The
following is a summary of the Crown Land Grants that were made for
various plots on Carriboo Island between the years 1810 and 1873.
The original records are held by the Provincial Crown Lands Record
Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In all but one case, I have
included links to images of the original grant maps that were appended
to the written grants. Some of these maps show interesting
features of what was once called "Great Carriboo Island." Also,
note that in the early period the lands around Pictou were included
within Halifax County.
1810 Grant to William Rogers
This was a grant of 380 acres to
William Rogers. The boundaries of the grant are described as
follows: "situate lying and being on Great Carriboo Island in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence within the County of Halifax and is abutted and
bounded as follows to wit beginning on the shore of said island at the
common high water mark at the south west angle or corner bound of
Thomas Patterson's land thence to run west at right angles forty chains
thence north one hundred chains or until it comes to the sea shore of
the Gulf of St. Lawrence thence easterly by the sea shore at the common
high water mark until it comes to the north west angle of said
Patterson's land thence along the line of said Patterson's land south
ninety five chains or until it comes to the place of beginning."
Dated August 10, 1810.
[Crown Land Grants, Book A, page 82]
1811 Grant to Executors of Philip Marchington Estate
This grant was part of a much
larger grant of 5,000 acres of land described as being within the old
Philadelphia Grant. It was given to the estate of Philip
Marchington, whose executors were listed as: Joseph Marchington,
James Fraser, and Alexander Anderson. The executors were to
dispose of the various tracts as provided in Marchington's will.
One of these tracts is described as "that certain tract of land situate
on the eastern end of the Island called Great Carriboo Island marked in
the annexed letter A bounded on the west by lands of Mssrs. Harris on
the east by the lot number one on the south by the harbour of Carriboo
and on the north by the Gulf of St. Lawrence containing in this tract
two hundred acres." Later in the grant it states that the various
tracts were given to Marchington "in full compensation and satisfaction
of all claims which the said Philip Marchington had in his lifetime to
be ? ? ? of the proprietors of the Philadelphia grant under the promise
made by the government to the propietors of that land at the time it
was escheated." Dated June 15, 1811. [Crown Land Grants,
Book B, page 85]
1811 Grant to Edward Mortimer & William Mortimer
This grant was part of a grant
of several tracts to the two Mortimers. It is described as
follows: "that part and parcel of the Great Carriboo Island
marked in said plan letter E, bounded on the west by land of Robert
Pagan, on the east by land of Hayley and Harris, on the north by the
shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and on the south by the shore of
said island containing in this tract one hundred and fifty
acres." Dated August 22, 1811. [Crown Land Grants, Book B,
page 32]
1813 Grant to Captain Samuel John Pechell
This
grant was part of a much larger grant of 4,000 acres to several Royal
Navy officers. The grant introduces the grantees as follows:
"the Right Hon. Sir John Borlase Warren Knight of the Bath
Admiral of the Blue and Commander in Chief of all our ships of war
stationed on the coasts of North America and the West Indies and unto
the Hon. George Sedly Vernon and George John Borlase Sedley Vernon both
of the Kingdom of England esquires. The Hon. Henry Hotham Captain
and Douglas Clavering midshipman in our Royal Navay and unto Samuel
John Pechell Captain and George Pechell Commander in our said Royal
Navy and unto Rawdon Clavering in our Royal Artillery several tracts of
land [including many different parcels in the Pictou area, and noting
that] one other parcel thereof is a part of Carriboo Island . .
." Later in the grant it spells out Captain Pechell's
portion: "unto the said Samuel John Pechell the island in Pugwash
Bason in front of the tract of land marked B in the annexed plan
containing forty six acres also the western point of the Great Carriboo
Island marked D on the annexed plan containing one hundred acres . .
." Dated October 4, 1813. [Crown Land Grants, Book D, page
46]
Note: Sir John Borlase Warren (1753-1822) was a baronet and
member of Parliament who joined the Royal Navy as a boy and who
ultimately rose to the rank of Admiral. He saw much action
against the French in the 1790s. He was made Commander-In-Chief
of the North American Station 1813-1814. Captain Samuel John
Pechell served under Admiral Warren and was at one time in command of
Warren's flagship San Domingo.
Captain Pechell also commanded Guerriere
and Cleopatra. While in
command of Guerriere in May
of 1811, Captain Pechell impressed several American seamen from the
brig Spitfire, an action
which is said to have contributed to the War of 1812. Under
different command, the Guerriere
was eventually captured and blown up by the U.S.S. Constitution on August 19,
1812. Although the Carriboo Island tract at issue is often marked
on grant maps as belonging to Warren, this would appear to be a mistake
because it was clearly conveyed to Pechell in the original grant.
Unfortunately the original grant map for this grant does not depict the
Carriboo Island portion of the grant.
1820 Grant to Robert Sim Patterson, John D. Pagan &
Robert H. Pagan
This
grant was part of a grant of 1,027 acres to several people, including
the three men named above. The relevant part of the grant reads
as follows:
"also unto the said Robert Sim Patterson that certain tract on
Carriboo Island and marked number six on the annexed plan containing
two hundred acres and is abutted and bounded as follows viz northerly
by the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence westerly by land belonging
to Hector McKenzie southerly by Carriboo harbour and easterly by land
belonging to the heirs of the late Philip Marchington esquire and also
another tract on the eastern end of Carriboo Island aforesaid
containing fifty acres and is abutted and bounded as follows viz
northerly by the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence westerly by the
lands of the heirs of said Marchington southerly and easterly by the
shores of said Carriboo harbour and ship channel, unto the said John D.
Pagan and Robert H. Pagan in severalty that certain tract marked number
two of said Island containing one hundred and fifty acres bounded
northerly by the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence westerly by land
granted Sir John B. Warren southerly by the boat passage into and out
of said Carriboo harbour and easterly by land granted the late Edward
Mortimer Esquire." Dated July 13, 1820. [Crown Land Grants,
Book IJ, page 80]
1824 Grant to Hector McKenzie
This
grant was part of a grant of 769 acres to Hector McKenzie, John McPhee,
James McLeod, Roderick Gillisane, and Archibald Henderson. The
relevant part of the grant, conveying land on Carriboo Island to Hector
McKenzie, reads as
follows:
"unto the said Hector McKenzie that certain tract marked number
one on the annexed plan containing sixty nine acres abutted and bounded
as follows viz beginning on the north eastern angle of a tract of land
granted Edward Mortimer on Great Carriboo Island in the district of
Pictou on the Gulf shore at high water mark thence easterly along said
shore ten chains to the north western angle of land claimed by James
Harris thence south seventy five chains fifty links and west seven
chains along the west and north boundary lines of said Harris's land to
the shores of Carriboo harbour thence by the different courses of said
harbour northerly to the south east corner of said Mortimer's land
thence north along the eastern side line of said land thirty chains to
the place of beginning." Dated April 27, 1824. [Crown Land
Grants, Book L, page 70]
1865 Grant to Amelia Purves
This
grant conveyed a "water lot" (or a lot of land covered by water) to
Amelia Purves, widow, for the sum of $50. The description of the
lot reads as follows: "Beginning at high water mark on the shore
on the north side of Carriboo Island at the North Eastern angle of land
granted to Sir John B. Warren, thence running North five degrees East
ten chains into the water of the Straits of Northumberland, thence
south seventy seven degrees East thirty five chains, thence South five
degrees West ten chains to the shore, thence North Westerly by the
shore at high water mark to the place of beginning." Dated July
17, 1865. [Crown Land Grants, Book 34, page 6, No. 7081]
1873 Grant to James Harris
This
grant conveyed another "water lot" to James Harris, farmer, for the sum
of $50. The description of the lot reads as
follows: "Beginning at a spruce tree standing at or near high
water mark on the shore at the South West angle of the property of the
said James Harris on the North side of Carriboo Harbour; thence running
S.5.W. 300 feet into the harbour, thence Eastwardly and Southerly
parallel with the shore at high water mark to the Eastern line of the
said property, thence N.5.E. 300 feet by the said line to the shore at
high water mark to the place of beginning -- Reserving hereout for
Simon McLean the privilege of ingress and egress across the above
described water lot at the place marked B on the annexed plan -- Also
the marsh covered by high water at the same place --" Dated May
22, 1873. [Crown Land Grants, Book 51, page 8, No. 12472]e
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