History of Halifax City

by Thomas B. Akins

Governor Mascarine having arrived with several of his Council on the 12th, the following day Governor Cornwallis opened his commission and took the oaths of office in their presence, and on Friday, the 14th July, the Civil Government was organized, and Colonel Paul Mascarine, Captain Edward How, Captain John Gorham, Benjamin Green, John Salsbury and Hugh Davidson were sworn in Councillors[9] on board the "Beaufort" Transport, and the Commission and Royal Instructions were then read. "The formation of the Board was announced to the people by a general salute from the ships in the harbour and the day was devoted to festivity and amusement." The four first gentlemen named in the Council were officers from Annapolis; Mr. Green was from Massachusetts, and had been with General Hopson at Louisburg, and the two latter were of His Excellency's suite; Mr. Davidson acted as Secretary.

Early in the month of July, a spot for the settlement was pitched upon near Point Pleasant,[10] then called Sandwich Point, and people were employed in cutting down the trees; but the want of sufficient depth of water in front, its great exposure to south-east gales and other inconveniences being discovered, it was abandoned for a more eligible situation to the northward, commanding a prospect of the whole harbour and on an easy ascent with bold anchorage close to the shore. Here Mr. Bruce the engineer, and Captain Morris the surveyor, were ordered to lay out the town, which was surveyed, the plan completed and the lots appropriated to their respective owners by the 14th September. The town was laid out in squares or blocks of 320 by 120 feet deep, the streets being 55 feet[11] in width. Each block contained 16 town lots, forty feet front by sixty deep, and the whole was afterwards divided into five divisions or wards, called Callendar's, Galland's, Ewer's, Collier's and Foreman's divisions, after the names of the persons who were appointed Captains of Militia, each ward being large enough to supply one company.

Buckingham Street was the north and Salter Street the south limit, and the whole was surrounded by a strong palisade of pickets with block houses or log forts at convenient distances. Foreman's new division was afterwards added as far as the present Jacob Street. The north and south suburbs were surveyed about the same time, but the German lots in the north were not laid off till the year following.

Great difficulty was at first experienced in the erection of dwellings; the European settlers being totally unacquainted with the method of constructing wooden buildings. Frames and other materials for building were, however, soon brought from Massachusetts, and before the cold weather set in a number of comfortable dwellings were erected. Provisions and other necessary supplies were regularly served out in the camp, and every exertion on the part of the Governor made to render the settlers comfortable before the approach of winter. Several transports were detained and housed over to accommodate those settlers whose houses were not complete, and the canvas tent and log hut were soon abandoned for more convenient and comfortable accommodations.

I have, says Governor Cornwallis, in his letter of the 20th August, contracted for frames and materials for barracks and officers' lodgings from Boston. Boards are very high owing to the drought. I have got none under £4 per thousand, and shall be obliged to furnish a vast number to help the people to get under cover, and have sent an officer on purpose to Boston to obtain them at a fair price. Many houses are begun and huts and log houses already up for more than half a mile on each side the town.

Tradition says that on clearing the ground for settlement a number of dead bodies were discovered among the trees, partly covered by the underwood, supposed to have been soldiers of the Duke D'Anville's expedition which put into Chebucto Harbor in 1746,[12] but the Governor in his letter does not mention the facts.

During the winter months the people were kept actively employed in cutting pickets for fences and wood for fuel, and for erecting new buildings. Mechanics were placed at the head of working parties to direct their labours, and by a judicious division of the people into small parties the more laborious portion of the work was executed with uncommon dispatch. Mills were also erected at the expense of Government for sawing lumber, and a mill master appointed with a salary, and every facility held out to enable those settlers, who had not yet been accommodated, to complete their dwellings on the approach of spring. The Governor in his letter of 27th July, describes the site of the Town as very advantageous. He says: "It has all the conveniences I could wish except a fresh water river.[13] Nothing is easier than to build wharves; one is already finished for ships of 200 tons. I have constantly employed all the carpenters I could get from Annapolis and the ships here to build log houses for stores. I have likewise offered the French at Minas considerable wages to work, and they have promised to send fifty men to remain until October. As there was not one yard of clear ground you will imagine our difficulty and what we have here to do; however, they have already cleared about 12 acres, and I hope to begin my house in two days; I have a small frame and pickets ready."

The following extracts from a letter dated 25th July, 1749, written by a settler,[14] affords several interesting facts relative to the state of the settlement at this time:—"On our arrival we found the Sphinx, of 20 guns, which had come into harbor a few days before us; as I write the transports are entering the harbor with the two regiments of Hopson and Warberton on board from Louisburg. The assistance, as well as the security we shall receive from them, will greatly forward our settlement; the officers have brought all their furniture, a great number of milch cows, and other stock, besides military stores. We have already cleared about 20 acres, and every one has a hut by his tent. Our work goes briskly, and the method of employing the people in ships' companies has a good effect, and as the Governor is preparing to lay out the lots of land, we shall soon have a very convenient and pleasant town built, which is to be called Halifax. There are already several wharves built, and one gentleman is erecting a saw mill; public store houses are also building, and grain of various sorts have been sown. We have received constant supplies of plank and timber for building, and fresh stock and rum in great quantities, 20 schooners frequently coming in in one day. We have also a hundred cows and some sheep, brought down to us by land, by the French at Minas, which is about 30 miles distant from the bottom of the bay, and to which we purpose to cut a road. The French Deputies who came to make submission have promised to send us 50 men for this purpose, and to assist us as far as they are able; we have received the like promise, and friendship and assistance from the Indians, the chief having been with the Governor for that purpose. In short, every thing is in a very prosperous way. But I should be equally unjust and ungrateful, were I to conclude without paying the tribute which is due to our Governor. He seems to have nothing in view but the interest and happiness of all; his zeal and prudent conduct in the difficult task assigned him cannot be too much admired."

The plan of the town having been completed and the building lots marked out, in order to prevent dispute and discontent among the settlers, it was deemed best that they should draw for the lots. Accordingly, at a Council held on the 1st of August, it was resolved that on Tuesday following, the 8th of August, all heads of families who were settlers, should assemble at seven o'clock with the overseers, and single men should form themselves into families, four to each family, and each family choose one to draw for them. Mr. Bruce the engineer, being present on the occasion, assisted in distributing the lots according to the arrangement, and the whole were entered in a book of registry which was to be kept for the purpose and to constitute evidence of title and possession.[15]

The next object of importance was the erection of proper defences for the protection of the settlement. After they had taken possession of the lots, and commenced to build, the Governor endeavoured to induce the people to work for a few days in throwing up a line of defence around their new abode; "but," says he, "there was no persuading them to do it." It was not until the 13th August when the Council voted 1s. 6d. per day to each man employed, that this necessary work was commenced by the settlers. The harbour being broad and easy of access, the difficulty of selecting proper positions for fortifications, which would command the entrance, was at first seriously felt. This had been the great objection on the part of the French to making any settlement at Chebucto, La Have having been chosen by them for the principal post on the Atlantic Coast, being, from its narrow entrance, more easy of defence. In Admiral Darell's plan of Chebucto, the two points that flanked the entrance to Bedford Basin were marked as the places proper to fortify. Mr. Cornwallis says, their view must have been to have the settlement within that Bay (the Basin); this would have been subject to great inconvenience. In the first place, it would have been too far up for the fishermen, it being about five leagues from the entrance of the Harbour to those points, and the beach all along as well adapted for curing their fish as can possibly be imagined; no fisherman would ever have thought of going within these forts. Indeed no ship would choose to go so far, as no finer harbour can be than that of Chebucto, which reaches from these points to Sandwich River; so that notwithstanding any forts upon these points, an enemy's fleet might be secure and indeed block up all ships within the bay. He accordingly fixed upon Sandwich Point and the high lands opposite, (now called York Redoubt), and George's Island as the most proper positions for the erection of the necessary defences. On the latter he immediately placed a guard, landed his stores and planned and proposed to build thereon his magazine for powder.