Historic Black Settlement at Willow Grove to Be Honored-- Part 2: Blacks Were Not Welcomed and Those Who Came Got Smaller Plots of Poorer Land

But, the British government ran into problems when they tried to arrange land for the new immigrants in the province of Nova Scotia.   They wanted to send upwards of 3,000 of the new subjects to this province, but the legislature of it  said there were already too many Blacks there already.

So, they turned to New Brunswick, where the reception wasn't much better.

On April 13, 1815, Major General  Stracey Smyth, the Administrator of New Brunswick, asked the Executive Council to consider whether the province should receive 400-500 black refugees.  Although the council voted 3-2 to accept them,  the government was reluctant to take any responsibility for their welfare.

Of the thousands who departed the United States , 371 settled in Willow Grove.  Here they unfortunately found that the good land for farming they were promised was not exactly what they got.  The plots they received were smaller than the ones whites received

The policy of New Brunswick at the time was to give white settlers 100 acres while the Blacks received just 50 acres according to historian W.A. Spray.

And, to make matters worse, the plots Blacks received was not very food farming land.

--Brock-Perry

Black Nova Scotia Man Fights For Land Title Dating Back to Early 1800s

From the August 9, 2020, Pique Magazine  "Black Nova Scotia man 'overjoyed'  as struggle for land title moves forward" by Canadian Press.

Christopher Downey  finished building his home in 2012 in North Preston, Nova Scotia, on land that had been in his family for generations.  Only, he found out he didn't own the land.  This set off a years-long effort to get title to it.

Downey is among scores of Blacks who have struggled for years to have their title claims recognized.  But now, after he won his case in the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, this is going to make it easier for other Blacks to win their titles.

The problem dates back to the 1800s when the Nova Scotia government distributed land to white and black Loyalists -- people who had stayed loyal to the British government during and after the American Revolution.  They moved to Canada.

Yet, the white settlers received claim to their land, their black counterparts did not.  They were allowed to occupy the land they were given, but did not receive title to it.

Downey said that his ancestors fought alongside the British in the War of 1812.

It is good to see a wrong being set right.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Shannon Legacy-- Part 2: Provo Wallis

**  The Shannon's bell is displayed at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax.  It also has a surgeon's chest and mess kettle from the Chesapeake.

**  A cannon, believed to have been from the Shannon, is on the north side of Province House., Nova Scotia's legislative building.

A lieutenant named Provo Wallis was acting captain of the Shannon for six days following the wounding of Captain Broke.  because of this, he became senior to many other lieutenants during the Napoleonic-era Royal Navy.

This enabled him to eventually become Admiral of the Fleet.

--Brock-Perry

HMS Shannon Legacy-- Part 1: Graves and Point Pleasant Park

From Wikipedia.

**Graves of the Shannon's crew, killed during the battle with the Chesapeake are marked in the cemetery of the Royal Navy Dockyard in Halifax and the city's St. Paul's Church, at the time the cathedral of the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia.

A plaque was erected in 1927 to commemorate the battle and is in the Point Pleasant Park.  This park was also the site of several artillery batteries over the years and also the Prince of Wales Tower, the oldest martello tower in North America.  Also, there is the Halifax Monument, more commonly called the Sailor's Memorial to honor Canadians who have died at sea and especially the 3257 who died during the world wars.

**  Shannon Park in Nova Scotia.

--Brock-Perry

200 Years Ago: British Establish Customs Office at Castine, District of Maine

SEPTEMBER 21, 1814:  This customs office was designated as the commercial headquarters of the occupied territory.

The announcement that trade with the enemy through Castine was music to the ears of the mercantile communities of Saint John, New Brunswick, and Halifax, Nova Scotia.  And since imports and exports through the Maine port were taxed, customs officials amassed a tidy 10,000 pounds in the eight short months they were there.

After the war, the British government directed that this "Castine Fund" must be used for public improvements in Nova Scotia, and it eventually covered the new library for the British garrison, and of Dalhousie College (now Dalhousie University).

New Brunswickers were consoled in November 1817 when a boundary commission appointed by the Treaty of Ghent awarded them most of the disputed Passamaquoddy islands and Grand Manan Island.

Ezra Dean was involved in making the border between Maine and New Brunswick.

--Brock-Perry

200 Years Ago: Capture of USS Rattlesnake

JUNE 22ND, 1814l  HMS Leander captured the USS Rattlesnake off Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.

--Brock-Perry

Bluenoses Made Out Like Bandits-- Part 6: The Crown

Continued from July 27th.

Solomon Jennings was still mad about the HMS Atalante cutting in on his prize and especially impressing two of his sailors, but sailed out again with just a crew of 19.

Sailing along the coast of Maine, he captured two or three small American ships. On April 30th, the Crown chased the sloop Increase, mounting six guns (to the Crown's one) and a crew of 80.

Jennings did not know that the Increase was out to act a lure to catch the schooner HMS Bream. The Crown was defeated and crew taken prisoner until exchanged.

The Vice Admiralty Court eventually decided that the Sibac was a joint capture.

Sure Made Jennings' Day. --Brock-Perry

Why It Takes So Long to Do This Blog

This would also apply to my other six blogs.

I get started with an article and one things leads to another, until I am several related subjects away.

The last several days it started with Nova Scotia privateers during the War of 1812.  That led to the term "Bluenoses."  Then, the Nova Scotian privateer Crown which had a prize taken away by a bigger British ship. 

That ship was the HMS Altalante which was eventually wrecked at Sambro Island (Halifax) Lighthouse, where another ship was wrecked in 1920, the Norwegian freighter Romsdalfjord.  Then I got into some of the Atalante's cruises and captures while serving on the British North America and West Indies Stattion, something else I had to look up.

By the way, the Sambro Island Lighthouse is the  oldest surviving North American lighthouse.

Then, there is the story of the American privateer Young Teazer which captured two ships off the light, then was chased and blew up casing the so-called Teazer Light (spooky).

I will be writing more about these things.

Well, That's Why. One Thing leads to Another.   --Brock-Perry

The HMS Atalante (Atalanta)-- Part 2: The Wreck

Continued from the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic site.

The Altalante was headed for Halifax, returning from a patrol with dispatches.  In heavy fog, despite heavy precautions, it struck the dreaded Blind Sisters ledge near Sambro Island.  The bottom of the ship ripped open and it broke in two.

Due to the efforts of its captain and well-disciplined crew, all 79 men and 1 woman survived.

The Atalante's Captain, the same Frederick Hickey who commanded the ship when it cut in on the Crown's prize, was acquitted of blame for the ship's sinking.

Stay Off the Ledge.  --Brock-Perry

The HMS Atalante (Atalanta)-- Part 1

In the last post, I wrote about the problems the Nova Scota privateer Crown had with the British warship HMS Atalante when it claimed part of the capture of the American brig Sibac.  It sure sounded like the Atalante was late on the scene, but decided to cut in on the prize money the Sibac would bring,  When the Crown's Captain Jennings complained, the Atalante's Captain Hickey impressed two of his crew.

Time to do some research on the HMS Atalante and there wasn't much.  I did find more on a previous HMS Atalante which was a captured French ship that sank in 1807.

But, the Atalante (also called the Atalanta) in question with the Crown Affair was an 18-gun sloop launched in 1808 and wrecked in 1813 according to Wikipedia, which does not have an article on it.

The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, in its On the Rocks: Find a Wreck site said the HMS Altalante was 107 feet long, had three masts and was one of six Bermuda-class sloops.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

Bluenoses Made Out Like Bandits-- Part 5: The Privateer Crown's Problems With the HMS Atalante

Two days into the first cruise in April 1813, they spotted and chased a ship five times bigger than the Crown.  After a two and a half hour chase, they captured the brig Sibac of Boston, put on a prize crew and transferred the Sibac's seven-man crew to the Crown in handcuffs.

The crew was not happy when the HMS Atalante arrived on the scene and claimed partial capture so it could get a cut of the prize money.

Captain Solomon Jennings of the Crown so loudly protested that British Captain Frederick of the Atalante forced two of the Crown's crew into the Royal Navy, which was a highly unusual action when dealing with British privateers.

The Vice Admiralty in Halifax did not hear the case for several months.  In the meantime Jennings put into Shelburne and discharged his prisoners and replaced the two crew that had been impressed.

More to Come.  --Brock-Perry

Bluenoses Made Out Like Bandits-- Part 4: the Privateers

Some Halifax privateer ships of note:  Crown, Sir John Sherbrooke, Fly, Weazel and George.

Some Liverpool privateer ships:  Retaliation, Wolverine (Hey, a movie of that name is coming out), Rolla,  Shannon, Lively, Rover, Minerva, Saucy Jack, Dart and the Dove.

Annapolis privateers:  Royal, Matilda and the Broke.

Also, the Retrieve operated out of Windsor and the Lunenburg operated out of Lunenburg.

The Crown, out of Halifax, was commissioned in February 1813 under Captain Solomon Jennings.  It was 12 metres long and had a crew of 30, many just boys.  Its armament consisted of one 9-pound carronade.  Privateers preferred carronades to long guns. 

Carronade cannons were lighter, used less powder, took up less room and were cheaper.

When a Long Just Won't Do.  --Brock-Perry

Bluenoses Made Out Like Bandits-- Part 3

And, they would be considered to be essentially bandits as far as the Americans were concerned (who had their own privateers).

Prizes (ships captured by the Nova Scotia privateers) were adjucated by the Vice-Admiralty Court at Halifax.  These proceedings sometimes could take months. I f it was found that the prize was taken legally, the ship and its cargo would be put up for auction.

Officers and sailors on the privateers received no wages, but were given shares of captured property.  Their take from the auction would be from what was left after the owners of the ships and captains took their big shares.  Of course, officers got bigger shares than the crew.

(Oops.  It appears I hit some sort key and now have this pring style which will continue as I have no idea how to change it.)

I'll Stop to See If the New Style Continues In the Next Post.  --Brock-Perry

So, What Exactly Is a Bluenose?

I had never heard the term before reading this article.  I supposed it had something to do with seafaring or privateers.

According to Wikipedia,  it was originally a name applied to people from Nova Scotia, Canada in the early 18th century.

The Dictionary says the term is used for inhabitants of Canada's Maritime Provinces, especially Nova Scotia.  In nautical slang, it means a ship from Nova Scotia or a sailor on one of those ships.

Originally considered a derisive name before the Loyalists (I imagine American Loyalists going there after independence).  Allegedly it comes from a variety of potatoes which have bluish tips.

There have also been some famous Nova Scotian racing ships with that name.

So, Now You Know.  --Brock-Perry

Bluenoses Made Out Like Bandits-- Part 2

Ownership of privateers were usually spread out among two or three partners.  Prize ship cargoes were sold at auction in Halifax and then resold.  On more than one occasion, the cargoes were resold to Americans.

Privateers carried guns in varying numbers and sizes.

In order to be a privateer, you needed a Letter of Marque, a license issued by Nova Scotia;s lieutenat governor.  Without one, the privateer's actions would be considered piracy.  Of course, it was still piracy to Americans and vice-versa.

Owners had to post 1,500 pounds to 3000 pounds as a bond for good behavior.

Brock-Perry

Bluenoses Made Out Like Bandits-- Part 1

From the September 9, 2012, Halifax (Canada) Herald "A few bluenoses made out like bandits in 1812 tussle with the U.S." by John Boileau.

The main contribution of Nova Scotia was privateers.  And, in case you're wondering, bluenoses must be another name for privateer captain even though I have never heard of the term before.  Several dozen bluenoses sailed in as many as three dozen privateers and brought in more than 200 prizes and several became quite wealthy.

One was Liverpool's Enos Colins, owner of the colony's most famous privateer, the Liverpool Packet which took its first prize September 7, 1812.  Collins probably claimed 30,000 pounds from his privateering investments.

A third of Nova Scotia's privateers took no prizes and almost a quarter of them were captured, burnt or lost.

So, Bluenose, Really?  --Brock-Perry