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VIRGINIA - about 1500 Acadians
Several ships, carrying 1000-1500 Acadians (many died on the trip) arrived in Virginia. Once there, they were not allowed to leave the ships; the government refused to accept them. Of the 2 ships named Carolina, one carried
Acadians from Minas to Virginia (the other went to Maryland). The
Halifax
was a snow captained by John Taggart that sailed from Minas to Virginia.
Gov. Dinwiddle thought they were "internal enemies." So they were subsequently sent to England. These ships included the Carolina, the Endeavor, the Halifax, the Mary, and the Neptune. Gerard Braud also lists the Race Horse, the Virginia Packet, and the Goodrigde.Braud also states that 2 ships sank, though I haven't found the source for this statement. [From Nantes to Louisiana, p. 13] Just as Lawrence hadn't warned Virginia of
the Acadians arrival, Virginia didn't warn England of their incoming "guests."
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ENGLAND | |
The Acadians in England (1756-1763)
were located in 4 primary areas: Bristol, Falmouth,
Liverpool,
and Southampton. A total of over 1200 Acadians
arrived in England. Not 800 survived till 1763 when the group went
to France.
Shortly after they arrived, smallpox decimated the ranks of all 4 groups, expecially those at Penryn (at the gates of Falmouth) where 61 Acadians were buried at Cornwall (the parish of St. Gluvias) that fall; there are no markers; a common grave was probably used. Rev. John Penrose was Anglican priest of the church from 1741-1776. A number of Acadians lived around the farms of Kerkilliack on the city's (Penryn) heights. France complained of the treatment of the Acadians, but the English Medical Department said that the charges were "false, indecent, and absurd." The Acadians were separated from the rest of the working population. The Admiralty ordered "all the Neutrals are prohibited from working in order to prevent an outcry by the laborers in the towns where they reside." … though some did find ways to work, esp. at Penryn and Southampton. The Acadians were given 6 sous a day for adults and 3 sous a day for children under 7. Pretty good money for those days. The payment of this was irregular. When the peace came England asked France to be reimbursed for these expenses. Infant deaths were higher than normal for the first 2 years, but things got better. The 1762 census showed 149 children under age 7, most born in England. Bristol was known for the slave trade in the past. "Apparently the Acadians were prisoners in Stapleton, 5 km north of the city, near the Frome River." It had been the location of POWs of England's battles with France and Spain in America. On March 18, 1780, Francois Michel & Anne Daigle told the rector at St. Martin de Chantenay that before their son Francois was born, they had been married in Stapleton, England. [From Nantes to Louisiana, p. 14-15] |
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The English tried to get
the Acadians to become English subjects, esp. in 1762 as peach approached.
They were told they'd get to go back to Acadia. A Scottish priest
got the trust of 54 old Acadians by promising them they could go back.
With the end of the war in 1763, the Acadians, assisted by someone named Duplessis (a French prisoner from La Havre), wrote to the French ambassador in London … the Duke of Nivernois (Louis Jules Barbon |
Acadians at Liverpool by Robert Dafford |
Mancini Mazarini). Nivernois sent his representative,
Lord de la Rochette, to see the Acadians. At Liverpool, they were
excited to see him, while at Southampton they were reserved. Rochette
persuaded Nivernois and the Colonial Minister (Duke of Choiseul) to help
the Acadians. "The Acadians received the formal promise to be settled
on lands in France at the expense of the King." [Les
exiles Acadiens en France au XVIIIe siecle, Ernest Martin]
The 753 Acadians in England crossed the English channel. They would find out, however, that the promises of a better life were quite exaggerated. The lists of those Acadians can be found below. The Acadians from England disembarked at Morlaix and St. Malo in early summer 1763. Housed in barracks, disease (such as smallpox) soon killed a good number of them. They thought better times were just around the corner; but it didn't turn out that way. |
The
1755 Exile
The 1758 Exile The "End" of the Exile |
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Copyright © 1997-99 Tim Hebert
Bristol
The Virginia Packet arrived at Bristol in the middle of June in 1756 with 289 Acadians. THe town was unprepared for their arrival. For 3 days & nights, the Acadians were left on the wharves. Then they were put in old, ruined buildings. Many died of smallpox and exhaustion. La Rochette visited the Acadians at Bristol after the Liverpool Acadians told him of their location. On Jan. 31, he arrived at Bristol. He again found distrust. But upon hearing their story, he felt sympathy towards them. They told him of the 340 that had been shipped from Virginia, 300 survived the trip. They weren’t prepared to trust him. In fact, they already knew about him, having talked to the 2 Acadians from Southampton on their way to see Nivernois. At this point, there were 184 Acadians left in this group. The papers of LaRochette, the source of the lists on this page, contain a list of people related to the Acadians that were allowed to move from Bristol to Southampton on May 14, 1763. These were:
I've adjusted the names to a uniform spelling
where I could.
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Falmouth
250 Acadians arrived at Falmouth (on the coast of Cornwall) at the end of June. The parish of Saint Gluvias, Penryn, has a register that includes 67 Acadian burials. The original is at the Cornwall County Record Office, though the CEA has a copy. A guide to the records was published in Cahier 32, Societe Historique Acadienne, V. 4, No. 2, 1971 in "Le sejour des Acadiens en Angleterre et leurs traces dans les archives britanniques" by Regis S. Brun. Also see Cahier 30 of that publication (V. 4, No. 4, 1972) for "The Acadian Exiles in England" by Dorothy Winter. La Rochette brought informal word of France's interest in the Acadians to Falmouth on Jan. 25, 1763. He found 159 Acadians living in poverty. The commissioner had stopped their financial assistance (which was the same as in Liverpool) in November. Those not working a trade borrowed money, while widows and orphans begged. Instead of located in a single area, these Acadians were lodged around the area in homes of citizens. This led to a number of younger members becoming apprentices to the English. No doubt this also led to Acadian/English relationships as well. Needless to say, the Acadians were skeptical of his message and wondered if he was a spy. Eventually, they decided to go to France and the surviving Acadians sailed to Morlaix, France on the La Fauvette, captained by Gouran. Those boarding the ship on May 26, 1763 were:
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Liverpool
The 336 Acadians that arrived at Liverpool were put up in the old potters' workshops. A few months after arriving the Acadians were placed in a certain area of each port, except at Falmouth where they were scattered around. The commissioner over the Acadians at Liverpool was named Langton. The govt. gave them 6 cents (3 cents for children under 7) a day, and $1.20 a year for lodging. We find a few records of Acadians in the parish of St. Mary at Wooten, Liverpool. In addition to some baptisms, there are 2 marriage records: Etienne Darois & Francoise Trahan (Jan. 15, 1758) and Pierre Trahan & Marguerite Duon (May 9, 1758). They can be found in V. 9 (p. 251-273) of London's Catholic Record Society. Also see Cahier 32, Societe Historique Acadienne, V. 4, No. 2, 1971 in "Le sejour des Acadiens en Angleterre et leurs traces dans les archives britanniques" by Regis S. Brun. On Sept. 2, 1762, France sent a minister to negotiate an end to the Seven Years’ War. He was Louis Jules Barbon Mancini Mazarani, Duke of Nivernois, Grandee of Spain, Knight of the King, Peer of France. The Acadians decided to go to him for help. They enlisted Normand Duplessis (a French pilot from Le Havre, who’d been ransomed from England by M. de la Touche of Martinique), who could write. Although he promised to write up the story of their suffereings and give it to Nivernois, he bailed out at the last minute when the English commissioner talked him into becoming a British subject. So the Acadians at Liverpool went ahead anyway, though it was difficult since Langton censored everything they wrote or received. John Turney, and Irishman who’d married an Acadian, volunteered to take the letter to Nivernois. His wife had lost her subsidy when they married, and John wasn’t considered a part of the Acadian community. He agreed to make the trip if he would be allowed to join the Acadians. They agreed and raised $20 for his expenses. The letter told of their story. It also mentioned the English offer (that the govt. had circulated) that if they took the English oath, they would be returned to full possession of their homes in Nova Scotia. England have them 18-24 months to decide. The Acadians had written to the minister of marine, but Langton wouldn’t let them mail it. Despite his efforts to convert them to English subjects, they said “We wish to live under the rule of His Most Christian Majesty for whom we are ready to shed our blood.” They asked for the ambassador’s protection. Nivernois was moved by their petition. [“Memoire,” Correspondance politique Angleterre, CDXLIX, f. 343-347, Archives des Affaires Étrangères] He thought that the king ought to rescue these patriotic subjects. In late October 1762 he wrote to Etienne Francois (Duke of Choiseul, France’s foreign minister) that the Acadians could be useful in populating France’s colonies. He also began talks with the English prime minister (Lord George Grenville) on Dec. 11, 1762 about freeing the 300 Acadian prisoners in England. Meanwhile, while negotions were ongoing with Grenville, Nivernois had sent his personal secretary (de la Rochette) to visit the Acadians at Liverpool to learn about their experiences since Acadia. He sent word to them, via La Rochette, that he had personally told the king of their sufferings and loyalty. The king had been moved and wanted to bring them back to France, and (after peace) give them farm land in the most beautiful provinces and financial help to rebuild what they lost. He promised that France would treat them better than they could hope for. He also sent word assuring the Acadians full protection. But he told them not to publicize that fact. Thirdly, he wanted the Acadians to give La Rochette all of the details on them and Acadians in other ports. La Rochette left for Liverpool on Dec. 26, 1762. Meanwhile, in Canada, Vaudreuil presented Amherst with 55 proposed articles of peace. Article 39 stated that the French in Canada must not be deported to England or the English colonies. Amherst wrote in the margin, “Agreed, except as regards the Acadians.” Article 54 guaranteed a safe return to officers, militiamen, and Acadian prisoners in New England to their respective countries. Again, Amherst wrote in the margin, “Accepted; but with reservation to the Acadians.” On Jan. 20, 1763, Louis XV refused to sign the armistice unless Amherst allowed the Acadians to return to Canada or to France. He said no to Canada, but yielded to France. [Les negociations pour la paix,” Correspondance politique Angleterre, CDXLIX, f. 151-155, Archives des Affaires Étrangères] La Rochette arrived at Liverpool on Dec. 31, 1762. He quietly went to the Acadian prison quarters. He had them assemble to pass along Nivernois’ message. p. 28 He told them of the king’s concern and the promise to give them financial help and farm lands in any province they chose. The broke out in shouts of “Long live the King.” Though he tried to contain them (the English neighbors grew concerned), their excitement couldn’t be contained. They were besides themselves, clapping, raising their hands, hitting the walls, and crying like children. ["Memoire,” Correspondance politique Angleterre, 1763, CDXLIX, f. 345, Archives des Affaires Étrangères] After they had calmed down, he recorded their story. Langton saw the Acadians drop from 336 to 224. He promised them work after the war if they’d become British subjects. In early December 1762, he told them that France had abandoned them; if they became British subjects, the king would send them back to Acadian and give them their homes, farms, and livestock back. Still, they said “we are French, and the king of France must decide our fate.” After this, Langton looked upon them as rebels. He threatened imprisonment and reduction of pay. Then he turned to attacking their faith. He told their chaplain (a Scottish priest) that he would be appointed parochial dean of all the Catholic villages in Acadia if got the Acadians to take the oath. The chaplain began to give sermons to get them to do so. This resulted in 54 Acadians (almost all old men) to volunteer to return to Acadia, though they refused to put it in writing. Most of the Acadians, however, thought the sermons “were scandalous.” Duplessis argued against accepting the offer of returning to Acadia. He said he’d bring the petition to Nivernois. Then he himself was convinced and became a British subject! Langton suspection La Rochette’s intentions. He began trying to scare the Acadians. He told them that La Rochette and his men wouldn’t show their credentials because they meant to deceive the Acadians. They were actually trying to get the Acadians to send them to France’s tropical colonies. If the heat didn’t kill them, the fact that France probably wouldn’t help them financially would. In any case, the Liverpool Acadians elected 2 representatives to go to Nivernois, and they left under cover of darkness to go to the French embassy in London. The delegates had the power to accept or reject any offer. During the discussion, the definitely wanted an answer to a specific question ... would France claim them as her subjects? They were even willing to give up their subsidy. Assured of this, they told Nivernois about 600 more exiles in Southampton, Falmouth, and Bristol. Learning of these other Acadians, Nivernois sent word for La Rochette to visit them (secretly again) to carry the same message. Since his trip was in secret, he again could not show his credentials. When the plan for resettlement in France was approved, the surviving Acadians sailed to Morlaix, France aboard the king's gabarre L'Esturgeon, captained by Belon, on June 7, 1763. They were:
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Southampton
The 340 Acadians that arrived at Southampton were put into barracks on the wharves. La Rochette also visited Southampton on Jan. 18, 1763. These Acadians were more exposed to the English, as Southampton was a summer retreat for the English nobility. They (such as General Mordant and the Duke of York) would try to get the Acadians to renounce France. They were used to people trying to trick them, so they refused to even listen to La Rochette. Their numbers had gone from 340 when they left Virginia to 219. Though all he was able to get was a bit of their history, he told them that he was convinced of their loyalty to France and understood their skepticism. When he left, the Acadians got permission from their commissioner to send to delegates to talk to Nivernois. When the arrangements for resettlement finally materialized, the surviving Acadians sailed on the king's corvette L'Ambition on May 16, 1763 to St. Malo, France. They were:
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