History of Halifax City Part 15

The committee in charge of this fund and its distribution were Edwd. B.

Brenton, Revd. Robert Stanser, Revd. Archibald Gray, W. J. Almon, M. D., Hibbert N. Binney, John Lawson, Treasurer.

On Wednesday the 19th February, a public fast was proclaimed throughout the Province, which was observed at Halifax, with due solemnity.

Two fires occurred this year, one at Commissary Buildings on Hollis Street, the spot on which the Bank of Nova Scotia stands, on 18th April, and the other at Bellemont, Mr. John Howe's residence at the North West Arm, on 6th May. Both buildings were saved.

The office of the Nova Scotia Marine Insurance Company was kept by Henry Yeomans, broker, of the Company. A new Marine Insurance Office had been started in February; George Gra.s.sie was Chairman of the Committee of Management, and John Bonnett was Secretary.

THE PROVINCE BUILDING.

Decisive measures were adopted this session by the Legislature for the erection of a building for the accommodation of the legislative bodies, the courts of law and the public offices, on the site of the old Government House on Hollis Street. Commissioners were appointed and plans and elevations prepared or procured by Mr. John Merrick. Chief Justice Blowers, Mr. Speaker Wilkins and Judge Hutchinson has the planning of the interior arrangements, and George Gra.s.sie, Winkworth Allen and John Merrick were the commissioners to erect the building. Mr.

Richard Scott was the builder employed to conduct the work. The building was fully completed and finished, ready for the sittings of the Courts and Legislature, in 1820, at the cost of 52,000.

A new steeple and an addition of 16 feet to the northern end was added to old St. Paul's Church this year, at the cost of 1000, granted by Government, 500 from a fund known as the Militia Arms Fund, and the remainder from funds arising out of the forfeited estate of one Jonathan Clarke. Hibbert N. Binney and H. H. Cogswell were the churchwardens.

Their advertizement for tenders for the work appears in the Gazette. The sum of 500 from the Arms Fund was at the same time granted to St.

George's Church towards finishing the interior of that building. These works were commenced this year, but were not finished until late in 1812. But one capital criminal conviction is recorded in 1811, that of one Sarah Wilson for burglary. She was sentenced to death, but afterwards reprieved.

On the 27th May the sloop of war, Little Belt, Capt. Bingham, arrived from a cruise. She reported having fallen in with the United States frigate, President, by whom she was fired into, and had sixteen men killed and twenty-one wounded, and the rigging of the ship much cut up.

The two nations being at peace at the time, the affair caused much excitement in Halifax. Explanations were offered on the part of the Captain and Officers of the U. S. frigate, which only tended to show the bitterness of feeling which shortly afterwards manifested itself in open hostilities. Early this season non-intercourse was established between the United States and Great Britain.

Sir George Provost was now appointed to the chief command in Canada. The inhabitants of Halifax presented a congratulatory address on his promotion on the 19th August. He sailed for Quebec on the 25th, and Sir John Cope Sherbroke, his successor, arrived with his family from England on 16th October following in the ship Manilla.

On 26th September a poll was opened by Capt. Jones Fawson, then Sheriff, for the election of two members for the town and four for the county.

John Pryor, John Geo. Pyke and William H. Taylor were nominated; the latter retired and the two first were declared elected. The four old members for the county were returned. Mr. William Sabatier was nominated but afterwards retired from the contest.

The merchants of Halifax, on 20th July, pet.i.tioned the Governor respecting the state of trade, etc., stating that they were agreed to take gold and silver coins at the following values, viz: A Guinea, 1 3 4, Halifax currency; a Johannes, at 4; a Doubloon, at 3 17 6; an Eagle, at 2 10; the old French Guinea, at 1 2, and all the other decimal parts of the same coins at a proportional value; English and old French Crowns, at 5s. 6d; Spanish Dollars, (including those which heretofore pa.s.sed current at 4s.) at the rate of 5s. At this time British silver was unknown at Halifax--Spanish silver was the current coin. It came up from the West Indies and Spanish America in the course of trade, and the British Government found it more convenient for various reasons to pay their troops stationed here in Spanish silver than to import British coin for that purpose.

The names attached to this pet.i.tion were William Bowie, Garret Miller, Starr & Shannon, Charles Loveland, Moody & Sinclair, Alexander McDonald, William A. Black, Martin Gay Black, John Albro, Charles Boggs, Henry Ford & Co., Henry Austin, Michael Forrestall, Jonathan and John Tremaine, John W. Pyke, Matthew Richardson, Richard Tremain, Samuel Head, M. D., Kidston, Dobson & Telford, H. Taylor, John Liddell & Co., Capel Hines, Jas. Ewing, George W. Mitch.e.l.l, Prescott Lawson & Co., James Fraser, Winkworth Allen, Smith & Thom, Scaiffe & Baine, R. Lyon, Sr., Andrew Belcher, Forsyth, Black & Co., Lawrence Hartshorne, Charles Hill, Forman Gra.s.sie & Co., John Lawson, James Leaver, William Minns, John Osborne and John Owen.

A proposition concerning some alteration in Water Street, near the Ordnance Yard, was made by Captain Gustavos Nichols of the Royal Engineers. It was understood that the town would not agree to the proposal unless the Military authorities surrendered a road in continuation of Hollis Street, southward. The subject had been mooted for a long period previous to this time, but no arrangement could be agreed on between the military and the town authorities. Captain Nichols' letter makes an offer according to the plans therein enclosed.

This letter and plans are not now forthcoming among the City or Provincial Records, and therefore the particulars of the proposition made by the Engineer Department cannot now be understood. Copies of these plans may possibly exist at the Lumber Yard and Engineers' office.

On the 17th March, the Irish Society celebrated the anniversary of St.

Patrick this year by a dinner at Mason Hall, which was attended by the Governor, General Balfour, Commissioner Inglefield, Judge Croke, the Captains of the Navy in port and the Staff of the Garrison, etc. The Hon. Charles Morris was President, and Samuel Hood George, afterwards Sir Samuel, was Vice. The dinner was at five o'clock, the fashionable hour in those days. The Governor and princ.i.p.al guests retired at nine.

The rest of the company sat late, but the utmost harmony and good feeling prevailed. These national festivals were better attended in those days, when no political animosities existed to disturb the harmony of the good people of Halifax.

On the 11th May, there was a public examination of the Halifax Grammar School under old parson Wright--a ceremony in which the inhabitants at this period took much interest. On this occasion Mr. Edward Monk, son of Judge Monk, took the first prize; Lewis M. Wilkins, the late Judge, won the second, and the third was given to James Bailey, and the fourth to Edward Fairbanks, a brother of S. P. Fairbanks, Esq., and of the late Judge Charles R. Fairbanks, Master of the Rolls.

A Company was formed this year, in Halifax, for prosecuting the codfishery. The managers were John Lawson, Henry H. Cogswell, William Pryor, Garret Miller, John Brown, John William Morris and Charles Loveland. A large capital was raised in shares of 50 each.

On the 20th November, the fleet sailed for Bermuda, consisting of the Flag Ship of Admiral Sawyer, the Spartan and Melampus, Frigates; the Atalanta, Ratler and Indian, Sloops-of-War.

At the commencement of the year the following Ships of War, under the command of Sir John Borlase Warren, were on this station, viz.: Swiftsure, 74; Guerriere, 40; Melampus, 36; aeolus, 39; Cleopatra, 32; Euridice, 24; Little Belt, 22; Halifax, 18[67]; Indian, 18; Emulous, 18; Atalanta, 18; Colibre, 18; La Fantome, 18; Plumper, 12 and the schooners Vesta, Juniper, Holly, Barbare, Bream, Cuttle and Chub. The old Centurian was the receiving ship; she remained for many years off the dockyard. The Pyramus was afterwards used as a receiving ship for the fleet lately sold and broken up; she was an old-cla.s.s 50 taken from the Danes at the capture of Copenhagen.

[Footnote 67: This brig was the only vessel of war ever built at the Halifax Dockyard.]

The Eighth and Ninety-eighth British regiments, the Nova Scotia Fencible Infantry, with a battery of Artillery and a company of Engineers composed the Garrison of Halifax. Captain Philip Van Cortlandt was Town Major, and Stephen Hall Binney, Barrack-master. The former was succeeded by Lieutenant John McColla as Town Major, who resided in Halifax for a number of years, and was Adjutant General of the Provincial Militia.

Major-General Balfour[68] commanded the Garrison. Captain J. N.

Inglefield, R. N.,[69] was Commissioner of the Dockyard, and Mr. P. F.

Wallis, first clerk. Mr. W. was father of Admiral Sir Provo Wallis, who distinguished himself in the action of the Shannon and Chesapeake.

[Footnote 68: General Balfour was this year removed to New Brunswick, where he died Lieutenant Governor of that Province.]

[Footnote 69: Commissioner Inglefield was grandfather of Vice Admiral Sir Edward A. Inglefield, lately in command of the Squadron at Halifax.]

A Marine Humane Society existed at Halifax in 1811. Their drags, for the recovery of drowned persons, were advertised as being lodged in the respective stores of Hon. And. Belcher, John Pryor, John Brown, Samuel Muirhead and John Starr.

The 30th September was marked by a severe gale of wind from the S. E., by which many of the wharves in the town were ripped up and much damage done to the shipping in the harbour and along the coast.

The year terminated by a proclamation opening the Port of Halifax to vessels of neutrals. The proclamation bears date the 24th December.

Among the deaths recorded this year was that of James Gautier, Esq., for many years clerk of His Majesty's Council and keeper of the public records in the Secretary's office. He died poor. The Legislature voted 30 to defray the expenses of his funeral. He left no family.

The princ.i.p.al retail merchants in the town at this time were Martin Gay Black, Smith & Thom, Carret & Alfort at the corner lately occupied by Messrs. Duffus; John Liddell & Co., H. Ford, McDonald & Co., Robert Lyon, W. Bremner, John Lawson, Kidston, Dobson & Telford, Scaiffe & Bain, Thomas Heaviside, James Fraser, Arthur Brymer, all Dry Goods--Moody & Sinclair, C. & R. Hill & Co., Red store, road leading to Dockyard, Thomas Leaver and William Remmington, all Auctioneers, William Minns and Geo. Eaton, Stationers. Mr. Minns occupied the old building in Barrington Street below the Parade, opposite Dalhousie College, where he died about 1825. He conducted a paper called the Weekly Chronicle for above 20 years. Windham Madden and William Conroy kept Livery Stables.

1812. Orders had been issued early this season to put the Forts in repair; the works on the Citadel Hill having again fallen into a dilapidated condition. Captain Nichols, commanding the Royal Engineers, made an elaborate report, and operations were commenced forthwith under his superintendence. The United States had now declared war. Commodore Rogers, in command of an American Squadron, had fallen in with the British Frigate Belvidere, 36 guns. She sustained the attack for two or three hours and at length got off with the loss of several of her crew killed, the Captain and 22 wounded. The Belvidere came into the harbor on the 27th June, and on the following evening a special dispatch arrived from the Governor of New Brunswick with intelligence of the Declaration of War. Sir John immediately made the necessary arrangements for calling out the militia. All able-bodied men between 18 and 50 were to be billetted for service and a portion of them to be immediately embodied. This was arranged by Order in Council dated 28th June. The Belvidere, after she had escaped from the American Squadron, captured three American merchant vessels which she brought in with her. Halifax being the headquarters of the Naval force under Admiral Warren, who had upwards of 60 pendants under his command, prizes now began to be brought into port. The Court of Admiralty under Judge Croke was in active operation, and the newspapers of the day appear filled with advertizements of sales of prizes and prize goods. Cartels frequently came and went between Halifax and the American ports for the exchange of prisoners. With all this bustle of business money became plenty, and the foundations of small fortunes began to be laid by the Crown lawyers and the prize agents. The presence of a large army and navy caused much dissipation in the town. Festivities of all kinds prevailed.

Subscription a.s.semblies at Mason Hall were kept up during the winter under the management of Mr. Jeffery, Collector of the Customs, Capt.

Brenton, of the navy, and Lieut.-Col. Robertson, of the garrison. Dinner parties at Government House, and b.a.l.l.s and levies on state days, with the frequent rejoicings on the news from time to time of the success of the British Armies, both in Europe and America, completed the round of Halifax festivities.

The capture of the British ship Guerriere, a first cla.s.s frigate commanded by Capt. Dacres, belonging to the Halifax squadron, by the Americans, in August, caused much talk and excitement throughout the community. Capt. Dacres, a young and inexperienced officer, it was thought had surrendered too early to the enemy. He had only left the harbor a short time when he lost his ship.

In July, a press warrant was granted to Rear Admiral Sawyer for 48 hours. Desertions from the navy were frequent and large offers were reported to have been made by the enemy for such able seamen as would come over to the American navy. The Commander-in-Chief, in consequence, found it necessary to publish a proclamation at Halifax offering the King's pardon to all who had deserted, on their returning to their duty.

Letters of Marque against the Americans were ordered in Council on 31st July, and all vessels were prohibited from leaving the port without special license, for the s.p.a.ce of one month.

The old Halifax Artillery Company was at this time a very popular corps, and included many of the young merchants as well as tradesmen of the town. It was at one time supposed that the property owned by those whose names were on its roll comprised no small part of the wealth of our town.

An Act of the Legislature was pa.s.sed this year regarding that part of the public road or highway which leads from Fort Ma.s.sey to the exercising ground on the Commons. His Majesty's service required that this piece of road should be enclosed for the purpose of enlarging the Artillery Park. It was therefore enacted that when the officers of His Majesty's Ordnance should have laid out a new road agreeable to the plan submitted to His Excellency Sir John Cope Sherbrooke, and filed in the Surveyor General's office, measuring fifty feet in breadth, through the field of John George Pyke, and shall have procured a release from Mr.

Pyke, and shall have completed said new road, that the Engineer should take in 310 feet in length of that part of said road which now leads from Fort Ma.s.sey to the exercising ground on the Common, forever for the Ordnance Department at Halifax. The new road to be subst.i.tuted therefor.

1813. The arrival of DeWatteville's regiment of Germans in May on their way to reinforce the army at Quebec, and of the American ship Volante with a valuable cargo and mounting 21 guns taken by H. M. Brig Curlew, Capt. Michael Head,[70] and the accession of the 64th Regiment to the strength of the garrison were the chief events during the spring of 1813.

[Footnote 70: Brother of the late Dr. Samuel Head of Halifax.]

On Sunday morning, the 6th, June, the inhabitants of Halifax were surprised by the arrival of His Majesty's Ship Shannon, Capt. Broke, with her prize the United States Frigate Chesapeak, Capt. Lawrence. The engagement which was said to be the result of a challenge on the part of Capt. Broke, took place off Boston Harbor a very short time after the Shannon left Halifax. The enemy surrendered after about 20 minutes fighting. Capt. Broke ran his ship in upon the Chesapeak, and captured her with his boarding party who, "rushing upon the enemy's deck, carried away everything before them with irresistible fury." Capt. Lawrence, and his First Lieutenant, Ludlow, were killed; the latter died at Halifax on the 13th June. The engagement was one of the most b.l.o.o.d.y on record. The Shannon had 30 men killed and 57 wounded, and the Chesapeak 74 killed and above 100 wounded, all within the short s.p.a.ce of little more than fifteen minutes. When the ships came up the harbor the decks were being swabbed and the scuppers ran quite red. Numbers of the inhabitants of the town put off in boats and visited the ships. Though the bodies of the slain had been nearly all removed from sight, yet the marks of the slaughter were terribly conspicuous. Mr. Provo Wallis, a Halifax man, one of the Lieutenants of the Shannon, brought in the prize. He received his promotion as Commander soon after, and later became a full Admiral and Knight Grand Cross of the Bath. On the 8th, the funeral of Capt.

Lawrence took place. The body was landed under minute guns from the ships and the procession proceeded from the King's Wharf to the old English Burial Ground attended by an immense concourse of people. The coffin was covered by the U. S. colours and six British Post Captains bore the pall. The 34th Regiment formed the firing party. The officers of the garrison, His Majesty's Council, the princ.i.p.al civil officers and heads of departments, and all the officers of the navy in port followed in procession, the American officers walking next the coffin.

On the 10th August, following, an American Brig with a flag of truce arrived for the bodies of Capt. Lawrence and Lieutenant Ludlow, which were taken up and carried to their native country. That of Capt.

Lawrence lies in the yard of Trinity Church, Broadway, New York, where his tomb is to be seen on the left of the entrance.

A memorial of the merchants of Halifax, numerously signed, was presented to the Colonial Secretary through the Governor, complaining of the permission of American vessels to resort to the British West Indies, and of the right of fishery conceded to the Americans by the Treaty of 1783, and praying that the interests of Nova Scotia might be considered in any future negotiations. Among the princ.i.p.al signers were William Sabatier, John Black, John Pryor, Geo. Gra.s.sie and Enos Collins. At this time the English Government was very jealous of British Colonial rights, and was ready to fight in their defence.

The town and its vicinity had for the last two years abounded with French prisoners of war. Those taken from American prizes now increased the throng. A prison had been erected at Melville Island, at the head of the North West Arm, for their accommodation, and soon became crowded.

Many of the French sailors were ingenious workers in wood and bone, and made articles of use as well as ornament, which they sold to the numerous visitors who were freely permitted access to Melville Island.

It was the favorite resort of the young people on Sundays and holidays, where a pleasant hour could be pa.s.sed in conversing with the French prisoners and examining their toys. The French naval officers were on parole of honor, and resided in Dartmouth and Preston. They spent their time chiefly in field sports, occasionally visiting Halifax, where they mixed freely in society. M. Danseville, the Governor of St. Pierre and Miquelon, resided in the house near Preston lately owned by the Hon.

Michael Tobin, known as the Brook House, where he entertained his friends with great politeness and hospitality. Many of the French prisoners were permitted to come to town and work for the inhabitants. A number of our own Halifax people were at this time languishing in French prisons. The sum of 130 sterling was subscribed in Halifax for their relief, and remitted to England in the month of July of this year.

Great quant.i.ties of prize goods were sold at auction this year, taken princ.i.p.ally from American vessels. The American trade was terribly cut up by the British cruisers. On one occasion we find advertised for sale at public auction by order of the Court of Vice-Admiralty, dated 19th March, twelve full-rigged ships, eight brigs, seven schooners and ten or twelve small vessels, with their cargoes.