Marilyn: The Highland Clearances is one book of several written on the history of Scotland, also, Glencoe & Culloden to name just a few books written by John Prebble, they are all well index and a history book that you will not be able to lay down for long. Gerry MF > This was very interesting. Can anyone tell me about the Scotish Highland > Clearances which resulted in an exodus in the 19th century (which you > mentioned)? Marilyn C. > Subject: [ NB ] Lost Names in New Brunswick > > > > Morning... > > > > This article was published in today's (Jan 20, 2007) Telegraph Journal or > > Times Transcript. (Not sure which as it is not indicated on the net... I > > think it is the Telegraph.) > > > > Source: > > Bill Hamilton > > Published Saturday January 20th, 2007 > > Appeared on page A6 > > > > > > Aside from cultural interest, place names shed light on the evolution of a > > community, county or province. A check of old maps, directories and > > gazetteers reveals that a considerable number of New Brunswick place names > > have disappeared. Although technically "off the map," they remain > > important because of the insight they provide regarding settlement > > patterns. > > > > Londonderry, located on the old Shepody Road in Kings County, is one such > > community. As the name implies, it was first settled by immigrants from > > Ulster in Northern Ireland. Today little remains, as the forest has > > encroached on the land. The exception is St. Paul's Anglican Church, > > consecrated in 1857 by Bishop John Medley (1804-92). Described as "a neat > > Norman structure consisting of a tower, nave and chancel of pleasing > > proportions," it served the community until 1925 when regular services > > ended. > > > > After a period of neglect, the structure was refurbished in 1960. Since > > then, services have been held each summer to mark the history of the > > community. Just last month, the church was the setting for a special > > Advent candlelight service. The congregation of some 100 people included > > one person who had been baptized in the church in 1922. > > > > Second Westcock Hill in Westmorland County has a similar story. It was > > settled around 1850 by homesteaders from nearby Westcock and Sackville. As > > with Londonderry, the attraction was lumbering. Westcock, for whom it was > > named, is traceable to the Mi'kmaq Oakshaak, of unknown meaning. Although > > there is a Westcock in Surrey, England, it has no connection with New > > Brunswick. The Mi'kmaq version was adopted by the French, who filtered it > > through their language as Ouskak. Later, following English occupation, it > > evolved as Westcock. > > > > The last surviving building in the community was St. Stephen's Anglican > > Church, torn down in 1925. The first rector was Rev. G.G. Roberts, father > > of Sir Charles G.D. Roberts (1860-1943), the prominent poet and novelist. > > Second Westcock Hill was later featured in his works. > > > > Roberts the younger described St. Stephen's as "a quaint and old fashioned > > church. The shingles were grey with the beating of many winters; its > > square tower surmounted by four spindling posts, like legs of a table > > turned heavenward. Down the long slope below the church, straggled the > > village, half lost in the snow, and whistled over by the winds of the Bay > > of Fundy." > > > > Today, the only reminder of Second Westcock Hill, beyond a place name and > > the whistling wind, is a superb view of Shepody Bay and Mountain with > > Grindstone Island in the foreground. > > > > In the 19th century there were three New Brunswick communities named > > Skedaddle Ridge: two in York County and one in Carleton. All had the same > > origin. During the American Civil War (1861-65), isolated areas of the > > province became a haven for the first American draft dodgers. The American > > Dictionary of Slang (1864) defined "skedaddle" as a "disorderly retreat - > > probably set afloat by some professor at Harvard." Of the three, only the > > last mentioned, located southeast of Knowlesville, is on contemporary > > maps. > > > > Other ghost communities may be found throughout the province. Many > > resulted from bad choices by land-hungry immigrants in the 19th century. > > Some settlers came as a result of the Scottish Highland Clearances and the > > Irish Potato Famine. Established on land ill suited for agriculture, > > scores were later abandoned. > > > > The disappearance of place names was not to cease in the 20th century. In > > 1953, a large section of Queens County, west of the St. John River, along > > with a smaller part of Sunbury County, was expropriated for the > > construction of CFB Gagetown. In all, between 2,000 and 3,000 people were > > obliged to leave their homes. Some 25 communities were lost. In August > > 2003, a special 50th anniversary celebration was sponsored by the Base > > Gagetown Community Historical Association. > > > > Major projects, such as the construction of the Mactaquac Dam in the > > 1960s, have also taken a toll of place names. The descriptive Snowshoe > > Islands was obliterated. According to legend, the Mi'kmaq god Glooscap > > dropped his snowshoes here when he encountered an early spring. Later, the > > legend and name was transferred to nearby Snowshoe Cove. Mactaquac, first > > applied to Mactaquac Stream, is of Maliseet origin and was translated by > > the late historian William F. Ganong as "big branch," a possible reference > > to its relationship to the St. John River. > > > > On the positive side, two new/old names may be attributed to the Mactaquac > > development: Kings Landing and Nackawic. Kings Landing was selected as an > > appropriate designation for a historical village depicting life on the > > central St. John River during the period 1780-1870. Almost all of the > > structures were moved to the new site from flooded communities. The result > > has been an unqualified success. Kings Landing now ranks as one of the > > most visited tourist attractions in the province. > > > > As for Nackawic, because about 2,000 people were displaced to create what > > became known as Mactaquac Lake, a new town was established midway between > > Fredericton and Woodstock. First known as Culliton for an early settler, > > an alternate name was suggested by local residents. It was felt that > > Nackawic would be more befitting from a historical and geographical > > standpoint. This name is traceable to the Maliseet for "straight stream." > > Prior to flooding, the Nackawic Stream was in line with the St. John > > River. > > > > Municipal amalgamations have also led to the loss of some place names. > > Fortunately, the hyphen has come to the rescue, as in Tracadie-Sheila > > (Gloucester). Tracadie is of Mi'kmaq origin and means "camping ground," > > while Sheila (pronounced "SHYla" refers to Sheila Foster, an early > > resident. Other hyphenated place names are found in all sections of the > > province. Some place names lost are still remembered. > > > > - Bill Hamilton is an historian from Sackville. > > > > Heather Waddingham > > Campobello Parish Coordinator http://www.rootsweb.com/~nbcampob/ > > My England and Canadian Roots > > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=CDNROOTS > > Moncton High School Class of 1983 - 25 Year Reunion in August 8-9 2008 > > http://home.cogeco.ca/~genbuf/MHS1983.htm > > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________ ________ > > Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate > > in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A. > > http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545367 > > > > ------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > > NEWBRUNSWICK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > > -- > > No virus found in this incoming message. > > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > > Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.1/640 - Release Date: 1/19/2007 > > 4:46 PM > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NEWBRUNSWICK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >