Shelburne County, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Shelburne County is a county
in the Canadian
province of Nova Scotia
.
settlers evacuated from the newly independent United States of America
. It was originally named Port Roseway, until it became a very busy town and was considered to be the capital of Nova Scotia, in which the name was changed to Shelburne in an attempt to please Lord Shelburne
, as encouragement to name it the capital. He was the British
Prime Minister from 1782 to 1783. The boundaries of Shelburne County were established by Governor and Council on December 16, 1785.
The first Loyalist arrived in May 1783. They were faced with a somewhat bleak environment in which to make their homes. The land is very rocky with acidic rocky soil. There was also a lot of forest.
The area had previously been settled by French speaking Catholic Acadians, many of whom had been deported to British Colonies. The new arrivals included Black Loyalists who were given substandard land particularly around Birchtown. In 1796 about 600 Jamaica
n Maroons
were deported to this area of Nova Scotia as well.
In 1824, at a time when the lines of a number of counties were being cut out and marked, the boundary
between Queens and Shelburne Counties was surveyed.
In 1836 Shelburne County was divided into two separate and distinct counties with Yarmouth County
being formed out of what had been part of Shelburne County.
In 1854, Shelburne County was divided into two districts - the District of Shelburne
and the District of Barrington
.
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
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
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...
.
History
Shelburne County was founded in 1784 shortly following the influx of LoyalistLoyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
settlers evacuated from the newly independent United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was originally named Port Roseway, until it became a very busy town and was considered to be the capital of Nova Scotia, in which the name was changed to Shelburne in an attempt to please Lord Shelburne
William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne
William Petty-FitzMaurice, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, KG, PC , known as The Earl of Shelburne between 1761 and 1784, by which title he is generally known to history, was an Irish-born British Whig statesman who was the first Home Secretary in 1782 and then Prime Minister 1782–1783 during the final...
, as encouragement to name it the capital. He was the British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
Prime Minister from 1782 to 1783. The boundaries of Shelburne County were established by Governor and Council on December 16, 1785.
The first Loyalist arrived in May 1783. They were faced with a somewhat bleak environment in which to make their homes. The land is very rocky with acidic rocky soil. There was also a lot of forest.
The area had previously been settled by French speaking Catholic Acadians, many of whom had been deported to British Colonies. The new arrivals included Black Loyalists who were given substandard land particularly around Birchtown. In 1796 about 600 Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n Maroons
Maroon (people)
Maroons were runaway slaves in the West Indies, Central America, South America, and North America, who formed independent settlements together...
were deported to this area of Nova Scotia as well.
In 1824, at a time when the lines of a number of counties were being cut out and marked, the boundary
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
between Queens and Shelburne Counties was surveyed.
In 1836 Shelburne County was divided into two separate and distinct counties with Yarmouth County
Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia
For the ship built in Yarmouth County, see County of YarmouthYarmouth County is a rural county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It has both traditional Anglo-Scottish and Acadian French culture as well as significant inland wilderness areas, including over 365 lakes and several major rivers...
being formed out of what had been part of Shelburne County.
In 1854, Shelburne County was divided into two districts - the District of Shelburne
Shelburne, Nova Scotia (municipal district)
Municipality of the District of Shelburne is a municipal district comprising the eastern section of Shelburne County, Nova Scotia.-Demographics:Population trendMother tongue language Ethnic Groups -Communities:...
and the District of Barrington
Barrington, Nova Scotia
Barrington is a municipal district in western Shelburne County, Nova Scotia.Barrington forms the southernmost part of the province and contains Cape Sable, the eastern boundary between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine.- Demographics :...
.
Demographics
Population trend| Census | Population | Change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 15,544 | 4.2% |
| 2001 | 16,231 | 4.5% |
| 1996 | 17,002 | 2.0% |
| 1991 | 17,343 | N/A |
Mother tongue language (2006)
| Language | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 14,965 | 97.17% |
| Other languages | 275 | 1.79% |
| French only | 160 | 1.04% |
| Both English and French | 0 | 0.00% |
Ethnic Groups (2006)
| Race | Population | Pct (%) |
|---|---|---|
| White | 15,025 | 97.53% |
| Black | 270 | 1.75% |
| Other | 105 | 0.68% |
Access Routes
Highways and numbered routes that run through the district, including external routes that start or finish at the district limits:- Highways
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- Trunk Routes
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- Collector Routes:
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- External Routes:
- None
Notable people
- James BagnallJames BagnallJames Bagnall was a printer, publisher and politician in Prince Edward Island.Born in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, he was the son of United Empire Loyalists from New York...
- John Alexander BarryJohn Alexander BarryJohn Alexander Barry was born in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia and was the son of Robert Barry, a loyalist who came to Shelburne in 1773. His first wife was the daughter of the Reverend William Black, a Methodist minister....
- John BreckenJohn BreckenJohn Brecken was a businessman and political figure in Prince Edward Island. He represented Charlottetown in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 1829 to 1834....
- Mal DavisMal DavisMalcolm Sterling Davis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player.Davis played for the Amherst Ramblers, a junior team in Amherst, Nova Scotia, and then attended Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia where he was a member of the university's Huskies ice hockey team.Davis played...
- Jody HoldenJody HoldenJody Holden is a beach volleyball player from Canada, who won the gold medal in the men's beach team competition at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, partnering Conrad Leinemann. He represented his native country at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.-References:*...
- David George (Baptist)David George (Baptist)David George was an African-American Baptist preacher and a Black Loyalist from the American South who escaped to British lines, accepted transport to Nova Scotia and eventually resettled in Freetown, Sierra Leone....
- Nehemiah McGrayNehemiah McGrayNehemiah Doane McGray was a ship's captain, merchant and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Shelburne County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly as a Conservative member...
- Donald McKayDonald McKayDonald McKay was a Canadian-born American designer and builder of sailing ships.He was born in Jordan Falls, Shelburne County on Nova Scotia's South Shore. In 1826 he moved to New York, working for shipbuilders Brown & Bell and Isaac Webb...
- Thomas RobertsonThomas Robertson (Nova Scotia politician)Thomas Robertson was a Canadian civil servant, entrepreneur and politician. Robertson was a Liberal member of Parliament for the electoral district of Shelburne in the Canadian House of Commons from 1878 to 1887, a Nova Scotia Liberal member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1894 to 1902,...
- Wishart McLea RobertsonWishart McLea RobertsonWishart McLea Robertson, PC was a politician in Nova Scotia, Canada.Robertson's paternal grandfather, Robert Robertson, was a member of Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1854 until 1878. His father, Thomas Robertson was also a member of the provincial legislature, as well as serving as a Liberal...
- Nathaniel Whitworth WhiteNathaniel Whitworth WhiteNathaniel Whitworth White was a lawyer and political figure in Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented Shelburne in the Canadian House of Commons from 1891 to 1896 and represented Shelburne County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1878 to 1882 as a Liberal-Conservative member.He was born in...
External links
- Photographs of historic monuments in Shelburne County
- Discover Shelburne County
- Shelburne County Today
- Western Counties Regional Library Website
- The Loyalist Link: The Forest and The Sea