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