other families that resettled in that community.

Just north of them, over the hill was Grantville, a largely Protestant community of Scottish settlers, which was using a cemetery containing the remains of some of the French settlers, who had lived in that area prior to the expulsion and burning previously mentioned. Frequently, while digging graves to bury deceased Protestant persons from Cleveland or Grantville, those doing the digging would uncover the deceased's skeleton remains with rosaries or crosses, positive evidence of the existence of the previous French settlements. Some of the descendants of the Acadians who returned to the area, plus others from Isle Madame and Louisdale married in with the English speaking residents, so that now many residents of the community area are of mixed ethnic background. As well, within the last three decades, families of Acadian descent from the Petit de Great area, whose forefathers may well have lived in the Inhabitants River area in previous centuries, have relocated to the area.

The Scots

Along with the resettlement of the Acadians and the grants to Loyalists, came the settlement of some Scots families like Ferguson, MacDonald, Malcolm, some of whom left Scotland because they were pushed out by greedy Lairds, who wanted their holdings for the raising of sheep—a shameful time in the history of Scotland, known as the clearings or clearances.. Descendants of these Scot settlers can still be found in the communities along the Inhabitants River, in Kempt Road, and in Walkerville and Whiteside, which are along the shore of Inhabitants Basin.

The Irish

In addition to the groups of settlers mentioned, came the Irish at the very beginning of the 1800s. These were the refugees from the Wexford Uprising (rebellion) of 1798 who, in hiding from the British authorities, settled well back in the woods bordering on the Inhabitants Basin, until it was safe to move nearer the shore of the Basin. These refugees, most of whom settled in Rocky Bay on Isle Madame and the Margarees in Inverness County, had reason to be fearful under the Penal Laws.

Not only were their lives to be extinguished as traitors for daring to fight against the British crown, if they were unfortunate enough to be discovered by the authorities, but, according to British Penal Laws, it was illegal for them to be in British North America. These refugees were represented by the families of Doyle, Cloak, Dunphy, Hayes, Lamey, Morgan, possibly Scanlan (formerly Scantling), possibly Tyrrell (formerly Farrell), Welsh and White.

Only the family names of Doyle, Hayes, Morgan, Scanlan, and White families can still be found in the Basin - River Inhabitants communities today, though the genes of the others flow in the veins of both these, as well as in the veins of the Loyalist descents, of some of the Scottish descents, and of some of Acadian descent. The Cloaks and the Welsh's moved away from the area, with the remaining old people dying out. The Tyrrells and the Dunphys moved to the Isle Madame area during the early 1900s.

Some of the Irish of Whiteside had a connection with John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s mother, Rose Kennedy. She was born of a Wexford Uprising refugee family, the FitzGerald family, and was actually a cousin to the Basin Road, Whiteside, Doyles* and Morgan families. Both families were descendant relatives of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, one of the most important leaders of the 1798 Wexford Uprising. The Morgans and Doyles were descendants on their mother's side, Mary Fitzgerald, while Rose was a descendant on her father's side. It wasn't only because he participated in the uprising, that Mary's son, Edward John Morgan Sr., spent the remainder of his life as a refugee hiding deep in the woods of Basin Inhabitants on a hundred acres. As close relative of Lord Fitzgerald, Edward Morgan, he believed that the Amnesty of 1803 did not apply to him, and that the British would hang, draw and quarter him, if he were to be caught. Indeed, back in Ireland all the Morgans left in Limerick had been vengefully exterminated by the English forces after the put-down of the uprising. Long after the Amnesty and their father's and grandfather's death, his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren kept the secret. The history of Ireland has Edward John killed at the Battle of Vinegar Hill, outside Wexford Town. If they ever knew, Ireland's historians seem unaware that such a large number of 1798 Wexford Uprising refugees had escape to the new world, many with the help of the people from Scotland.

The most common Irish name, McNamara, to be found in the communities of the Basin and river inhabitants, is not one of the refugee families but are descendants of a David McNamara, who arrived in Guysborough County from Boston around 1784 - 1790, the same time as did the Loyalists, and married a Sarah Horne (daughter of Jacob Horne) at Halifax,. The couple returned to Boston for a short time and then McNamara resettled in Cape Breton, with the permission of the then General Nepean, on Boucher Island in the Basin Inhabitants. He "received a warrant for land on the Island of Bushey, River Inhabitants, in August, 1807" and after two attempts, first as a native of Cape Breton in this 1817 petition "Petition to Ainslie: Petitioner, age 49, a native of Cape Breton" and then secondly, as a Scotsman in this 1819 petition "Petition to Ainslie: Petitioner, age 49, emigrated from Scotland twelve years before" he was finally granted the island which was renamed McNamara Island. There the McNamara's first multiplied and flourished, until the island was abandoned by that family in the later part of the 19th century (according to one of David's great-great grandsons "Billy McNamara" in this Cape Breton's Magazine article from 1988). David's sons and daughters married Proctor, Hayes, Cloake, Cogswell & Lamey children among others and many of them then moved over to Evanston and Lower River Inhabitants, though a number of them moved to the United States looking for employment. McNamara's Island remains uninhabited to this day.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Breton Island</span> Island in Nova Scotia

Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Maritimes</span> Region of Atlantic Canada

The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of Canada's population. Together with Canada's easternmost province, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Maritime provinces make up the region of Atlantic Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acadians</span> Descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia

The Acadians are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the descendants of a few Acadians who escaped the Expulsion of the Acadians re-settled. Most Acadians in Canada continue to live in majority French-speaking communities, notably those in New Brunswick where Acadians and Francophones are granted autonomy in areas such as education and health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acadia</span> Colony of New France in northeastern North America

Acadia was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17th and early 18th centuries, Norridgewock on the Kennebec River and Castine at the end of the Penobscot River were the southernmost settlements of Acadia. The French government specified land bordering the Atlantic coast, roughly between the 40th and 46th parallels. It was eventually divided into British colonies. The population of Acadia included the various indigenous First Nations that comprised the Wabanaki Confederacy, the Acadian people and other French settlers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria County, Nova Scotia</span> County in Nova Scotia, Canada

Victoria County is an historical county and census division of Nova Scotia, Canada. Local government is provided by the Municipality of the County of Victoria and the Wagmatcook 1 reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expulsion of the Acadians</span> 1755–1764 British forced removal of Acadians from Maritime Canada

The Expulsion of the Acadians, also known as the Great Upheaval, the Great Expulsion, the Great Deportation, and the Deportation of the Acadians, was the forced removal, by the British, of the Acadian people from parts of a Canadian-American region historically known as Acadia, between 1755–1764. The area included the present-day Canadian Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, and the present-day U.S. state of Maine. The Expulsion, which caused the deaths of thousands of people, occurred during the French and Indian War and was part of the British military campaign against New France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minas Basin</span> Body of water

The Minas Basin is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy and a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin located in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is known for its extremely high tides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Peter's, Nova Scotia</span> Village in Nova Scotia, Canada

St. Peter's is a small incorporated village located on Cape Breton Island in Richmond County, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Isle Madame is an island off southeastern Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. It is part of the Municipality of the County of Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Acadians</span> Acadia viewed from a historical point of view

The Acadians are the descendants of 17th and 18th century French settlers in parts of Acadia in the northeastern region of North America comprising what is now the Canadian Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the Gaspé peninsula in eastern Québec, and the Kennebec River in southern Maine. The settlers whose descendants became Acadians primarily came from the southwestern and southern regions of France, historically known as Occitania, while some Acadians are claimed to be descended from the Indigenous peoples of the region. Today, due to assimilation, some Acadians may share other ethnic ancestries as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of New Brunswick</span> Historical account of New Brunswick, Canada

The history of New Brunswick covers the period from the arrival of the Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization, the lands encompassing present-day New Brunswick were inhabited for millennia by the several First Nations groups, most notably the Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, and the Passamaquoddy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Nova Scotia</span>

Nova Scotia is a province located in Eastern Canada fronting the Atlantic Ocean. One of the Maritime Provinces, Nova Scotia's geography is complex, despite its relatively small size in comparison to other Canadian provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Nova Scotia</span> Aspect of history

The history of Nova Scotia covers a period from thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization, the lands encompassing present-day Nova Scotia were inhabited by the Mi'kmaq people. During the first 150 years of European settlement, the region was claimed by France and a colony formed, primarily made up of Catholic Acadians and Mi'kmaq. This time period involved six wars in which the Mi'kmaq along with the French and some Acadians resisted the British invasion of the region: the French and First Nation Wars, Father Rale's War and Father Le Loutre's War. During Father Le Loutre's War, the capital was moved from Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, to the newly established Halifax, Nova Scotia (1749). The warfare ended with the Burying the Hatchet ceremony (1761). After the colonial wars, New England Planters and Foreign Protestants immigrated to Nova Scotia. After the American Revolution, Loyalists immigrated to the colony. During the nineteenth century, Nova Scotia became self-governing in 1848 and joined the Canadian Confederation in 1867.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pomquet</span>

Pomquet is a small Acadian village in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Scotch Village is an unincorporated community on the Kennetcook River in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Municipality of West Hants. This area was part of Newport Township at the time of settlement primarily by Rhode Island Planters in the early 1760s. It was referred to as “Scotchman’s Dyke” or “Scotch Village”, due to settlement of early families of Scottish descent. Prior to the arrival of the Planters, Scotch Village had been the home of Mi'kmaq and Acadians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petitcodiac River campaign</span>

The Petitcodiac River campaign was a series of British military operations from June to November 1758, during the French and Indian War, to deport the Acadians that either lived along the Petitcodiac River or had taken refuge there from earlier deportation operations, such as the Ile Saint-Jean campaign. Under the command of George Scott, William Stark's company of Rogers Rangers, Benoni Danks and Gorham's Rangers carried out the operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acadian Exodus</span> Flight and Relocation of Acadians during Father Le Loutres War

The Acadian Exodus happened during Father Le Loutre's War (1749–1755) and involved almost half of the total Acadian population of Nova Scotia deciding to relocate to French controlled territories. The three primary destinations were: the west side of the Mesagoueche River in the Chignecto region, Isle Saint-Jean and Île-Royale. The leader of the Exodus was Father Jean-Louis Le Loutre, whom the British gave the code name "Moses". Le Loutre acted in conjunction with Governor of New France Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière who encouraged the Acadian migration. A prominent Acadian who transported Acadians to Ile St. Jean and Ile Royal was Joseph-Nicolas Gautier. The overall upheaval of the early 1750s in Nova Scotia was unprecedented. Present-day Atlantic Canada witnessed more population movements, more fortification construction, and more troop allocations than ever before in the region. The greatest immigration of the Acadians between 1749 and 1755 took place in 1750. Primarily due to natural disasters and British raids, the Exodus proved to be unsustainable when Acadians tried to develop communities in the French territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ile Saint-Jean campaign</span>

The Ile Saint-Jean campaign was a series of military operations in fall 1758, during the Seven Years' War, to deport the Acadians who either lived on Ile Saint-Jean or had taken refuge there from earlier deportation operations. Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Rollo led a force of 500 British troops to take possession of Ile Saint-Jean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolastoq</span> River in Maine, United States and New Brunswick, Canada

Wolastoq, changed in 1604 by Samuel de Champlain to Fleuve Saint-Jean, is a river flowing within the Dawnland region for approximately 418 miles (673 km) from headwaters in the Notre Dame Mountains near the Maine-Quebec border through New Brunswick to the northwest shore of the Bay of Fundy. The river and its tributary drainage basin formed the territorial countries of the Wolastoqiyik and Passamaquoddy First Nations prior to European colonization, and it remains a cultural centre of the Wabanaki Confederacy to this day.

References

  1. Johnston, A J B (1994). Storied Shores: St.Peter's, Isle Madame and Chapel Island in the 17th & 18th Centuries. Sydney: Cape Breton University Press.

Coordinates: 45°36′50.1″N61°14′25.32″W / 45.613917°N 61.2403667°W / 45.613917; -61.2403667 (Lower River Inhabitants, Nova Scotia)