Nova Scotia Archives

Acadian Heartland

Records of the Deportation and Le Grand Dérangement, 1714-1768

ACADIAN FRENCH.

169

Which Letter being read in French & English, the Council was of opinion that with regard to their Priests & religion, They might be assured of the Free & public Exercise of their Religion, & of being allowed a sufficient number of Priests, provided that no Priest shall presume to officiate without Licence first obtained of the Governor or Commander in Chief of the Province, & without taking the Oath of Allegiance to His Majesty. With regard to the second Article in their letter demanding an exemption from bearing Arms in time of War, It was the unanimous Opinion of the Council that no Exception should be granted them, but that they should be told peremptorily That they must take the Oath of Allegiance as offerd them, For that His Majesty would allow none to possess Lands in His Territorys whose Allegiance & Assistance in case of need could not be depended on. And That such as should behave as true Subjects ought to do will be supported encouraged & protected equaly with the Rest of His Majesty's Subjects. That His Excellency will send Persons as soon as possible to the French Districts viz, to Annapolis River, to the Grand Pre & to Chinecto, to administer to the Inhabitants the Oath of Allegiance. And that all such as are willing to continue in the possession of their Lands &c & to be faithful Subjects to His Majesty must appear & take the Oath before the 15/16 of October which will be the last day allowed them. That in the mean time His Excellency had appointed two ot the Council at Chebucto, & the Lieutenant Governor or Officer commanding at Annapolis Royal to administer the Oath to such as shall chuse to come to either of these Places.

Ordered, That a Declaration of this Tenour be drawn up & presented to the Council to morrow.

ED. CORNWALLIS.

HUGH DAVIDSON.

who accompanied Governor Mascarene to Chebucto, having been assigned by Cornwallis a place at the board, above those gentlemen who came from England. This is, however, uncertain, as there is no list of the names of the Councillors between 1745 and 1749 to be found in the Annapolis records. Mr. Gorham is styled captain, in the Council Books, and several commissions from Cornwallis were addressed to him by that title. That of colonel was provincial rank only. Governor Mascarene mentions, in his last letter to the Plantation Office in 1748, a proposition of Captain Gorham to settle a number of families from New England on a tract of land to be laid out to him, on the eastern coast of the province. He does not appear to have remained long in the province; it is probable he returned to his home in New England, as his name does not appear on the Council Books after 1752. His brother, Joseph Gorham, held the rank of Lieut. Col. in the regular army. — N.S. Documents; Marshall's Life of Pepperell; N.Y. Col. Documents, &c.