Local History.

Newspaper
Year
1885
Month
1
Day
22
Article Title
Local History.
Author
M.
Page Number
2
Article Type
Language
Article Contents
Local History. The Pioneers of Westmorland was the subject of a lecture delivered at Moncton, on 16th, by Judge Botsford. A very full report appears in the Times. The Judge has exhibited a good deal of research, into the history of Westmorland—a subject of interest to the present generation-the importance of which, must ever deepen with the lapse of time. Such efforts as are made by Judge Botsford and others to awaken the people to the necessity of preserving old family records as well as the old traditions of persons and places, will we hope be productive the results intended. The learned Judge locates Beau Bassin at Fort Lawrence. In this we apprehend he is in error. The ancient name of Fort Lawrence was Mesagusepe. Beau Bassin was the ancient name for Cumberland Basin though Champlain called it La Baie de Genes. Beau Bassin was perhaps given it by Biencourt and the priest Biard, who leaving Port Royal in a shallop in August 1612, uisited it and in their records expressed the greatest delight with the appearance of the country. Frontenac made a seignory of Chignecto and granted it to Michel Le Neuf, Sieur de Valliere, who seems to have added de Beaubassin to his title, and as he and his followers lived at Isle de Valliere, now known as Tonge's Island, situated a mile eastward of Fort Cumberland, and as he conducted there, as Governor of Acadia, the administration of the affairs of the Province, the Judge seems correct in his assumption that Westmorland has been settled with Europeans for over two centuries. La Valliere's settlement at Tonge's Island became known as Beau Bassin. In 1686 it had a population of 20 families or 120 persons. The writer or this possesses a seemingly accurate census containing even the names of the inhabitants taken by the Jesuit fathers exactly 200 years ago, as well as an inventory of their possessions. M.