Page 28 - The Early History of St. Ann's (Englishtown)

ISSUE : Issue 41

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1986/1/1

This was the new name given to Havre a 1'Anglais when chosen in 1714; St. Anne's was called Port Dauphin; St. Peter's, Port Toulouse, and the whole island. Isle Roy? ale. But those names did not last very long, except Louisbourg, and especially did St. Anne send away the Dauphin, leav? ing to him only a cape at the entrance of the bay. Some years after the English tried to change the name of the harbor in? to Conway Harbour, which she did not like any better, and left to him also a small point and retook to herself bay, harbour, mountain and post office. And nobody re? grets it today. Even those who would not venerate her as a saint cannot help appre? ciating her as a beautiful historical char? acter and a model to mothers. Its importance declined after 1719, but continued to have a regular religious ser? vice held by the Recollets from Louisbourg. In 1753 it was a Father Julian that minis? tered at St. Anne's. A garrison continued also to occupy the fort. Captain Dangeac, the glorious defender of our own Risti- gouche fort, was sent there in 1744 with provisions for one year. It was not mo? lested at the first fall of Louisbourg, nor at the second; it was never taken by the English, but passed into their hands by virtue of the capitulations of Montreal in 1760, whereby all French establishments in North America passed "to the British Crown. (Since writing this I read a paper by my friend Dr. Webster, stating that St. Anne's and Espagnol (Sydney) were occupied. He must have good ground for saying so, -and I accept his statement.) The French disappeared altogether and the fort went into ruin, St. Anne's Chapel al? so. Vernon says, "These ruins may still be traced. The bell used at this church was found a number of years ago and carried to the United States." I tried to trace it, if not to get it, but without success. Today, if we still see only these ruins, they will now be linked to a glorious, of? ten heroic, past by the attention of the present settlers and visitors, for whom the Memorial Tablet will stamp out for? getting. This address was first published in The Cape Bret? on Historical Society: Some Papers and Records of the Society 1928 to 1932. Our thanks to Rev. Ivan Gregan, North River Bridge, for considerable help in preparing this article for publication, and to James MacDonald, Tarbot, for suggesting this and supplying maps from those he gathered. Regarding 'Special Places": St, Ann's (Englishtown) is just one of several Cape Breton sites about which we know very little, and should know more. We do not have, for instance, a single final plan of Fort Dauphin, one that in? dicates the form of the structure and the build? ings within as actually built. We have plans which call it a "project," but those plans conflict with In IMAGE jS photo & video Your Complete Service Headquarters • Guaranteed Quality Photo Finishing • Video Equipment - Sales & Service • Darkroom Equipment & Supplies • Cameras & Accessories • Camera Repairs • Photo and Projection Lamps AVAILABLE TO RENT: Amateur and Professional Lighting Equipment, 8,16 mm and Film Strip Overhead Projec? tors, Audio Visual Equipment. Kodak MINOLTA PENTAX Canon 562-3600 Corner George & Dorchester Sts., Sydney one another. The evidence is buried there at the site • an important archeological site. While we en? courage you to visit the site, please take note of the "Special Places" information on page 27. As a historical and archeological site. Fort Dauphin falls in the Special Places Protection Act of Nova Scotia law. It is thus an area to be studied and protected for the benefit of everyone. The informa? tion buried there is valuable and can only be ob? tained through careful investigation. This is the very opposite of archeological pillaging. It is up to each of us to watch over Special Places for the benefit of us all. For further information, or to report violations of the Special Places Protection Act, contact Bob Ogilvie, Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3A6 Isle Royale Beverages Ltd. Your authorized COCA-COLA bottler 564-8130 526-4439 245 Welton Street Sydney, N. S. Ramsay's Honda Shop 539-7644 * 480 GRAND LAKE RD., SYDNEY * 539-1730 Complete Line of 3- & 4-Wheeled Vehicles for Year Round Use Available Accessories: Trailers, Snowplows, Mowers * Great Utility Vehicles * * Great for Hunting & Fishing * HONDA fVrif

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