Shirley to Newcastle, 8 July, 1747.
(Extract.)
“I shall now take the Liberty to submit to your Grace’s Consideration the most practicable Scheme, that occurs to me at present for effectually driving & keeping the Canadeans out of Nova Scotia; vizt. if Mr. Knowles when the Season is too far advanc’d for the French to make an Attempt from France against Louisbourg, should detach 1000 Men out of that Garrison to be join’d by 2000 from New England at Annapolis Royal, and from thence to proceed to Schiegnecto; that Force would, I apprehend, drive the Enemy off, and easily make us Masters of all the Inhabitants of that District, who seem to have ever been so deeply engaged on the Side of the Enemy as to make ’em forfeit all pretence of right to hold their Possessions; and if the 2000 New England Men were to share among ’em that District upon Condition of their setling there with their Families in such a defensible manner as they should be directed to do, and the french Inhabitants of that District were to be transplanted into New England, and distributed among the four Governments there; That I apprehend might be a Settlement of the District of Schiegnecto strong enough to keep the Canadeans out, and to defend themselves against the Indians; and the Inhabitants of the two other Districts of Nova Scotia, vizt. Menis & Annapolis, being thus lock’d up between the Settlement in Schiegnecto at one End, and his Majesty’s Garrison at the other, and aw’d by the removal of the french Inhabitants of Schiegnecto from off their Lands, would be constantly held to their good behaviour, and by Intermarriages & the spreading of the English Settlement from Schiegnecto, the whole Province, or at least the greatest part of it, might in two or three Generations become English
Protestants—I would add that such an Exchange of the present Inhabitants of Schiegnecto for New England Men, would make up to the four Colonies of New England the Loss of the Families propos’d to be remov’d from thence to Nova Scotia upon this Occasion hinder Canada’s being strengthened by the Expulsion of the French from their Possessions, & prevent the English Settlement at Schiegnecto from being harrass’d by their continual Attempts to recover their former Lands; And the Encouragement given to the New England Men by the propos’d Distribution of the Lands among ’em would besides make the raising of 2000 Men for this Service much more practicable, & less expensive to the Crown.
“Upon the whole, my Lord, if the War continues, unless some measures are very suddenly taken for the better Security of Nova Scotia, there seems to be great danger that that Province will not long remain his Majesty’s.
“I am with the most dutiful regard,
“My Lord Duke,
“Your Grace’s most devoted and
“most Obedient Servant
“W Shirley.”