Nova Scotia Archives

Footprints in the Sand

Pre‐1867 Government Records for Sable Island

Letter from M.D. McKenna to the Honorable Hugh Bell, Chairman of the Board of Works

1853. — 4 pages : 30 x 37 cm.

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7k [at top right of letter]

Sable Island Nov 29th 1853
Dear SIr
In a former letter I mentioned to you that Jackson had given notice that he wished to leave the Island in Novr, and on the 10th Instant I asked if such was still his wish and he said it was and that he felt disappointed in not getting off sooner as he had requested Mr. Gordon to ask permission of you for him to leave earlier. When I told him that he could have gone off in the Daring on the 9th Oct if he had asked me, and that you had declined interferring in such matters and that it was both your opinion and my own that it would not be proper for for you to do so and, then he began making objections to taking his family on the water at this time of the year but said it would be more to his advantage to go off now than in the Spring and more especially so as he wants to employ a lawyer to recover his wages and still persists in saying that his wages have not been fully paid. When seeing his determination to be troublesome, I told him he had better leave by first opportunity.
I make no charge against Jackson but the one, namely, a total disregard of truth in everything he says, but you will no doubt feel there is something more when I so determinately refuse him an outpost.
Since Jackson went to the foot of the lake station I have had no foreman and there has been more work done on the Island since the 20th of last April than was ever done on it before in the same space of time, yet he always done his full share of work but his infamous tongue kept a constant jarring among the people or between himself, and the people and not being able to defend himself, I had to protect him, which several times brought me in collision with shipwrecked people and our own people too.
I furnish the following, statement of his time, the wages promised him &c &c and enclose a statement of acct as I think they should be made in order that a settlement may be made with him at once for these things when delayed cause great dissatisfaction and confusion


4 pages 30 x 37 cm

Date: 1853

Reference: Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 volume 426.5 number 7k

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