Avon River Heritage Society
  • About
    • Avon River Heritage Society
    • Artifacts & Archives
    • The Avon River
    • Meet the People in our Neighbourhood >
      • Dawn Allen, August 21st, 2020
      • Sara Beanlands, July 22nd, 2021
      • Carolyn Connors, July 30th, 2020
      • Carolyn Connors, July 21st, 2021
      • Louis Countinho, August 13th, 2020
      • Sean Countinho, January 13th, 2021
      • Eva Evans, July 24th, 2020
      • Elizabeth Ferguson, July 27th, 2020
      • Nicholas Hughes, August 6th, 2020
      • Olwynn Hughes, August 11th, 2020
      • Kim Lake, January 18th & 21st, 2021
      • Trudy Lake, March 13th, 2022
      • Raymond Parker, August 12th, 2020
      • Raymond Parker, July 7th, 2021
      • Zacchary Paul, August 21st, 2021
      • Tacha Reed, August 27th, 2020
      • Allen Shaw, January 18th, 2021
      • Carolyn vanGurp, July 16th, 2020
      • Abraham Zebian, August 24th, 2020
    • Avondale Walking Tour
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  • History
    • Natural History >
      • Highest Tides in the World
      • Tidal Bore
      • Avon Peninsula Ecology
      • Birds of the Avon
      • Marine and Freshwater Species of the Avon
      • Karst Environment
      • Gypsum
      • Avon Peninsula Watershed Preservation Society >
        • Avon Peninsula Watershed Preservation Society, Interview with President, Raymond Parker
    • Mi'kmaq >
      • Mi'kmaq Birch Bark Canoes
      • Mi'kmaq of the Avon River >
        • Treaty Truckhouse 2 & Zacchary Paul
    • The Coming of the Europeans
    • The North American Colonies
    • Acadians >
      • Pisiquit
      • Acadians of the Avon River
      • Village Thibodeau (Poplar Grove)
      • Acadian Families After Expulsion
    • New England Planters >
      • New England Planters in Avondale >
        • Genealogy
        • James and Lydia Mosher
    • Loyalists
    • African Nova Scotians
    • Local Home Histories >
      • 28 Chip Hill Road
      • 51 Avondale Road
      • 38 Avondale Road: The Clifford Mosher House
      • 58 Avondale Road
      • 60 Avondale Cross Road
      • 71 Avondale Road: The John A. Harvie House
      • 354 Belmont Road: The Yellow House
      • 603 Belmont Road: Wallace Point
      • 801 Avondale Road
      • The Acadia House
      • The Avondale Church
      • The Avondale Parsonage
      • The Church Farm
      • The Fred Robart House
      • The Henry Lyon House
      • The House Across From The Church
      • The John E.F. Mosher House
      • The Knowles Homestead
      • The Mounce Mansions >
        • Captain George R. Mounce House
        • The Thomas A. Mounce House (Honeymoon House) >
          • Interior of the Honeymoon House
      • The Mrs. Dunham Hotel
      • The Old Newton Mosher House
      • The Old Stone House >
        • The Mystery of the Fieldstone House
      • The Roley Mosher House
      • The W.H. Mosher House
    • The Avondale School
    • Golden Age of Sail >
      • The Rise and Fall of the Golden Age of Sail in Newport
      • The Mosher Shipyards
      • Sailing Ships, Sugar, and Salt
      • Vessels of the Avon River
      • Shipbuilding Process
      • Shipbuilding Tools
      • Ship Directories
      • The Avon Spirit
      • Kings Wharf
      • The Hamburg >
        • Obituary Capt. Andrew B. Coldwell
        • The Hamburg and Alice Coalfleet’s Diary
      • Captain George Richard Mounce Sr
      • Annie Armstrong Mounce Correspondence 1875-1892
      • Captain Daniel William Dexter & The Emma Payzant >
        • Captain Daniel William Dexter and Family, Interview with Debbie Siler, July 21st, 2021
        • Diary of Sarah Dexter, 1892-1893
      • The Rotundus
    • Avondale Wharf & The Landing
    • Community Orchard
    • Edmund McCarthy
  • Arts & Culture
    • The Great Little Art Show >
      • Great Little Art Show 2021 - Artists
      • Great Little Art Show 2021 - Artwork
      • Great Little Art Show 2022 - Artists
      • Great Little Art Show 2022 - Artwork
    • Artists Landing Art Gallery
    • Open Studio at the Museum
    • Full Circle Festival >
      • Sofa Sundays
      • Solstice Market
    • Artisans in Action >
      • Artist in Residence 2022
      • Paint Avondale
    • Avondale Wharf Day
    • Honey Harvest Festival
    • Yoga, Meditation, Free Writing Series
    • Lyrics & Letters Concert/Workshop
  • Events Calendar
  • Planters Sea Chest Gift Shop
  • Lydia & Sally Cafe
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  • How to find us!

Loyalists

The Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the crown during the American Revolution, which was a revolt where the Thirteen Colonies were fighting for their independence from Great Britain. Many of the Loyalists, no longer welcome within the American society, left to settle in England or other British colonies in 1783 and 1784. 35 000, 80.4%, of these Loyalists came to Nova Scotia essentially doubling the population. What brought them to Nova Scotia was its economic potential, its British common-law system and its English speaking population. Most of the Loyalists settled north of the Bay of Fundy, at the mouth of the Saint John River and about 1 500 settled at Chaleur Bay. Land was often obtained for them by escheat (return of granted land to the crown for failure to develop them). The towns of Shelburne and Digby among others are considered Loyalist in origin.

Many Loyalists, unhappy with their situation in Nova Scotia moved on to Saint John, New Brunswick. In 1784 Loyalist complaints that Halifax was too far away to properly deal with their concerns led to the creation of New Brunswick as a separate political entity.

The Loyalist influx in our area began in 1783 with Capt. John Grant and his family were granted land on the edge of Newport in what is now Summerville. Others followed and settled between there and Walton. That area became known locally as ‘Man o war’ land.

Grant’s son opened the first gypsum quarry in the area in 1800. The quarry was sold in 1830 to D.K. Hobart and the repair wharf he built below the quarry became one of the largest in the area. One of Captain Grant’s descendants became Lt. Governor of the province.

Bibliography
“Land of the Loyalist”, Edith Mosher
“The Atlantic region to confederation”



Les loyalistes étaient des colons américains qui restaient fidèles à la couronne pendant la Révolution américaine, ce qui était une révolte où les treize colonies se battaient pour leur indépendance de la Grande-Bretagne. Beaucoup de loyalistes, qui ne sont plus bienvenus dans la société américaine, sont partis pour s’installer dans l’Angleterre ou dans d'autres colonies britanniques en 1783 et 1784. 35 000, 80,4%, de ces Loyalistes sont venus en Nouvelle-Écosse, ce qui a essentiellement doublé la population. Ce qui les a amenés en Nouvelle-Écosse, c'est le potentiel économique, le système de common law britannique et c'est la population anglophone. La plupart des loyalistes se sont installés au nord de la baie de Fundy, à l'embouchure de la rivière Saint-Jean et environ 1 500 installés à la baie de Chaleur. Le terrain a été souvent obtenu par déshérence (retour de terrain accordé à la couronne pour l’échec de les développer). Les villes de Shelburne et Digby parmi d'autres sont considérées comme d’origine loyaliste.


De nombreux loyalistes, mécontents de leur situation dans la Nouvelle-Écosse, sont passés à Saint John, au Nouveau-Brunswick. En 1784, les plaintes loyalistes que Halifax était trop loin pour s’occuper correctement leurs préoccupations ont conduit à la création de la Nouvelle-Écosse, le Nouveau-Brunswick et la Cap-Breton en tant qu'entités politiques distinctes.


L'afflux loyaliste dans notre région a commencé en 1783 avec le capitaine John Grant et sa famille qui ont reçu des terres sur le bord de Newport dans ce qu'est maintenant Summerville. D'autres ont suivi et s’installé entre là et Walton. Cette région est connue localement comme terre de «Man o War».

Avon River Heritage Society Museum, 17 Belmont Road, Avondale/Newport Landing, Hants County, Nova Scotia, B0N 2A0
Email us at infoavonriver@gmail.com
Telephone us, May through October, at (902) 757-1718