Dartmouth Patriot, 7 September 1901 Edition
 
 

No. 18[19]

The next grant was given to Hon. Joseph Gorham. It consisted of 220 acres, 20 of which were deducted for roads. Its bounds were:- On the beach, 145 rods, on Otho Hamilton's land 322 rods, on the rear base line, 110 rods, and on grant of John Duport 326 rods. This property was escheated August 24, 1797 and granted to Jacob Horn and son November 1, 1798.

Hon. Joseph Gorham was a native of Massachusetts. He was engaged in the quarrel carried on at the Isthmus of Chignecto from 1724 to about 1758. He afterwards became Commandant at Newfoundland and was made a Lieut-Colonel in the British Army. He was a member of H.M. Council in 1766.

In describing the nine grants already taken up I have styled all the grantees "Honorable." I have done this with a particular purpose. The first grant began in the vicinity of Woodside, the last grant mentioned included the land on which the Roman Catholic chapel at Eastern Passage stands. The land between these points was granted to persons, only a few of whom were members of the Council at the time of the grant, but whom, without exception became members of the Council.

To my mind this is a very strange coincidence, and one could almost imagine that the ownership of land at Eastern Passage was a necessary qualification for a Councillor. The remainder of the grantees, whom I will describe in this paper, are hardly less notable than the nine already mentioned, but from henceforth I cannot use the title Honorable in describing them.

John Duport received the grant adjoining that of Hon. Joseph Gorham. It included 225 acres, 25 of which were deducted for roads. Its bounds were as follows:- 118 rods on the beach, 326 rods on Mr. Gorham's grant, 110 rods on the rear base line and 316 rods on the land granted Joseph Chadwick.

John Duport was an English lawyer. He came out with the original expedition. On July 18, 1749, he was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the township of Halifax by the Governor on board the Beaufort. On April 29, 1752, he was again appointed to that office and in the same year he was named as Judge of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas. On October 23rd this year also he was appointed Secretary of the Council by Governor Hopson. On the 20th August, 1749, John Duport and others received a grant of 10,000 acres of land on the Pisaquid River.

Mr. Duport was instructed on Sept. 9th, 1766, to prepare a printed edition of the laws of the Province. About this time he became second Assistant Judge of the Supreme Court and in 1770 he was appointed Chief Justice of St. John's Island, now known as Prince Edward Island.

The grant adjoining that of Mr. Duport was given to Joseph Chadwick. It consisted at first of 117 acres, 17 of which were deducted for roads, but was later extended far beyond the rear base line which bounded all the properties mentioned heretofore and made a 500 acre grant which was given to Benjamin Whitear or Whitter. Some of Whitter's descendents still live at Eastern Passage. The bounds of Joseph Chadwick's grant were as follows:- 75 rods on the beach, 36 rods on grant of John Duport, 65 rods on rear base line and 282 rods on land of Benjamin Gerrish.

Joseph Chadwick's name is found in the list of settlers in the north suburbs of Halifax in 1752. He was probably one of original settlers.

The next grant consisted of 110 acres with 10 acres deducted for roads. It was given to Hon. Benjamin Gerrish and was bounded as follows:- 70 rods on beach, 282 rods on Joseph Chadwick's grant, 65 rods on rear base line and 262 rods on grant of Jacob Hurd.

Hon. Benjamin Gerrish conducted a mercantile business in Halifax in the early years of the settlement, for I find that in the "Halifax Gazette" of 1762 he announces "that sheet Cork for nets is to be sold by him at his store near the brewhouse." In 1759 Mr. Gerrish was elected to Second Assembly of Nova Scotia. The next year he was appointed Commissioner of Indian Affairs. His business was to buy goods and sell them to the Indians in exchange for furs. He was to get 5% on goods purchased and 2-1/2% on furs sold. He was appointed to the Council in 1768. He served in that body till the end of 1770.

Jacob Hurd received the next grant. It consisted of 110 acres with a deduction of 10 acres for roads. Its bounds ran 72 rods on the beach, 262 rods on grant of Hon. Benjamin Gerrish, 65 rods on rear base line and 288 rods on property of Rev. Aaron Cleveland. Peter Osller received a grant of the same property later on.

Jacob Hurd's name is found in the list of settlers in the south suburbs of Halifax in 1752. It also appears on the Grand Jury list between 1751 and 1754.

Rev. Aaron Cleveland received the grant adjoining that of Jacob Hurd. His grant ran back to the shore of Cow Bay Lake, and consisted of 248 acres with a deduction of 30 acres for roads. Its bounds were:- 162 rods on beach, 425 rods on land of Hurd and the land later on granted to Robert Cowrie 150 rods on Cow Bay Lake and 282 rods on grant of Major Leonard Lochman. Martin Soward, whose descendants still live at Eastern Passage received the same grant some years after.

Rev. Aaron Cleveland was born at Cambridge, Mass., in 1715. He was the great-great-grandfather of ex-president Grover Cleveland. He was a Congregationalist Minister who had been dismissed from two American churches on account of the advanced views he held. When Mather's or Old St. Matthew's Church was built on the site of Murdoch Nephews' building in Halifax he was elected pastor of the church which was the only one in the City with the exception of St. Paul's. He remained only 3 years and then went to England where he joined the Church of England and became a missionary of the S.P.G. He died August 11th, 1757, at the house of Benjamin Franklin at Philadelphia.

The next grant was given to Major Leonard Lockman. It consisted of 248 acres with a deduction of 30 acres for roads. Its bounds were:- 160 rods on beach, 282 rods on Rev. Aaron Cleveland's grant, 136 rods on Cow Bay Lake and 225 rods on land of Rev. Mr. Tutty. Lieut. Joseph Hawkins received this grant Sept. 3, 1784.

Major Leonard Lockman was a German doctor who came out with the original expedition. He received the rank of Major in the Army from the British Government for services rendered it. Lockman Street was named after him. He was buried under the "Little Dutch Church," where his escutcheon and monument may yet be seen. His death occurred May 9th, 1769. His age was 73 years. Reference was made to him in my sketch of Joshua Mauger.

The last grant I will take up is that which lies at the extreme end of the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour. It was granted to Rev. William Tutty and consisted of 200 acres. Its bounds were:- 225 rods on grant of Leonard Lockman and following the seashore on the other sides. Lieut. Joseph Hawkins afterwards received this grant.

Rev. William Tutty was sent out by the S.P.G. with the original settlers. He held services in the open air till St. Paul's Church was sufficiently closed in to preach in. His first sermon was preached there September 2, 1750. Mr. Tutty spoke German administered the Lord' supper to the Germans in their own language.

I have cut short many of these biographies for fear of wearying my readers, but I have given what I have written because I believe Eastern Passage has good reason to be proud of these eminent men who first owned the place. Had they been born at Eastern Passage or spent part of their lives there the honour would have been greater, but we need not regret their absence as it gave the ancestors of the present inhabitants better chance to settle at Eastern Passage, and I, for one, am quite satisfied with the present inhabitants.

(To be Continued.)