Cape Breton Land Petitions 1787-1843

Petition to Kempt: Petitioner is a house carpenter. In 1822 he purchased 500 acres on the N.W. Bay of Bras d'Or Lake for 100, from the representatives of Rossignol of Arichat, and which Rossignal had held by crown lease. He has earned the full purchase price of his trade, his wife and family are now on their way from Scotland, and he has begun the construction of a mill on the land, for which he has a written agreement with John Bonnell, millwright. John Duff, a mill wright from Pictou is trying to get the lot, having first offered to purchase it of the petitioner. Duff sold his mill in Pictou for 300. He has worked upon the understanding of an ignorant community to secure a petition on his behalf, inducing them to sign a petition of which they understood nothing. [Two petitions: one informal, February; one formal, March] Certificate for Pringle, signed by: John Cameron, J.P., Rev. Alexander MacDonnell, William Watts, Treas., Thomas Perry, Patrick Sheehan, Matthew Thompson, John L. Sheehan, J.B. Giles, J.P., M. McKeen, J.P., Dennis Murphy, Isaac Smith, John McDonnell, John Nobel, Surgeon, Andrew McDonald and Allan McDonald.
John Bonnell, mill wright and Engineer, certifies that he has engaged with James Pringle, carpenter, in Sept. 1825, to build a mill, for the sum of 50 copy of crown lease to John LeRossignal from Gen. Swayne, 1815. Certificate by citizens of Pictou to the character of John Duff who has erected several good mills in the vicinity. Petition of inhabitants of West Bay, C.B., stating that Pringle has made little improvement on the lot. Signed by: John MacInnes, Donald Gillis, Sweney X McIntosh, Donald X Campbell, James X Calder, William X McKenzie, John X McLeod, John X McGregor, Donald X McLean, Alex X McGra, John McDonald, Alex X McGra, Allex X Morrison, Duncan X McGra, William Allen, Donald X Murray, John X Murray, Matthew Hill, John Smith, Neil X McIntosh and John X McLeod.

View Images for the following records:

• License to Occupy
• Surveyor's Certificate

Nova Scotia Commissioner of Crown Lands - Cape Breton land petitions and other material Nova Scotia Archives RG 20 Series B number 3166

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