Page 62 - Before the Loyalists: Acadians in the Sydney Area, 1749-1754

ISSUE : Issue 48

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1988/6/1

Duchambon, visited the main lie Royale settlements, at Baie des Espagnols and L'Indienne. He then wrote up his thoughts on what he had seen. Though Duchambon's main motivation for writing was to convince the authorities that they should make him the commandant of Port Dauphin (English- town) , the officer made some interesting comments on the relocated Acadians. Whereas the other commentators in the Louisbourg establishment seemed able only to find fault with the Acadians, Duchambon stated that the new settlers were enduring "every possible hardship to establish themselves on this isle, and they have done a lot of work that I observed. They have much confi? dence in us, which encourages them in their ''WhatDob WORKBiS'CcmmsATiON Have To Do Wm Ml l'MSBl4im.0YB>?" You don't hove to wotk for someone else to benefit from Workers' Compensation. All self-employed people ore eligible induding those who woik in fanning, forestry and the fishery. Having Woricers' Compensation means that, should an acddent happen, you, your spouse and your diildren will be provided for. It means security. Thaf s why the law requires anyone employing more than two people to provide Woricers' Compensation. But, again, almost everyone is eligible. For more infonnation on how to obtain Woricers' Compensation for you or your employees, please call Wod(ers' Compensation Board: # COMPEMMmW AOMDOFMOW Scorn 5668SmrHSnicT SmtrMiacuAiiTsBiK. FmOffKiBoxnSO 336Kim'Rm.SumU7 Hum, llmSaTuB3J2Y2 SmcY, NmSaruBIS 1A9 Tcunm: 902 424 $440 mum: 902 564 6426 labour." He went on to assert that if he were made commandant at Port Dauphin he would be able to draw another 60 Acadian families to the island. As for those Acadians on Cape Breton, who were they and how were they surviving in their new homes? Detailed answers to such questions, as of April 1752, are provided in the census of Sieur de la Roque, a cen? sus which was undertaken at the request of the new governor of lie Royale, the Comte de Raymond. In the entry for Baie des Es? pagnols, de la Roque described the general area as having stands of hardwood and sev? eral areas of good soil. He added that the settlers there had assured him "that the ??nature of the land is [appropriate for growing all sorts of grains and vegetables as well as all sorts of root crops." As for the har? bour itself, de la Roque judged it to be a large and secure anchorage. Sieur de la Roque re? corded a total of 196 people at Baie des Es? pagnols, of whom 81 were adults and the rest children. The vast ma? jority of the adults, nearly 80 per cent (63 of 81), had come from Acadia. The others were from France, lie Royale, Plaisance, Quebec, and Boston. As de la Roque interpreted the settle? ment, there were 31 identifiable groupings in the community. Most consisted of married couples and their chil? dren, though there were several that also con? tained a widowed parent, an unmarried brother or sister, friends or em? ployees. The most note? worthy of the extended households was that of Jean Olivet of Pepiguit and his wife Josette He- bert. In addition to their four children, they were pleased to give room and board to Josette Hebert's mother, 110-year-old Anne Jo- sephe Lejeune. Grand? mother Lejeune was but one of 17 adults in the community who bore the Lejeune name. The next most common family name in the Baie des Espagnols settlement

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