Hants County, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Hants County is a county
in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia
which was the home of Thomas Chandler Haliburton
, Alden Nowlan
and Noel Doiron
. The county of Hants was created June 17, 1781, and consisted of the townships of Windsor, Falmouth and Newport. Originally getting its name from the County of Southamptonshire in England, now known as Hampshire
, and abbreviated to Hants, the County was established out of part of what had been Kings County
. Subsequently in 1861, Hants County was divided into two Districts called East Hants
and West Hants
.
on the St. Croix River
.
There is a long history of missionary work in Hants County, such as the work of Silas Tertius Rand
's work on a reserve near Hantsport. There are still a Mi'kmaq communities in Hants County such as Indian Brook 14, Nova Scotia
(the home of the famous activist Anna Mae Aquash
)and Shubenacadie 13, Nova Scotia
. Shubenacadie is the oldest community in Hants County. There is a significant monument in the middle of the reserve to Major Jean Baptiste Cope and the Peace Treaty of 1752 that he signed with the British, which was recently upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada (The Donald Marshall case, 1999).
(present day Falmouth, Nova Scotia
(1785). There was also a significant settlement at present day Windsor, Nova Scotia. The Acadians built a church which was destroyed by the British and Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)
built in its place. Over the next twenty years Acadians migrated all along the shore of Hants County to the Shubenacadie River
. One of the most prominent Acadians from this area was Noel Doiron
who is the namesake of Noel, Nova Scotia
. With the founding of both Halifax (1749) and Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)
the following year, there was the Acadian Exodus
that involved an exodus of most of the Acadians from the Municipality of East Hants (1750) and a very large part of West Hants (Pisiguit) as well. They left British Nova Scotia for French occupied Prince Edward Island
. During the Expulsion of the Acadians the rest of the Acadians from the Municipality of West Hants (1755) were deported to New England. The Expulsion of the Acadians from Hants County began at exactly the same time as it happened at Grand Pre, with the Acadian men being imprisoned within the walls of Fort Edward. Fort Edward was one of four British forts in Acadia to imprison Acadians throughout the nine years of the expulsion.
began to arrive and settle the area (1760). They formed the townships of Windsor, Falmouth and Newport.
(1771) and the Putnams in Maitland, Nova Scotia.
, Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)
played a pivotal role defending Halifax from a possible land attack and serving as the headquarters in Atlantic Canada for 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
. After the American Revolution, the Rawdon Township and Douglas Township were created for American Loyalists (1884). The Douglas Township (Kennetcook, Nova Scotia
and area) was settled by the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
. The Rawdon Township was settled by loyalists from South Carolina whose lives had been saved in the Siege of Ninety-Six
by Lord Rawdon and the 84th Regiment of Foot.
. Often this trade was illegal; in 1820, an effort to stop this smuggling trade resulted in the "Plaster War," in which local smugglers resoundingly defeated the efforts of New Brunswick
officials to bring the trade under their control.
was and early shipbuilder in the country, followed by much larger yards in the late 19th century, including the William Dawson Lawrence
shipyard in Maitland
which built the William D. Lawrence
, the largest wooden ship ever built in Canada.
was the first member of parliament for Hants County (1867). He campaigned in the county with an agenda to punish those politicians who have forced Nova Scotia without a mandate or referendum from the people. Over the next two years in office, deciding not to mobilize to join America or become a colony independent of Britain, Howe determined that Nova Scotia's best option was to remain in Canada and to fight for "better terms. While most Nova Scotian remained supportive of the Anti-Confederation Campaign
during this time period, Howe ran in Hants County bi-election of 1869 to get a mandate from the people to see if they wanted him to continue to support Nova Scotia's entry into Canada. What ensued was one of the most expensive political campaigns in Nova Scotia's history. The whole country watched to see if Howe would be returned to Ottawa to lead Nova Scotia into Confederation on the best terms possible. Howe toured the whole county and eventually won, which eventually led to all of Nova Scotia accepting Canada.
The county is noted for very large deposits of gypsum
, which was shipped from Walton, Nova Scotia
. George Elliot Clarke's poem, "West Hants County", tells of the difficult condition of black workers in the gypsum mines.
Gold was mined at Renfrew, Nova Scotia
, near Nine Mile River, Nova Scotia
, The village was the home of one of the largest gold mines in the province. There were other gold mines in the community of Rawdon Gold Mines, Nova Scotia
. There is currently oil exploration in Kennetcook, Nova Scotia
.
Mother tongue language (2006)
Ethnic Groups (2006)
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County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
which was the home of Thomas Chandler Haliburton
Thomas Chandler Haliburton
Thomas Chandler Haliburton was the first international best-selling author from Canada. He was also significant in the history of Nova Scotia.-Life:...
, Alden Nowlan
Alden Nowlan
Alden Albert Nowlan was a critically acclaimed Canadian poet, novelist, and playwright-History:Alden Nowlan was born into rural poverty in Stanley, Nova Scotia, adjacent to Mosherville, and close to the small town of Windsor, Nova Scotia, along a stretch of dirt road that he would later refer to...
and Noel Doiron
Noel Doiron
Noel Doiron was a leader of the Acadians, renown for the decisions he made during the Deportation of the Acadians. Doiron was deported on a vessel named the Duke William . The sinking of the Duke William was one of the worst marine disasters in Canadian history...
. The county of Hants was created June 17, 1781, and consisted of the townships of Windsor, Falmouth and Newport. Originally getting its name from the County of Southamptonshire in England, now known as Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, and abbreviated to Hants, the County was established out of part of what had been Kings County
Kings County, Nova Scotia
Kings County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.Kings County is located in central Nova Scotia on the shore of the Bay of Fundy with its northeastern part also forming the western shore of the Minas Basin....
. Subsequently in 1861, Hants County was divided into two Districts called East Hants
East Hants, Nova Scotia
East Hants is a municipal district in Hants County, Nova Scotia.With its administrative seat in Milford Station, the district occupies the eastern half of Hants County from the Minas Basin to the boundary with Halifax County, sharing this boundary with the West Hants municipal district...
and West Hants
West Hants, Nova Scotia
West Hants is a municipal district in Hants County, Nova Scotia.It occupies the western half of Hants County, running from the Minas Basin to the boundary with Halifax County, sharing this boundary with the East Hants municipal district....
.
Mi'kmaq
The Mi'kmaq are the aboriginal people who lived on these lands for centuries. The Mi'kmaq became Catholic and therefore played an active role in the Acadian resistance to protestants taking over the area. They were clearly supporters of Abbe LeLoutre's work in protecting Acadian and Mi'kmaq and ultimately Catholic interests in the region. Within Hants County, they fought in the Battle at St. CroixBattle at St. Croix
The Battle at St. Croix was fought during Father Le Loutre’s War between New England Rangers and Mi’kmaq at Battle Hill in the community of St. Croix, Nova Scotia. The battle lasted for three days in the spring of 1750.-Historical context:...
on the St. Croix River
St. Croix River (Nova Scotia)
The St. Croix River is a river in Nova Scotia entirely contained in Hants and Halifax Counties. Its headwaters are Panuke Lake. The river has been exploited for water power. There were water mills in the nineteenth century and in the 1930’s three hydroelectric dams were built; they still...
.
There is a long history of missionary work in Hants County, such as the work of Silas Tertius Rand
Silas Tertius Rand
Silas Tertius Rand was a Canadian Baptist clergyman, missionary, ethnologist, linguist and translator. His work centred on the Mi'kmaq people of Maritime Canada and he was the first to record the legend of Glooscap.-Life:...
's work on a reserve near Hantsport. There are still a Mi'kmaq communities in Hants County such as Indian Brook 14, Nova Scotia
Indian Brook 14, Nova Scotia
Indian Brook 14 is a Mi'kmaq reserve located in Hants County, Nova Scotia.It is administratively part of the Shubenacadie First Nation....
(the home of the famous activist Anna Mae Aquash
Anna Mae Aquash
Anna Mae Aquash was a Mi'kmaq activist from Nova Scotia, Canada who became the highest-ranking woman in the American Indian Movement in the United States during the mid-1970s.Aquash...
)and Shubenacadie 13, Nova Scotia
Shubenacadie 13, Nova Scotia
Shubenacadie 13 is a Mi'kmaq reserve located in Halifax County, Nova Scotia.It is administratively part of the Shubenacadie First Nation....
. Shubenacadie is the oldest community in Hants County. There is a significant monument in the middle of the reserve to Major Jean Baptiste Cope and the Peace Treaty of 1752 that he signed with the British, which was recently upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada (The Donald Marshall case, 1999).
Acadians
The first Acadians to settle in present day Hants County settled in PisiguitPisiguit
In the Minas Basin of Acadia, which is now Nova Scotia, the settlement of Grand-Pré grew eastward towards the Pisiquid River. This settlement became known as Pisiguit or . Pisiguit came from the Mi'kmaq term Pesaquid, meaning "Junction of Waters". It became so large that it was viewed as...
(present day Falmouth, Nova Scotia
Falmouth, Nova Scotia
Falmouth, Nova Scotia is a village located along the Avon River in Hants County between Mount Denson and Windsor.Falmouth and area was known as Pisiguit by the Acadians. Having migrated from Port Royal, Nova Scotia, the Acadians were the first to settle in the area, around 1685...
(1785). There was also a significant settlement at present day Windsor, Nova Scotia. The Acadians built a church which was destroyed by the British and Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)
Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)
Fort Edward is a National Historic Site in Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada and was built during Father Le Loutre's War. The fort was created to help prevent the Acadian Exodus from the region...
built in its place. Over the next twenty years Acadians migrated all along the shore of Hants County to the Shubenacadie River
Shubenacadie River
The Shubenacadie River is a river in Nova Scotia, Canada.It has a meander length of approximately 72 km from its source at Shubenacadie Grand Lake to its mouth at the historic seaport village of Maitland on Cobequid Bay, site of the building of the William D. Lawrence, the largest wooden ship ever...
. One of the most prominent Acadians from this area was Noel Doiron
Noel Doiron
Noel Doiron was a leader of the Acadians, renown for the decisions he made during the Deportation of the Acadians. Doiron was deported on a vessel named the Duke William . The sinking of the Duke William was one of the worst marine disasters in Canadian history...
who is the namesake of Noel, Nova Scotia
Noel, Nova Scotia
Noel is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Municipal District of East Hants, which is in Hants County, Nova Scotia . The community is most well known for being named after its most prominent resident Noel Doiron and for ship building in the nineteenth century...
. With the founding of both Halifax (1749) and Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)
Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)
Fort Edward is a National Historic Site in Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada and was built during Father Le Loutre's War. The fort was created to help prevent the Acadian Exodus from the region...
the following year, there was the Acadian Exodus
Acadian Exodus
The Acadian Exodus happened during Father Le Loutre’s War and involved almost half of the total Acadian population of Nova Scotia deciding to relocate to French controlled territories...
that involved an exodus of most of the Acadians from the Municipality of East Hants (1750) and a very large part of West Hants (Pisiguit) as well. They left British Nova Scotia for French occupied Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. During the Expulsion of the Acadians the rest of the Acadians from the Municipality of West Hants (1755) were deported to New England. The Expulsion of the Acadians from Hants County began at exactly the same time as it happened at Grand Pre, with the Acadian men being imprisoned within the walls of Fort Edward. Fort Edward was one of four British forts in Acadia to imprison Acadians throughout the nine years of the expulsion.
New England Planters
After the Acadians left the area of present day Hants County, New England PlantersNew England Planters
The New England Planters were settlers from the New England colonies who responded to invitations by the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia, Charles Lawrence, to settle lands left vacant by the Bay of Fundy Campaign of the Acadian Expulsion...
began to arrive and settle the area (1760). They formed the townships of Windsor, Falmouth and Newport.
Ulster Irish
The next wave of immigration to Hants County was the Ulster Scots people who settled all along the shore such as the O'Briens in Noel, Nova ScotiaNoel, Nova Scotia
Noel is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Municipal District of East Hants, which is in Hants County, Nova Scotia . The community is most well known for being named after its most prominent resident Noel Doiron and for ship building in the nineteenth century...
(1771) and the Putnams in Maitland, Nova Scotia.
American Loyalists
During the American RevolutionAmerican Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)
Fort Edward (Nova Scotia)
Fort Edward is a National Historic Site in Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada and was built during Father Le Loutre's War. The fort was created to help prevent the Acadian Exodus from the region...
played a pivotal role defending Halifax from a possible land attack and serving as the headquarters in Atlantic Canada for 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
The 84th Regiment of Foot was a British regiment in the American Revolutionary War that was raised to defend present day Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada from the constant land and sea attacks by American Revolutionaries...
. After the American Revolution, the Rawdon Township and Douglas Township were created for American Loyalists (1884). The Douglas Township (Kennetcook, Nova Scotia
Kennetcook, Nova Scotia
Kennetcook is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Municipal District of East Hants. The community likely was named after the river that runs through it, Kennetcook River. Also see Upper Kennetcook.- History :...
and area) was settled by the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants)
The 84th Regiment of Foot was a British regiment in the American Revolutionary War that was raised to defend present day Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada from the constant land and sea attacks by American Revolutionaries...
. The Rawdon Township was settled by loyalists from South Carolina whose lives had been saved in the Siege of Ninety-Six
Siege of Ninety-Six
The Siege of Ninety Six was a siege late in the American Revolutionary War. From May 22 to June 18, 1781, Continental Army Major General Nathanael Greene led 1,000 troops in a siege against the 550 Loyalists in the fortified village of Ninety Six, South Carolina. The 28-day siege centered on an...
by Lord Rawdon and the 84th Regiment of Foot.
Plaster War
Windsor developed its gypsum deposits, usually selling it to American markets at Passamaquoddy BayPassamaquoddy Bay
Passamaquoddy Bay is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy, between the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick, at the mouth of the St. Croix River. Most of the bay lies within Canada, with its western shore bounded by Washington County, Maine. The southernmost point is formed by...
. Often this trade was illegal; in 1820, an effort to stop this smuggling trade resulted in the "Plaster War," in which local smugglers resoundingly defeated the efforts of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
officials to bring the trade under their control.
Shipbuilding
Productive timber lands and tidal building sites made Hants County an important shipbuilding centre in the 19th century. Loyalist merchant Abraham CunardAbraham Cunard
Abraham Cunard was a United Empire Loyalist carpenter, timber merchant, and ship owner from Halifax, Nova Scotia, best known as the father of shipping magnate Samuel Cunard....
was and early shipbuilder in the country, followed by much larger yards in the late 19th century, including the William Dawson Lawrence
William Dawson Lawrence
William Dawson Lawrence was a successful shipbuilder, businessman and politician. He built the William D. Lawrence, which is reported to be the largest wooden ship ever built in Canada....
shipyard in Maitland
Maitland, Hants County, Nova Scotia
Maitland, East Hants, Nova Scotia is a village in the East Hants, Nova Scotia municipal district, and home to the historic Lawrence House Museum, part of the Nova Scotia Museum...
which built the William D. Lawrence
William D. Lawrence (ship)
William D. Lawrence was a full-rigged sailing ship built in Maitland, Nova Scotia along the Minas Basin and named after her builder, the merchant and politician William Dawson Lawrence ....
, the largest wooden ship ever built in Canada.
The Great Hants Campaign (1869)
The Honourable Joseph HoweJoseph Howe
Joseph Howe, PC was a Nova Scotian journalist, politician, and public servant. He is one of Nova Scotia's greatest and best-loved politicians...
was the first member of parliament for Hants County (1867). He campaigned in the county with an agenda to punish those politicians who have forced Nova Scotia without a mandate or referendum from the people. Over the next two years in office, deciding not to mobilize to join America or become a colony independent of Britain, Howe determined that Nova Scotia's best option was to remain in Canada and to fight for "better terms. While most Nova Scotian remained supportive of the Anti-Confederation Campaign
Anti-Confederation Party
Anti-Confederation was the name used in what is now Atlantic Canada by several parties opposed to Canadian confederation.-Nova Scotia:In Nova Scotia, the "Anti-Confederates" were led by Joseph Howe. They attempted to reverse the colony's decision to join Confederation, which was initially highly...
during this time period, Howe ran in Hants County bi-election of 1869 to get a mandate from the people to see if they wanted him to continue to support Nova Scotia's entry into Canada. What ensued was one of the most expensive political campaigns in Nova Scotia's history. The whole country watched to see if Howe would be returned to Ottawa to lead Nova Scotia into Confederation on the best terms possible. Howe toured the whole county and eventually won, which eventually led to all of Nova Scotia accepting Canada.
20th century
Hants County produced two Olympians, both of whom came from along the Noel shore (See Athletics at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon). Along with the great literary figure in Nova Scotia's history, Thomas Chandler Haliburton, Hants produced Alden Nowlan, George Elliot Clarke and others.Natural resources: wood, fish, gypsum, oil and gold
The wood in the county was both used to build the many wooden ships, but it was also used an export on the wooden ships.The county is noted for very large deposits of gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
, which was shipped from Walton, Nova Scotia
Walton, Nova Scotia
Walton is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Municipal District of East Hants, which is in Hants County, Nova Scotia. The community is named after James Walton Nutting ....
. George Elliot Clarke's poem, "West Hants County", tells of the difficult condition of black workers in the gypsum mines.
Gold was mined at Renfrew, Nova Scotia
Renfrew, Nova Scotia
Renfrew is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in The Municipality of the District of East Hants in Hants County...
, near Nine Mile River, Nova Scotia
Nine Mile River, Nova Scotia
Nine Mile River is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Municipal District of East Hants .-References:*...
, The village was the home of one of the largest gold mines in the province. There were other gold mines in the community of Rawdon Gold Mines, Nova Scotia
Rawdon Gold Mines, Nova Scotia
Rawdon Gold Mines is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Municipal District of East Hants . See Rawdon, Nova Scotia.-References:*...
. There is currently oil exploration in Kennetcook, Nova Scotia
Kennetcook, Nova Scotia
Kennetcook is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Municipal District of East Hants. The community likely was named after the river that runs through it, Kennetcook River. Also see Upper Kennetcook.- History :...
.
Communities
For a list of communities in Hants County, see List of communities.Demographics
Population trend| Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 41,182 | 1.7% |
| 2001 | 40,513 | 2.6% |
| 1996 | 39,483 | 0.7% |
| 1991 | 39,765 | N/A |
Mother tongue language (2006)
| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 39,265 | 96.10% |
| Other languages | 1,075 | 2.63% |
| French only | 470 | 1.15% |
| Both English and French | 50 | 0.12% |
Ethnic Groups (2006)
| Race | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 40,015 | 97.93% |
| Black | 485 | 1.19% |
| Asian | 205 | 0.50% |
| Other | 155 | 0.38% |
Access routes
Highways and numbered routes that run through the county, including external routes that start or finish at the county limits:- Highways
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- Trunk routes
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- Collector routes:
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- External routes:
- None
External links
- Photographs of historic monuments in Hants County
- Category:People from Hants County, Nova Scotia