The Seigneury of Chipody. A Chapter in the History of Albert County. (Continued)

The Seigneury of Chipody. A CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF ALBERT COUNTY. (Continued) Jean Francois Brossard and his wife were captivated with the beauty and richness of Chipoudy, and he took up more land (at Hopewell Hill) than his son had cleared the year previously. Their plan was to leave him on their farm at Port Royal and to have a clearing ready at Chipoudy for each of the other sons when they were married. No doubt Brossard and his wife hoped in a couple of generations to have their children grouped in farms around the paternal homestead. After much deliberation it was decided that Madam Brossard should remain with her daughter’s family while her husband returning to Port Royal would take all the necessary steps to transport to Chipoudy the cattle, utensils and supplies for their new settlement. She was a strong and enterprising woman, and during the whole winter she was the centre of activity and social life in thin distant wilderness, where the snows of January saw for the first time European families assembled around the blazing hearthstone. In the spring of 1702 Brossard sailed into Chipoudy River with ten horned cattle, pigs, poultry, two young hired men and the varied merchandise required in the new settlement, and he found them all busy in sugar woods. He brought with him his second daughter Marie Anne, and he learned from his wife that the marriage of their eldest son would take place in the Autumn. He informed them at Thibaudeau's manor that the Seigneur was on his way; as for him, he proposed to remain until the end of August and to return to assist at the nuncio at Port Royal, but before, he wished to hang the crane in his new house, and the next day after his arrival he gave a grand frolic at which the whole settlement was present together with some Micmac Chiefs. A month after a second vessel entered Chipoudy river; it was the ancient Thibaudeau accompanied by his wife, several children and two hired men. Although he was already stricken by age and very uneasy as to the result of his enterprise, he had wished nevertheless to visit this domain which had cost him so much work, money and care. His two sons Pierre and Charles who had wintered in the manor met him and he was received as a veritable Seigneur. Brossard who was in some measure his compeer recognized himself as tenant in fief, went at the head of the others to pay his respects. The Indians who were with him presented porcelain collars, and when surveying the sugar woods, he was everywhere given the place of honor and received with great acclamation and firing of muskets. (To be Continued.)