The Seigneury of Chipody. A Chapter in the History of Albert County. New Accession to Chipody - the First Water Mill -Progress of Settlement. (Continued)

Année
1886
Mois
7
Jour
22
Titre de l'article
The Seigneury of Chipody. A Chapter in the History of Albert County. New Accession to Chipody - the First Water Mill -Progress of Settlement. (Continued)
Auteur
----
Page(s)
2
Type d'article
Langue
Contenu de l'article
The Seigneury of Chipody. A CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF ALBERT COUNTY. New Accessions to Chipody.-The First Water Mill.-Progress of Settlement. (Continued) “It may be remarked" continued Des Gouttins to the Royal Government that this land is only marsh that has no great depth, that one can only "raise cattle on it, that this delays the establishment of the settlement and "prejudices the inhabitants. The men Jean, Antoine, Pierre and Michel as being the men who discovered the said river and have transported there at their own cost with their own vessels the people who have settled in the said river, petition for a title in fief of two leagues in front of the place in which they have commenced their settlement. You could not, monsiegneur, gratify more worthy subjects in this country." We cannot but be touched with pity at the futility of the hopes and endeavors of a loyal and industrious people striving to make homes for themselves under the fleur de leys, the flag of their ancestors! Thirty years later the names of Jean, Antoine, Michael and Pierre Thibedeau, as residents at Annapolis Royal, appear signed to an oath of allegiance to George the second, with the other Acadian people of that district, Acadia having in the meantime by the fortune of war; fallen into English hands. But this is forestalling the narrative of events. In 1700, in the early spring, Thibedeau set sail with all his belongings. His own wife, one of his cousins, a rich farmer of Port Royal, Jean Francois Brossard, confided to him his oldest son, Pierre, aged eighteen years. This Brossard settled himself in Acadie between 1671 and 1686, and prosperity hadfollowed his labors. He was an active, enterprising man of about fifty years of age and was pleased enough with the idea of the new settlement. He sent his son in advance to reconnoitre these fertile valleys, where he himself was later to play a certain role. Four other young men, sons of tenants, Andre and Jack Martin, Pierre and Francois Pitre, joined the expedition as prospectors, till in the strength of youth. All belonged to ancient families of Acadia capable of sustaining them in their enterprise. Six other young men had been engaged on the way by Thibedeau, who had engaged them for two years. He loaded also his two mills and all the munitions necessary, a poultry yard complete, a horse, cows, a bull and hogs. On entering the Chipody river, he found his two sons awaiting him, for the night before they had been notified by their friends the Milecites [Maliseet], that they had seen a European sail in the bay. It is easy to understand how great was their joy at the meeting after the isolation of the long winter and how cordial was the reception they met. The young men had not been idle, a number of packs of pelts in the store house, besides newly made utensils, also large quantities of square timber, bore evidence of their industry. While a portion of this infant colony commenced to put in the spring crop, the others were employed in completing the ditches and abiteaux [aboiteaux] and the dam on which they were to construct their mill. Every one was young, alert, habituated to these sort of cares, united by common interest and in the primitiveness of their lives, they were easily controlled by the old man Thibedeau. They were in love with their work and it advanced rapidly. The spring, which ap¬peared in all its verdure, opened their hearts with hope, and the uneasiness which first beset them was dissipated by the powerful charm of the realities of prosperity in view. The miller of Pree Ronde saw himself already seigneur of this place invested With the title as his confrere, Mathieu Martin. Among the young men who had accompanied him several intended to settle on the river after being married. He assigned them their lots and marked their bounds. In his imagination he saw his seigneury already peopled and hosts of tenants filling up these lands. Each of his sons would form new settlements in this wilderness country within his siegneury. Why should not all this be? Had he not gathered together all that was necessary to sustain them in the enterprise and besides the colony had another source of fortune in their intelligent and experienced hands. Thus reasoned this feudal pioneer in the midst of the hopes of his own creation; al-ready it took the figure of prosperity when they gathered together on their fete days, surrounded by his sons, the companions of his work, and his friends, the Indians, and they touched glasses, according to the old usuage, to his health and his happiness in the midst of this wilderness where he was master without control. He could already see himself seigneur and powerful amongst his tenants and neighbors. (To be Continued)