Cape Breton's Magazine

maps are ready for delivery to subscribers for the same. Provided al? so that the whole 5 maps are completed within four years from the date of this Minute." A copy of this Minute was fonwarded to Ambrose F. Church, and it was regarded by the government of Nova Scotia as a final settle? ment. But when the four years had expired the map of Queens County remained unpublished. Church was informed that if he would proceed to finish the wori< the Council would waive the time limit and the $800 would be paid. Church stated that he was unable to finish the wori' on those terms. He claimed that in addition to the $800 pro? posed he should receive $866 to make his total receipts con'espond with the original arrangement for $1,000 for each of the eighteen counties. The Council refused to admit Church's claim. "In the ab? sence of any contract it must be held," the Council declared on No? vember 11,1887, "that the Government and Legislature were free to regulate the matter from time to time, and as Mr. Church continued his wori< year after year under the reports and orders referred to he may reasonably be held to have assented to the an-angements. Nev? ertheless, with a view to securing the publication of the map of Queens County which would complete the series, the Council recom? mend that the sum of twelve hundred dollars (including the eight hun? dred dollars already offered) be paid to Mr. Church for the map, pro? vided that it be completed on or before the first day of March 1888." This was to be a full and final settlement of Church's claim, and this payment was to be made only upon Church giving a receipt in full of all demands upon the Province in connection with the publication of County Maps. By early 1888 the last of the eighteen County Maps was completed. Ambrose Church's Family When Ambrose Finson Church moved from Maine to Nova Scotia in 1865, he had a wife and one daughter Alice Isabel, who was then about a year old. Probably after living in Halifax for a time, they took up residence on Ochterloney Street in Dartmouth by 1868. There they lived until about 1872 when they moved to Bedford, Halifax County, Nova Scotia. The family was still living in Dartmouth at the time of the census of 1871. Ambrose Church was then 34 years of age and his wife was 30. They were Methodists. Their daughter Alice Isabel, who had been born in the United States, was 7 years old, whereas Nina Eliza beth and HarokJ Ambrose, who had been born in Nova Scotia, were 3 years and less than a year old, respectively. Subsequently, Am? brose Finson and Nancy Anne (Saunders) Church had two addition daughters, Chariotte Zelda and May Evelyn. None of the daughters married, and all were teachers. Nina Elizabe Church was graduated at Dalhousie University, Halifax, with the de? gree of B.A. in 1896. She was also graduated from Radcliffe Colleg and she taught at several women's colleges, including Wellesley, be fore becoming Dean of Women at Oklahoma University. Charlotte Zelda taught school in Bedford, Nova Scotia, and in Boston, Massa chusetts. She was living in Lexington, Massachusetts in 1968. May Evelyn taught nr%jsic in Boston, and she died in Cambridge, Massa? chusetts, in 1966. Harold Ambrose Church (then in his late teens) assisted his father i making the Topographical Township maps of Richnwnd and Queen Counties, which were published by 1888. In the Nova Scotia Directo ry of 1896 he is listed as a map maker. He studied law at Dalhousie University from 1896 to 1898. Aftenwards he went to Boston, then to New York, and thereafter, as a civil engineer with the Rio de Janeiro Tramway Light & Power Co., Ltd., to Rio de Janeiro. He married an American, May Burnap, and they had two children, Harold, Jr. and Rosemary, both being born in Rio de Janeiro, and he died in 1930. Later Life Meantime Ambrose Finson Church continued to live in Bedford, Nova Scotia, for many years. By an indenture dated November 22,1872, Emma F. Church, of Bedford, conveyed to William A. Hendry of Hali? fax property at Bedford in trust for the benefit of Mercy A. Church, wife of Ambrose F. Church, of Bedford, during her life, and after her decease for the benefit of Ambrose F. Church, and after his death for the benefit of their children. Subsequently by an indenture dated Au? gust 27,1894, Ambrose F. Church, of Bedford, Topographer, con? veyed property at Sackville, Halifax County, Nova Scotia, to his son Harold A. Church, of Bedford, Draughtsman, for the benefit of his creditors. After his wife went to Boston to establish a home there for the daugh? ters and the son, Ambrose F. Church occasionally visited them, while maintaining a residence in Bedford, Nova Scotia, on account of his business. His enterprise in Nova Scotia had not turned out as well as he expected, and circumstances beyond his control compelled him to remain there and continue his line of work, although he maintained connections in the United States. For instance in 1879 he had de? clared that the reduction of the government subsidy had caused very great injustice, rendering it impossible for him to proceed with the wori< with any satisfactory degree of rapidity, and making it impossi? ble for him to abandon the undertaking with honor or credit since at that time he had partially completed surveys in several counties for which payment had not been made. Eventually he went to Rio de Janeiro about the outbreak of World War I to live with or near his son. He kept up his eariier interests in draughting and maps. He was a great walker and he enjoyed tramp? ing with his grandson over the dunes and tangled vines along Copac- abana and Ipenama beaches or taking leisurely long walks through and around Rio de Janeiro. He died at Rio de Janeiro, after a stroke, on February 19,1920. His maps, particulariy his County Maps of No- va Scotia, are his memorial. SHiP HARBOUR (PORT HAWKESBURY) Our thanks to Mrs. C. Bmce Fergusson for pemnission to reprint this article. The entire article was delivered as a speech to the Nova Sco? tia Historical Society, and printed in their journal and (in similar form) in the Dalhousie Review and the Nova Scotia Journal of Educaiiori- Our thanks to Faye Lee, N. S. Dept. of Education, for help with per? missions and a fresh printed copy of the Notman photograph of A. F. Church. Scott Robson, Nova Scotia Museum, provided copies of Mr. Fergusson's articles, plus useful related materials. He rightly warns that the Church maps alone caDOQl be used for precise dating of ownership or events. To order copies of A. F.Church's County Maps: Send $12.00 per county (plus $1.20 provincial tax if you order from I within Nova Scotia) to the Provincial Crown Lands Record Centre, P | O. Box 2345, Halifax, N. S. B3J 3C8. You can order single sheet ($6.00 each) if you know for sure you want only the top or bottom ol I any particular county. The maps come folded but they will send t enl rolled if requested. These copies are in black and white. A full-coouil original map of Cape Breton County, on linen and varnished, canbej seen at the Beaton Institute, University College of Cape Breton.