Nova Scotia Archives

Mi'kmaq Holdings Resource Guide

Letter of Patrick Gough of Liverpool to Rev. C. Doyle of Chester reporting on the progress of Mi'kmaq pupils in his school. "One of them named John Noel Williams declares that he will continue going to school until such time as he shall be competent to write to Government requesting a remission of the fine imposed on him by the Magistrates for catching salmon in Port Medway River."
view transcript 1

close

note: transcription publicly contributed - please contact us with comments, errors or omisions

P Gough to the Revd C Doyle
Liverpool February 2nd 1843
Revd Dear Sir
I embrace the present opportunity of informing you (according to promise) of the progress of your Indian pupils there are fifteen of them in number, and it is very pleasing in way the desire evinced by them of improving themselves, not only in learning but also in behaviour an cleanliness. It is a gross mistake that these poor creatures are not susceptible of mental cultivation, you may judge of the fact by the progress made by them. In the commencement eight of them began the alphabet and knew it next day they communicated to the rest in their Camps what they learned, and since the first two days every new comer knows the alphabet. I have ten of them spelling and another reads very well for these I have procured copy books and feel pleasure in informing you how rapid they improve. One of them named John Nuel Williams declares that he will continue going to school untill such time as he shall be competant to write to Government requesting a remission of the fine imposed on him by the magistrates for catching salmon in Port Medway River.
I am Dear Sir
Yours very truly
Pat[ric]k Gough

To the
Revd Mr Doyle
Chester


Date: 1843

Retrieval no.: Commissioner of Public Records — Mi'kmaq and Government Relations series Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 volume 432 pp. 186

Nova Scotia Archives — https://archives.novascotia.ca/mikmaq/archives/?ID=451

Crown copyright © 2024, Province of Nova Scotia.