History of Halifax City

by Thomas B. Akins

On the same day, there was a visitation of the Halifax Grammar School by the Governor, the Bishop, the Trustees and others. The attendance during the winter was usually about 60. The school was addressed on this occasion, by one of the elder boys, and after the examinations in the Latin classes, writing and arithmetic, several scholars repeated pieces and dialogues. Mr. Cochran was the headmaster; he shortly afterwards accepted the charge of the Academy at Windsor; and the Rev. George Wright was appointed in his place. His salary was £150 per annum from the Legislature, with what he could get from the pupils. The number of scholars was 68. He states his loss in the shape of discount on his Treasury warrants amounted to from 15 to 20 per cent., in consequence of the delay in payment.

The winter was very severe; The harbour was frozen over, and the destitute condition of the poor very great. The gentlemen amateurs of the theatre, sent £25 to the Rev. Mr. Weeks, of St. Paul's, Dr. Andrew Brown, of the Presbyterian meeting house, and Mr. Houseal of St. George's in Dutchtown, for the poor of their respective parishes. The overseers of the poor, Jonathan Tremain, James Gautier, James Kerby and Andrew Belcher, met at the "Golden Ball," to assess the inhabitants of the town for the poor rates.

The Court House having been destroyed by fire, the Quarter Sessions held their sittings on the 19th February, in the long room of the "Golden Ball," for the trial of offenders. The "Golden Ball" was kept by Edward Phelan this winter, who occupied the north end of the building as a store for general merchandise.

An Act of the Legislature had been passed this year, and was published early in May, reciting that the destruction of the Court House by fire, and the inconvenient situation of the present Assembly House, made it necessary that a more suitable place should be provided, and the state of the Province finances not being such as to admit of the expense of erecting a proper and suitable building, it was therefore enacted, that Commissioners be appointed to treat with Thomas James and William Cochran, for their building opposite Government House, for £200 per annum, and to expend £100 in furniture for the purposes of the meeting of this Legislature and the Courts of Law. This building lately erected after the fire, stood on the spot now occupied by the new Dominion Public building, and continued to be the place of holding the General Assembly, the Courts of Law, etc., until the Province Building was completed for their reception in 1820. The building in which the Legislature formerly held its sittings, and which was now appropriated for the Grammar School, was this year repaired at the public expense.

In June, the Grand Jury addressed Chief Justice Strange on his arrival from England. The names of the Jury were:—Richard Kidston, foreman, William Millet, Lawrence Hartshorne, Godfrey Schwartz, Winkworth Allen, John Davis, J. Forbes, James Lewis, Benjamin Salter, James Strachan, William Lawlor, Martin Shier, John Boyd and Alexander Copeland.

In the autumn, the Secretary of the Province announced to the people of the town, that in the event of a war with Spain, and the withdrawal of the troops from the Province, it would be necessary to call out the Militia for the defence of the town, and the Colonels of regiments were called upon to hold themselves in readiness, and to make returns of the state and condition of their respective regiments.

About this time, Captain Stack was a regular trader between this port and Ireland, and sold his cargoes of beef, salt pork, lard, etc., at auction, at Charles Hill & Co.'s rooms.

The Halifax Bar addressed Chief Justice Strange, on his leaving for England on a visit, this autumn. The address was signed by S. S. Blowers, R. J. Uniacke, James Sterns, E. B. Brenton, James Stewart, Daniel Wood, Foster Hutchinson, J. Prout and W. H. O. Haliburton.

At a Court of Quarter Sessions, held at Halifax, in June term of this year, the Sheriff, pursuant to law and by virtue of a warrant directed to him by the Justices of the Sessions, to lay out a road in the north suburbs of the town, reported that he had laid out the road by a jury, in the manner following, viz:—Beginning at the north-east corner or angle of Lot No. 2, on the road leading from the Dockyard to the Naval Hospital; thence to run north 28 west, 40 feet; thence north, 59 east, 238 feet, which leaves a road of 40 feet wide, between Allbright's ground and the Hospital fence; thence north, 28 west, 660 feet; thence north 20 west, 664 feet to the road leading to Fort Needham, leaving the road 50 feet wide between the shore at the Narrows at high-water mark, and the Lots Nos. 3 and 4. This notice was published, that all persons who might think themselves aggrieved by the laying out of the road might have an opportunity of being heard before the sessions, on Tuesday, the 5th September, 1790. It was signed by Thomas Wood, Clerk of the Peace.

This road was intended as a continuation of Water Street northward, to meet the road which leads up from the water to Fort Needham, but it does not appear to have been on the line of the present road, but to have gone through the northern end of the Hospital grounds, along the water side, below the site of the old magazines.