History of Halifax City

by Thomas B. Akins

CHAPTER VII.

1816. Soon after the peace the prosperity of Halifax began to wane. The price of provisions and all the necessaries of life, the value of real estate and the high rents of houses in the town all became more or less affected by the scarcity of money arising from the withdrawal of the troops and navy and the sudden alterations in trade. The reaction was not fully realized until about two years after peace was proclaimed, when the rapid fall off in the value of real estate and the sudden check given to commercial pursuits was found to have reduced many speculators to poverty.

Sir John Cope Sherbrooke having been appointed Governor General of Canada, the principal inhabitants of the town gave him a farewell dinner on 25th June. It was presided over by Chief Justice Blowers and the vice chair was occupied by Michael Wallace, the treasurer of the province. An address, largely signed by the inhabitants, was presented to the Governor on his departure. Sir John had rendered himself very popular in Halifax by his affable manners and his prompt and decisive way of treating all matters brought to his notice by the citizens. He embarked at the King's wharf on Thursday, 27th June, under a salute from the batteries and the cheers of the inhabitants.

The rough condition of the streets of the town at this period rendered immediate and extensive improvements necessary. Those in the least frequented parts of the town had been so much neglected that in many places they were impassable from the accumulation of rubbish and the broken condition of the wooden platforms or bridges at the gutters and crossings. In many places the streets were overgrown at each side with grass except in the centre. Brunswick Street, though one of the principal highways of the town, was overgrown at each side with grass. Many of the old Dutch houses then still remaining in this street stood on banks a few feet above the sidewalk and where there were no buildings rough stone walls or fences marked the line of the street. Water Street, from the continual traffic and wear during the period of the war, had been worn into holes and was in wet weather almost impassable from the accumulation of mud, particularly between the Ordnance Yard and the foot of Prince Street. The market square at this time, as also that portion of Water Street between Collins' Wharf and the King's Wharf, was much lower than at present. It was found necessary to pave this portion of Water Street, which was accordingly accomplished during the years 1816 and 1817. The pavement, which was with round stones, extended from the Ordnance to Black and Forsyth's Wharf, (later Mitchell's) at the foot of Prince Street. The Provincial Legislature contributed the sum of £1,200 towards the work, and the expense of flagging the sidewalks was charged to the owners of property fronting on the street. About the year 1835 this pavement had so sunk down as to be no protection from the accumulation of mud. The lower part of the market square bordering on Water Street and the way leading to the market slip or public landing were raised about five feet. Between 1820 and 1824 new Street Commissioners were appointed. The Macadamizing system begun to be introduced and extensive improvements in the way of levelling the streets and filling up hollow places were proceeded with.

The Acadian School, conducted by Walter Bromley, had now been under way for about three years. It was inspected on 31st July. There were 400 children in attendance. On this occasion Mr. Bromley stated that since the opening of the school in 1813, eight hundred and ninety-three children had received instruction there, and about one hundred apprentices and colored children in the Sunday schools. The latter were under the special superintendence of Mr. Bromley himself, who devoted all his leisure to the instruction of the black children and others who could not attend school throughout the week. The small sum of £200 was voted annually by the Legislature in aid of this school. Subsequently a grant of money was made by the Assembly to the National School, which was about this time set on foot on the Madras system, under the auspices of the Bishop and members of the Church of England in Halifax, who had lately erected the large three-story building in Argyle Street, opposite the parade, for the purpose. In 1818 this school had 117 children in attendance. The daily attendance at these two schools exceeded 500, which was a large number considering the extent of the population at this period.

The appointment of Dr. Robert Stanser, Rector of St. Paul's, to the Bishopric of Nova Scotia, vacant by the death of Bishop Charles Inglis, took place in 1817. Interest had been made with Lord Bathurst, the Colonial Secretary, and the Archbishop of Canterbury to have Dr. John Inglis, son of the late Bishop, appointed to the See. The appointment was said to have been arranged in favor of Dr. Inglis, but a recommendation from both branches of the Legislature then in session in favor of Dr. Stanser, their Chaplain, prevailed, and Dr. Inglis was appointed Rector of St. Paul's, vacant by the elevation of Stanser to the Bishopric. Dr. John Inglis proved a highly popular Rector; his bland manners and kind disposition rendered him a favorite with all classes and denominations, and when he afterwards, in 1825, obtained the Bishopric he carried with him to England addresses in his favor not only from his own parishioners, but largely signed by his friends among other denominations.

The remains of the old Bishop were brought to town from Aylesford, where he died, and buried under St. Paul's Church on the 29th February. The funeral was attended by the Governor, Sir J. C. Sherbroke, Sir John Wentworth, the retired Governor, His Majesty's Council and a large assemblage of the citizens. A monument to his memory is on the west side of the chancel of the church.

On the morning of the 18th April great excitement prevailed throughout the town in consequence of a murder which had been committed in one of the streets during the previous night. Capt. Westmacott of the Royal Engineers who, as officer of the night, was going his rounds on horseback to visit the guards, met two men in Sackville Street whom he challenged in consequence of their suspicious appearance. They immediately attacked him and by a sudden effort threw him from his horse, having first wounded him fatally with a bayonet. He lingered until the 4th day of May, when he died. The murderers were soon after discovered and proved to be two soldiers, deserters from one of the regiments in garrison. They had been stealing fish through the night from a store on one of the wharves. They were identified by the Captain and, being tried and convicted of the murder, were executed on the Common.

The Nova Scotia Fensible Regiment, after the close of the war, remained in Canada for some time. Early in June of this year they embarked at Quebec for Halifax. The transport in approaching Halifax ran upon a reef of rocks known as Jeddore ledges, which lies off the harbour of that name eastward from Halifax. The weather was calm and the troops were landed in safety, with the exception of four private soldiers, two women and several children, but with the loss of considerable part of the baggage. It was found on landing the men that the tide was rising, and that in all probability the greater part of the ledge would be covered at high water. It was proposed that the women and children should be first landed and placed on the higher part of the rock. But on the soldiers perceiving that Colonel Darling, who commanded the Regiment, and several of the officers were intending to avail themselves of the higher parts of the ledge, immediately declared that all officers should be compelled to remain with their respective companies and share the fate of their men. One officer, a captain, is said to have shown symptoms of impatience or something worse on the occasion, and abandoned his wife and family and his men, seeking shelter for himself on the rocks amidst the reproaches and jeers of his comrades. The Regiment was, however, successfully landed on the ledges, chiefly through the heroic exertions of the Adjutant-Lieutenant Stewart, who volunteered to carry a cable from the bowsprit of the ship to the rock, when having there made it fast the sailors were enabled to construct means for landing men in safety. Part of the Regiment was brought to Halifax in coasting vessels about the first July, and others found their way by land, having been brought on shore from the rocks by the fishermen of the neighbourhood. Col. Darling and some others being displeased at all the credit of the exploit being attached to Lt. Stewart, who was probably not a favorite of the Colonel, brought him to a Court-Martial for some trifling offence supposed to have been a breach of orders, and it is said he was compelled to leave the Regiment.