<^, ^^A IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I J-iM llllii S !r III 5 2.2 1118 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" - ► V Photographic Sciences Corporation ^\r V %^ l\ \ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. MS60 (716) 872-4a:3 ^9) V vS^, O^ *% L (meaning "CON- TINUED "). or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprim^e sont filmds en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont filmds en commandant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — »- signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film6s d des taux de reduction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est filmd d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. srrata to pelure, m d n 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 'l \^^^- '- 4w -' 9 *U mm *m* " m ^- ITBl. \i~ '■\y , also extended personal help. R'-v. Mr. Cowell was rector from October * .28 till October 1829. Little was now known abou him, but i'' is understood be was an ar>ii , or navy chaplain. By the records iu u showb that November 2nd, \>*1H, he baptized Robert Currie, son of Andrew Currie. This was his first baptism and that of George Johnson was his last baptism in this parish. He baptized 59 all told during his ministry in this parish and vicinity; married 4 couples, and attended 4 funerals. Mr. Cowell was an educated man, but the oircnaistanoesof living in this region were not such as he or his wife could enjoy, and common report says he left the parish partly on account of his wife's delicate health. He removed from Woodstock to the diocese of Quebec, and of his future movements the speaker was not informed. Col. Raymond, to whom was given the task of speaking on the work and history of the Rev. Mr. Street, the next rector, gave the next address, which largely consiated of extracts from the parish records and per- sonal reminiscences. He was a strong per- sonal friend of that faithful servant of Christ, whose memory is held dear by every churchman in the parish. Rev. Mr. Street came here in 1830 when he was 24 years old, full of energy and life and for 41 years ministered to the spiritual wants of his flock, dying, as he had often expressed the wish to do "in harness." Col. Raymond also spoke of the noble manner in which the present rector. Canon Neales, had taken up and carried on the work laid down by his lamented predecessor and ear- nestly besought the laity to rally with greater heart than ever to the support of their clergy. If the work of the church lagged it was the fault of the laity. The speaker's remarks bristlea with facts of interest in the church history of the prov- ince and were wocthy of a larger audience and a more permanent record. The meeting closed with the singing ot the hymn, "O (Jod oar Help in Ages Past," and the benediction. SATURDAY'S rilOCKEDINOS. Saturday afternoon an impressive service, the installation of the new choir, was held in St. Luke's church. The conversuzione in the skating rink last night was an informal sooiikl gathering of the church people of Woodstock and their friends and was most enjoyable throughout. Rev. Canon Neales and the ladies of his congregation doing all in their power to make the affair a success. There were re- freshments in aliundance, much good music and general enjoyment. It was at first in- tended to oall tr 1866 the firm offered a hand- some silver medal, known as the Pttrker medal, as a prize for the best essay written by a pupil of the Carleton county grammar school on the History of New Brunswick. This stimulated the ambition of the writer of this article — then a boy of 14, to make his first essay in the field of provincial his- tory, not, however, with any great degree of success, for the medal was rightly award- ed to John K. Tunipkius of East Flor- enceville, whose abilities as an essayist, both when a pupil of the grammar school and subsequently as a student at the university, always placed him in the first rank among bis fellows. The following year the subj jct selected tor the Parker medal was, "Thj Settlement and Progress of Carleton county," and this time (there being no Mr. Tompkinij in the field) the writer met with greater succesp. The early days of Carleton county })eing a subject of local interest the essay, which gained the medal, was sub- sequently published in the Carleton Sentinel and the Woods' ock Acadian. For tho information contained in that essay the writer was largely inde1>ted to the older members of the Griffith, Dibblee and Beards- ley families; that derived from an interview with the late Colonel John Dibblee being especially valuable. The circumstances just narrated stimulated if they did not call into existence a love of bf&toric research, which being indulged as time and opportunity permitted, has led amongst other things to *he collection of trhe facts which arc presented on this oc- casion, ''^'^ey have been gleaned with much care and pains and some considerable ex- pense from a variety of sources, and may be accepted with confidence as accurate and reliable. THE FRENCH PERIOD ON THE UPPER ST. JOHN. "Ontho24'h of June, 1604. a li^tlo French ship silled into what is now St. John harbor. She was a paltrj craft measured by modern standards, smaller than many of tho coasting schooners of tho present day, but f-he carried the germ of an empire, for Champlaiu, de Moats and Pontrincourt, the founders of New France, were on her dock."— i/aime)/. The chart made by Champlain proves that he carefully scanned the contour of the har- bor and also assures us that little material change has been effected in the great na- tural features of the place after the lapse of well nigh three centuries. Champlain gave to the noble river of his discovery the name of Saint John, or more correctly, Saint Je.an- BaptUte, in honoi of St. John Baptist, on whose day he had entered its outlet. The Miomao name of the river was Ouygoudy^ M EARLY DAYS OF WOODSTOCK. (proDounced Wigoudi). The name, through an unfortunate misprint of the work of an early writer, ia usually given as OuaD(;ondy. The meaning of the Micmacword is a "high- way. " It is claimed by some that the first white man who ever passed down the St. John river was one David Ingram, who was put ashore at Tampico bay in the Gulf of Mexico in 1567, and wandered far to the northward till he reached a river called €lxigida, which he descended to the sea. But there is very little evidence that the river Gugida was identical with the Ouy- goudy of the Micniaoa beyond the similarity of the names. It is not till about eighty years after the discovery of the Sr. John by Champlain and de Monts that we find any definite mention made regarding the presence of the French on the upper St. John. "At this period," writes Hannay in his his- tory of Acadia, "there was a 8.r.>n8r disposition on the pctrt of many of the Aeadians to become rangers of the woods (coureurs de bois) rather than >"ultivatf^rsof he sal. This waa an evil which had reached enormous propoiti ns in Canada, and against which the most stringent laws had been enacted the penaly for bush- ranging beiog no less th»n death. The fai^cina- tions of forest life must have been strong in- deed when men would brave suci r.iks for their sake, but a couretir de bois, c he sat by his cimp fire in the wilderness, could feel that he was at least a free man, and pity his too much governed brothers in the settltmeuta." Among the men of this adventurous class there came to Acadia about this time four brothers, sons of Mathieu d' Amour, a coun- cillor of the province of Qotbac. One of these brothers received a grant of land on the Richibucto, the others on the St. John. They began a trade with the Indians, tak- ing their furs and giving them in exchange French goods and brandy. Of the brothers d'Amour, one, Mathieu, lived on the east- ern side of the St. John river opposite Oro- mocto; another, Louis, had his headquarters at the mouth of the Jemseg. The third. Bene d' Amour, who unlike his brothers was unmar ied, lived on the Upper St. John. Hia SEIGNKURIAL GKANT reads as follows: "Concession de M de laBj^rre, gouverneur du Canada, ec de M de Meules, intendant de la Nouvelle France, a Rene d' Amour sieur de Clignancourt, de terres a la riviere. Saint-Jein, pres de Medoctet, aveo I'aote de confirmation du 1 Mars 1693 20 Septembre 1684 tjcavoir faisons que sur la riquete a nous presentee par Rene d' Amour Ecuyer, Sieur de Clignancourt, a ce qu'il nous plait lui voulou accorder en titre de fief, seigneurie et justice, haut mnyenne et ba^se, se qui ae rencontre de terrea nonconcedee le loot; de la riviere Saint-Jean, depuis le lieu de Medoc- tet, icelui compria, jusqu'au long sault qui ae trouve en remontant ladite riviere de Saint Jean, icelui comprise, avec lea islets qiu ae trouveroot dans cet espace ec deux lieues de proiondeur de chaquecote de ladite riviere Saint- Jean." Fro > the foregoing French seigneurial grant . 'vppeara that on the 20th Septem- ber, 168 T, there was granted by the gov- ernor and intendant of Acadie to Rt^ne d'Amours the fief and signeurie of Clignan- court comprising all the land on either side of the River St. John extending in length from the old Meductic fort, eit(ht miles below Woodstock, to the Grand Falls, and in breadth two leagues, or six miles, back from either bank of the river. Rene d'Amours does not appear to have complied with the conditions of his grant, which re- quired him to establish settlers thereon within a limited period, but contented him- self with carrying on an illicit traffic with the Indians, securing their furs and skins and supplying them in return with but an indifferent compensation largely consist- ing of brandy and trinkets The brothers d'Amour speedily fell under the displeasure of Villebon, who at this time commanded at the fort at the mouth of the Nash walk, and he writes of them in 1695: "They are four in number living on the St John river. * * * For 10 or 12 years they have baen here. They are dis- obedient and seditious and require to be watched." The following year Villebon wrote: "I have no more reason my lord to be satisfied with the Sieurs d'Amour than I previously had. The iiie that has come from France has not pie wed me more than the other two." It was further charged against the d'Amours "That thoueh they have the be^t grants of land in th^ finest parts of the country, they havH hardly a place to lodge in. They carry on no tillaKC. kfep no catile, but live in trading with the Indians and bebauch among them, niHt-ing lHr>fe profits thereby, but injuring the public good." Commenting on this Mr. Hannay ob- serves : "Acadie was so full of cabats that ev'U these positive statements of Villebon must be taken with allowrtnce. Two of the brothers, Mathieu and Louis, certainly had permanent residences and not only goods buG cattle and wives also.' Rene, however, stems to have been a typical coureur de hois The wild adventur- ous life for him possessed great attractiouF. Not (inly were the possible profits great, but in the pursuit of them there was a fascinat- .0( ing element of adventure and danger. Hii ii h V ii EARLY DAYS OF WOODSTOCK. 11 ie tief. seigneune etbABse, 86 qui se noedee leloD«de la 8 le lieu de Medoo- I'ftU louS! aault qui L ladite rivinre de rise, avec les ieleta ;et eapaoe ec deux ihaque cote de ladite French Beigneurial ,n the 20th Septeni- granted by the «ov- )f Acadie to Rtne igneurieof Clignan- B land on either side extending in leiigth ,ic fort, ei«ht milea :he Grand Falls, and ,, or BIX miles, back f the river. Rene pear to have complied • his grant, which re lish settlers thereon 1 but contented him- an illicit traffic with their furs and skins in return with but sation largely consist- okets . , our speedily fell under iTiUebon, who at this 16 fort at the mouth ol writes of them in iVin number living on ♦ * For 10 or 12 here. They are dis- hus and req^i'^.J;". *** lowing yar Villebon [jore reason my lord to Sieurs d' Amour than hR . ue that has come le«edme more than the urther charged against career on the have lasted during which probably the upper St. John seems to about sixteen years, time the Meductic was chief centre of his -transactions with the Indians His rights in the immense tract of land granted him lapsed when he abaodoued the country. As already stated, there is nothing to show that Rene d'Amour ever attempted to place any fettlers on his fertile and extensive seigneurie. Were it possible for the old bush ranger to travel today from the Me- ductic to the Giaud Ftklls, he would be obliged to confess, unless he wa') very strongly prejudiced indeed, that some im- provement had been made in his ancient seieneurie during the pjist 200 years. In the e^rly days of the last century there was a regular route along the river by which communication with Quebec was maintained by the French on the lower St John, and also by those in the Nova .Scotian peninsula. From Beausejour, Baie Verte and perhaps even from Louiabourg messensfers passed by way of the St. John ta Quebec The route was by way of the Petitcodiac, up which canoes passed to North river, thence by a portage of some eight miles to the Canaan .and down that river to the VVashademoak, thence up the St. John to the Madawaska and Temiscouata, and so on to the St. Law- rence, At the time of the great tinal struggle between England and France for the sovereignity of Canada and Acadia •(1744-1763) this route was considerably used by the French, who must thus have passed the site of the town of Woodstock fre quently and occasionally in lar&;e parties. They had a regular po^t at the Grand Falls in 1753 Many yeard before this BISHOP ST VALIKR OF QUKBEC descended the St John on his tour amongst the Frencii settlements of Acadia. An ac- oount of this tour will be found in a book printed in Farin in 1688, entitled 'The pres- ent state of the Crfurch and the French Colony in New France." The book is of intense interest to the historian. It con- tains among<>t other things the first pub- lished description of the Grand Falls, a translation of which is as foUowo: "The following: day, 17th of May, we saw the place which i-ica led the gre it fall of ••^t. .loha ui Kiio "^ -joTipps ''b® Baptis'^^ (Saint Jea«-Bap iste). who e the id permanent resiaerLi-^^ river dt. John, falling over a very high rock as cattle and wives a lao. a cascade into an abyss, uhikes a mist which have been » hidrs tho wa^er froiiview and makes a roar which warni from afar the navixaors descenu- .i«.,. Ing in their CAnoe=." kased great attractiouc. liBsible profits great, but I f r^-:„.,f. /.».i,..ao «f kic f/^.,.. h<> ci<>>^,. ..» Mtidoctec one have the be-t grants of rts of the country, they lodge in. They carry on aUe.builive in trading bebauch among thern: hereby, but mjurlug the ;hi8 Mr. Hannay ob- of cabats that evn these Pvillebon must be taken of the brothers. Mat hic terns to is The wild adventur- wnic. Bishop St. Vi»lier mentions that in the there was a f ascinat- .course of his tour he slept at Iture and danger. Hi« night. French missionaries to the Indians were at work on the St. John within a few years of its discovery. Pierre Biard and Enemond Masse were sent out by the Duchess de Guercheville as early as 1611. Mass was celebrated by them in that year on one of the islands ou the St. John river close to Oak Point One of the mofet important mission centres on the river was that at the Indian settle- ment at Meductic. Here the dusky forest children were taught and instructed in 1690 by Father Simon of the order of St. Francis. John G>le8, in the exceedingly interesting narrative nf his life amongst the Indians, speaks of Father Simon as "A gentleman of a humane, generous disposi- tion, who in his serrnona most severely repre- hended the Ini'ians for their barbarities to cap- tives. He would often nil them that, except- ing their errors in religion, th" Englicli were a better people than themselves." Father Simon, however took part in most of the expeditions a({aintV'T>. When they c' iiic to th ^ brow cf the hill James pointed lo the stumps, and at the same time touching his hetilewiih hia ton gave ir amo- tion down the hill; at every turn its b^il clat- lered, w^ich caused James and his master mj see a Mohawkin every stump, and they lost no time in 'turning tail to,' and he was ih • best fellow who could run the fastest. This ularmi d all the Indians in the village. They were about SO I r iO in number, and they packed otf bag and baggage, some up the river and others down, and old not return under 15 daye; and then ihe heat of the weather beicg over our hard service was abated for this season. I never heard that the Indians unders'ood the occasion of > heir flight, buv James and I had many a private laugh ab mt it." Id this connection it is interesting^ to note the fact that Shiktehawk means "whore he killed him." It is believed by the Maliseets that their last great battle with the Mohawks waa fought at the mouth oF the Shiktehawk, and that it was finally decided by a battle between two chiefs in which the Mohawk chief was slain and lies buried there. ALL ALONG THE ST. JOHN KIVER there are places to which the Indians at- tach storie? of this kind, many of which tell of their old fights with the Mohawks. The legendary lore of the older Acadian In- dians is varied and interesting Leland's "Algonquin Legends," although in some re- spects an unfortunate and misleading work, will give some idea of these rich hgends. One of the most romantic and striking of the St. John river legends is that of the destruction of the Mohawks at Grand Falls through the heroism of a Maliseet woman whose life waa spared after her capture by the invading Mohawks on conrlition that she would pilot them to the Meductec village. The story of the way in which she at the risk and possibly the sacrifice of her own life led the fieet of canoes which bore the hated enemies of her tribe to the brink of the cataract whence they were hurled to sudden and fearful destruction^ is very well told by Col. Baird in his "'eventy years of New Brunswick life," and also with some variety of detail by Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon in his "VVilfiemesa journeya. " The Indiana still call the Grand Falls Chick-uu-ik-pe, which means "a destroyiner giant." The dread of irte Mohawks entertained by the Maliseets was handed down through miiny generations and even within the memory of men still living the St. John Indian would start at the sudden mention of the word Mohawk! The M'iliseets like other Indian tribes of Maine and Canada were usually leagued with the French against the Knglish. From their cruel habits and peculiar modes of warfare they were always a terror to the early settlers Nevertheleaa, there is every reaaon to believe that the popular idea re- garding the number of Indians on the Up- per St. John in the early days of its settle- ment are greatly exaggerated. Hannay^ goes so far as to say : EAItLY DA.YS OF WOODSTOCK. 13 ^. or thiBseaaon. I unders'ood the James and I had t." interesting- to ktehawk means It is believed by ast great battle ;ht at the mouth at it was tinally en two ohiefs in as slain and lies OHN KIVEB the Indians at- many of which th the Mohawks, older Acadian In- 'esting Leland's lough in some re- misleading work, lese rich legends, and striking of 1 is thut of the lawks at Grand im of a Maliaeet ks spared after vading Mohawks irould pilot them The story of the risk and possibly fe led the fleet of ed enemies of her cataract whence idden and fearful ,old by Col. Baird I New Brunswick I variety of detail n Gordon in hia The Indians still ik-unik-pe, which It." wks entertained by )d down through even within the ing the St. John I sudden mention of 3r Indian tribes of re usually leagued the Knglish. From peculiar modes of 8 a terror to the sless, there is every 3 popular idea re- udians on the Up- days of its settle- [gerated. HannajF' "I am firmly convinced, after a pretty thorough investigation of every available original authority, that there are more Indians in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia now than ttiere ever were during any part of either the 17th or 18tb centuries." Without committing ourselves to this view we must bear in mind that if the cen- sus returns be in any degree reliable, no appreciable diminution has taken place in the number of Indians on the St. John during the past iifcy years, although they have shitted their location somewhat from time to time. In 1726 John Gyles, who bad lived six years with them at Meductic, says that the number of Indians (presum- ably of males) of 16 yearn and upwards on the river St. John was 100, and at Passa- maquoddy 30. Nn record ia ex tan c to show that more than 3U0 Mali»eet warriors, gathered from the whole region from the St. John to the Penobacor, were engaged ic any of the numerous raids that were made on the English s^tclements. The num- bers of the Indians were h wever undoubt- edly diminished in 1694 by a terrible pestilence which swttpt acrotss Maine and Acadia. At Meduc'ic alone over 100 In- dians died, and the blow was so great that the Indians for a time forsook the plane and did not settle or plant corn there for several years. From their habits and cus- toms the lodiaos could not become very numerous. The huttar must of necessity draw his subsisteuce from a very wide range of territory, and we must bear in mind that the hardship and privation to which the Indians were exposed in the winter season generally proved fatal to all but the strongest ani most hardy. Cadillac, writing in 1693, says the ''Mala- aeets are well shaped and , tol- erably warlike. They attend to the culti- vation of the soil and grow the most beautiful Indian corn Their fort is at Medocteck." The site of "his old Indian fort is well known. It is situated on the west bank of the St. John, about eight miles below Woodstock, opposite the foot of an island which used to be called Watson's, or Meductiu island. The fort was not at the mouth of the Meductic or Eel river, but four miles abtve. Ic guarded the lower end of the portage route to Eel river, the lower 12 miles of which are not uavigftble for canoes The Indians had here a Urge per- manent settlement and all the French writers tpeak of it. It always furnished a igood number of warriors when any trouble was afoot on the St. John. Mention was made a few moments since of KINO WILLIAM 'S WAK. This was the second of the two great wars which stand out with such prominence in early New England history, and was so named from the Englirfh monarch in whose reign it took place. It begtin in 1688 and lasted 10 years. All the iniian tribes east of the Merriniick engaged in it. The struggle was a terrible one. Every English settlement in Maine, except Wells, York, Kittery and the Isle of ShoalH was overrun. A thousand white people were killed or taken prisoners and the Indians suffered quite as neverely. Like every other war with the Indians, the whites were respon- sible for its origin. One of the minor in- cidents of thid war is of great interest to ua, but time will only admit of a brief reference to it, which here follows: A little earlier chan the founding of Bos- ton a settleinen'. called Penimuquid was formed on t)ie oottst of Maine, midway be- tween the Kcjnebec and Penobscot rivers, and a fort was subsequently bui t for ita protection Oa the '2ud August, 1689, this fort was attacked iiud captured by a p*rty of 100 Indians, most of whom were from the St John. Amongst the prisoners taken was John Gyles, then a boy about 11 yeurs of age. He was taken by his Indian master eastward to Peo(il>jcot fort. In the acuouut which he subs'-quently wrote Gyles says: "My Indian nuster carried me up Penob- scot river to a village called Madawamkee, which stands on a point of land between the niiin rivtr and a brunch which leads to the east of it. The next day we went up that eastern branch of the Penobscot river many leagues, carried overland Ij a large pond, and from one pond to another, till in a few days we went down a river called the Medoctack which vents itself into the St. John's river. But bdfore we C4me to the mouth of this river, we passed over a long carrying place to Medoctack fort which stands on a bank of St. John's river. My master went before and left me with an old Indian and 2 or 3 squaws. The old man often said (^hich was all the English he could speak), 'By and by come to a great town and fort.' After some miles travel we came in sight of a large cornfield, and soon after of the fort to my gre it surprise. Two or 3 squawH met us, took off my pack and led me to a Itrge hut or wigwam where 30 or 40 Indians were dancing and yelling round 5 or 6 poor captives. I was whirled 14 EARLY DATS OF WOODSTOCK, in among this circle of Indians, and we prisoners looked on each other with a sorrow- ful countHnance." Gyles proceeds to describe the tortures to which the poor prisoners were subjected, and which need not be enumerated here, and then goes on to say: "The Indians looked on me with fierce countenances, as much as to say, it will be your turn next. I timiUd on them, though my heart ached. I looked on one and an- other, but could not perci«^ve that any eye {litied me. Presently came a equaw and a ittle girl and laid down a bag ot corn in the ring. The little girl took me by the hand, making signs for me to go out of the circle with them. Not knowing their custom I supposed they designed to kill me, and re- fused to go. Thuu a grave Indian c^meand gave me a shoit pipe and said in English, *8mokeir.' Then he took me by the hand and led me out. He carried me to a French hut about a mile from the Indian fort. The Frenchman was not at home, but his wife, who was a (quaw, had some discourse with my Indian friend which I did not under- stand. " Baving tarried about 2hrp.,GyIes and bis protector returned to the Indian village, where he received trom one of bis fellow captives "a melancholy account of their Butferinga" during his ab«ence. We come now to what ought to be a mat- ter of some interest to this meeting, viz , the introd notion of John Gyles to OUR TOWN OF W00U8T00K just 202 years ago and the account shall be in his own words: "After some weeks had passed we went up the St. John 8 river about 10 miles to a branch called Medocksetnecasis, where was one wigwam." Woudstock usually extends a warm welcome to strangers and John Gyles was much surprised at the warmth of bis reception. "At our arrival," said he, "an old »quaw saluted me with a yell, tak- ing me by the hair and one hand, but I was so rude as to break her hold and free my- self. She gave a grin and the Indians set np a laugh and so it passed over." (If John Gyles wore here tmoght he would notice some improveneot in the manners of the ladies of the place ) Next we have his bill of fare. "Welived,"he8. Then we went further down the river till we came to the^ greatest falls in ohese parts, where we oap EARLY DAYS OF WOODSTOrK. 15* fordable, where- ed over bag and ibuse fiom them' ough I was putr Dg burdena and underwent the >ften encourage jglieh, "By and they oould not iked them, and ;om9 and way of I be constantly It run in my gr to some settle-^ was over-heavry t>ehind, and the Fancied I could htar the people ih hope though ay, yet I found 300 miles from I in iiiirnber and a wholly depend- ir had happened 8ometi 'Ties we efor 3 or 4 itiys. providence was 1 men, who had noose, but there w on the ground hem, ran into a 3nt around the out returned at Id what had hap- g they followed found him lying 'ossing the roots in blown down, e over the water M roots of the nd bitched one roots and thus jvided for in our 1 the supply was success." teresting details eir hunting the ard in quest of had got to the as near the St. )roceeds "When ivers broke up^ I of St. John's of moose hides, and pitching 1 with charcoal, ver to a place re an old man ing houBe,where Then we went ve came to the^ where we oar T ried our canoes a little w^y over the land, then putting off our canoes we went down stream still and ai we passed the mouths of any large branches we saw Indians. At length we arrived at the place where we left our birch oanoes in the fall and putting our bAs;gagc into them, went down to the tort. "There we planted corn and after plant- ing went a fishing and to look for and dig roots till the corn was fit to weed. Af cer weeding we took u. second tour on the same errand and thou returned to hill our corn. After hilling we went some distance from the fort and field up the river to take salmon and other fish which we dried for food, where we continued till the corn was filled with milk. Some of it we dried then, the other as it ripened. To dry corn when in the milk they gather it in large kettles and boil ii, on the ears till it is pretty hard, then shell it from the cob wiih ulam sheila and dry it on bark in the aun. When it is thoroughly dry a kernel ia uo bigger than a Eea and would keep years, and when it ia oiled again it awella aa large aa when on the ear and laatea incompttrably aweeter than other corn. When we had gathered our corn and dried it in the way already described, we put aome iutn Indian barna, that ia into holea ia the ground lined and covered with bark and then with earth. The rest we carried up river on our next winter's hunting." The Indians, though sometimes exceed- ingly cruel to their pi iaonera, were not with- out some sense of right and justice. This is shown by the following inoidf nt, WHICH GYLES RKLAThS: "While at the Indian village, I had been cutting wood and bindini< it up with an Indian rope, in order to carry it to the wig- wam. A stout, ill-natured young fellow about 20 years old threw mn backward, ■at on my breast, pulled out his knife and said he would kill me, for he had never yet killed one of the Eng- lish. I told him he might go to war and that would be more manly thaa to kill a poor captive who waa doing thj-ir drudgery for t^em. Notwithstanding all I could Hay, he began to cut and stab me on my breast. I seized him by the hair and tumbling him off me, followed him with my fist and knee with such application that he aoon cried 'enough.' But when I saw the blood run from my bosom and felt the smart of the wounds he had given me, I at him again and bid him get up and not lie there like a dog; told him of hia former abusea to me and other poor captives, and that if he ever offered the like to me again I would pay him double. I drove him before me, and taking up my burden of wood, came to the Indians and told them the whole truth, and they com- mended me." Gyles' description of Indian habits and customs ia extremely interesting, but the limits of this paper will only allow mention of one or two, which we give in the words of the narrator. "If an Indian loao his fire, he can pres- ently take two sticks, one harder than the other {the drier the better) and in the soft- est one make a hollow or socket, in which one end of the hardest stick being inserted, then holding the aofteat piece firm between the kneea, whirla it round like a drill, and fire will kindle in a few minutes. "If they have lost their kettle, it is but putting their victuals into a birch dish, leaving a vacancy in the middle, filling it with watHf and putting in ho*: stones alter- nately; they will thuH thoroughly boil the toughcHt neck of bio^. "If a young fellow deferminsa to marry, his relativea and the JeauitH advise him to a girl. He goea into thf wipwam where she is and looks on her. If he likes her app-^ar- anoe he tosses a chip or stick into her lap, which she takes and with a reserved side look views the person who aent it, yet han- dles the chip with admiration, as though she wondered from whence it came. If ahe likes him she throws the chip to him with a modest smile, and then nothing is wanting but a ceremony with the Jesuit to conaum- mate the marriage. But if ahe dislikes her suitor, she, with a surly countenance, throws the chip aside, and he comes no more there." The entire narrative of John Gyles is full of interest and ia of great value for its plain, truthful record of the daily life and doings of the Indiana. After living for about 6 years with them he was bought by Louis d'Amour, with whom he spent nearly three years, and was finally released through the kindneaa of his master's wife, Marguerite (Guyon) d'Amour. His narrative concludes with these words: "On the senoni of August, 1689, 1 waa taken, and on the 19th of June, 169<. I ari^ed at Bos- ton; so I was absent 8 years, 10 months and 17 day". In all which time, though I underwent extreme diltlcul'its, yet I saw much of Qod's goodness. And iiiiy the mo-t powrrf'il and beniflcent BeinK accept of thl- public testimony of it, and t«less my exp^rienoes t > excite others ti confide in His all-sufflciency through the in- finite merita of Jesus Christ." BKFOKK, CLOSINO this brief account of the Maliseets of the upper St John it may be interesting to mention the moat probable signification of 16 EARLY DAYS OF WOODSTOCK. the principal Indian names applied to the rivers and streams of this lesion. 'I'he meaning and real derivation of the»e Indian names it is in some cases no easy task to de- termine. The meaning of many of them the Indians themselves have forgotten. The word Maniac, for instance, is supposed to he a contraction of the Indian name of the river which is (according to Edward Jack) Am-wa-neck. Bat the meaning of Am-wa-neck the Indians themselves do not kniiw. Tobique, the Indians say, is a white man's word. Professor Ganoog says an old In- dian infoimed him the river was named by the whites after an Indian family named Tobique who lived at its mouth in the last century. The Indians call the river Na- goot or Na-goot-cook. Munquart, according to Edward Jack, is a corruption of Ob mut-qua-tuck, which siguifies "leaving the river at a sharp angle." Beccaguimec — The meaning is very an- oertaio. According to Mr. Jack it is de- rived from A-bek-aguimek, that ia, a branch coming down Others think the name is connected with Quimi-c, which, ac- cording to an old Indian, meant a salmon bed, of which there was a famous example at the mourh of this river. MeduxnekeHg means "rocky at its mouth. " Eel river the French maps all mark Medoc- tec. The Indians somtimes call it Cant-a- we nip, meaning Eel river- Shngomoc river takes its name from the lake of which it ia the outlet. The Mali- seetK call it be-og-a mook, that is "muddy" or "srill lake." Pokiok means a deep gorge. Tht-se are nearly all the Indian names that have persisted in the maps (d that part of the St. John which we are considering. P^TEK FISHER of Fredericton, whose son of the same name has fiijurer^ so prominently in the history of Woodstock, published about 1825 a very in- teresting history of New Brunswick, some portions of which at least should be re- printed. In ttis description of the first English settlement on the St. John, which wai at Maugerville in 1762, he relates that when the • xploring party miuifested a desire to settle upon the site of Fredericton, then known as St. Ann's, they were confront- ed by a large party of Indians, arrayed in all the pomp and panoply of ?'ar. "Their chiefs, with grave countenances, in- formed the adventurers that they were ties- passers on their right«; that the cuuntry belonged to them, and unless they returned immediately they (the Indians) would com- pel them. They had some time ago keld a conference with Governor Lawrence and had consented that the English should settle the country as far up as 3rimroes." After some negotiations the party succeeded in establishing themselves at Maugerville In a lecture delivered in the old Wood- stock Mechanics' Institute, the late Judge John Bedell describes a visit paid to the Meduc'ic fort about the beginning of the century by two commissioners from Halifax, who were sent to make a treaty with the Indians with a view to extend the settle- ment of the country. "Arrived at the entrance of the fort the commissioners made known the object of their visit. Pref>ently a number of stalwart men presented themselves dressed in gorge- ous attire. After salutation the commis- sioners asked, 'By what right or title do you hold these lands?' A tall powerful chief standing erect and with the air of a plumed knight, pointing within the wall of the fort replied, 'There are the graves of our grand- fathers; there are the graves of our fathers; there are the graves of our children.' " In the earlier treaties with the Indians it was sometimes stipulated that the English settlers should not he allowed to kill any wild game in any part of the wilderness, beyond the limits of th^^ir farms and im- provements. Orders were on one occasion sent by Governor Wilmot of Nova Scotia to restrain the settlers from huntiug wild animals in the woods. At the commencement of the revolutionary war overtures were made both by the gov- ernment at Halifax and also by the Ameri- cans to induce the Indians to take part in the conflict. Large presents and t'uppliea were made by both alike, and the IndiaLS may be said to have remained neutral and continued to live largely at the expense of the two parties during the war. At the time of the American war the British government, in order to maintain communication during the winter season be- tween Quebec and Halifax, established a post route up the St. John. The mails were carried by runners on snowshoes, often accompanied by toboggans drawn by dogs. In connection with this winter service a series of post houses were established and maintained by the government. Those be- tween Fredericton and Grand Falls were as follows: (1) Just above Long's Creek; (2) just above Nackawick; (3) just above Eel river; (4) a few miles above Woodstock; (5) at the mouth of the Munquart; (6) at the mouth of the Tobique; (7) at Grand Falls. tbey returned ib) would oom- ime ago keld a wrencuaud had U should Bettle mross." After ^ succeeded in iaugerville the old Wood- the late Judge it paid to the jginning of the rs from Halifax, ;reaty with the end the settle- 3 of the fort the Q the object of mber of stalwart ressed in gorge* on the commifl- it or title do you powerful chief I air of a plumed I wall of the fort res of our grand- >8 of our fathers; children.'" h ttie Inflians it hat the English wed to kill any the wilderness, r farms and im- on one occasion if Nova Scotia to n huntiuK wild the revolutionary both by the gov- BO by the Ameri- s to take part in ats and mppliea and the Inrtiaca ned neutral and it the expense of war. merican war the rder to nnaintain winter season be- *x, established a ohn. The mails snowshoes, often drawn by dogs, winter service a established and ment. Those be- .nd Falls were as Long's Creek; (2) i) just above Eel » Woodstock; (5) jquart; (6) at the 7) at Grand Falls. I EARLY DAYS OF WOODSTOCK. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 17 In the early days of the 18th century the great majority of Koglish poople knew little and cartd lesa about the affairs of the col- onists iu America. Thin general apathy and indifference on the part of the British public gave opportuoitv f<, From the past want of oare In the ftris.inerii now oootinea Id the Jail imtn*'dlate yboneaih tiin co'iventlon chamber, the same ii ^upponed to hav I b-come unwholetome. and yen uanwiousant dlsatceeable < ttlavla arises wbioh may endanuor i ho health q( the mum- bernof the convntTon; Thertfore Resolved, That for the or serva- tlon • f ibeir heal h the memborH of the oon- vei t'on tie at libc^ry at their pleasure to smoke while the house is sltilng and procoedini; to buoiness. Governor Morris, who moved the resolu- tion, >kas not a smoker The truly loyal subjects of King George III. in Amerioa were as keenly sensitive ^o the injustice of the government of the day in its policy towards the American colonies M were those of their countrymen who took up arms. But their warm attachment to the mother land and thtir affection for British institutions and traditions led them to re- C{ard an appeal to the sword as a last resort. Believiog that the British nation would yet be aroused to a sense of its duty to its American subjects tbey wished to fight the battle for the redress of their grievances with the powerful weapons which had proved successful before as they have proved suc- cessful since in similar emerc(eucied — free- dom of speech, freedom of the pen, freedom of the press They regarded as their en- emy tiie ministry of the day, not the king of England to whom they owed and had sworn allegiance. But royal folly in England and demagogic fan- aticism in America joined hands to crush such a constitutional settlement of the dis- pute, brought about a bloody civil war and finally effected a termiuation of the quarrel nnlooked for by either party at its com- mencement. There has been a good deal of speculation on the part of students of American history as to the probable issue of events had Pitt been at the helm of state in the troublous times preceding the revolution Of this we may be certain that had Pitt held the reins of power American indepeadeaoe would not have come when it did, and if it oame at a later period it would in all proba- bility have been achieved peaceably,aDd not at t he expense of a disastrous civil war. Many of those who sided with the mother country in the revolutionary war were nren of noble character and of hisih position, but there was also a large loyal element in the humbler walks of life. It was found alike in the farmers of New England, the artisans of Mew York and Philadelphia, the Quakers of Pennsylvania and the blacks of Georgia and South Carolina. In New England and the middle states the clergy of the Church of Eng- land were very outspoken in their disapproval of armed revolt and throughout the war were remarkably steadfast in their fidelity to the king to whom at their ordination they had sworn allegiance. Their congregations as a rule shared the sentiments of their pastors. The revolution in America assumed the oh arao- ter of a civil war to a much greater degree than United States writers are prepared to admit. By all estimates, probably below the mark, 25,000 natives of America were enrolled in the king's service at one time or another during the war. In December, 1780, the number of provincial troops, regularly enlisted among the British forces was by official returun 8,954. The strength of the Aiiieriuan army at the same time was but a little more than 21,000 men. Brymner, the Canadian archivist, in his re- port for 1883, gives the names of 29 loyal- ist corps which were disbanded ia New Brunswick at the close of the war and were assigned grants of lands in proportion to their ranks and services. We may note in passing, the New Jersey volunteers received a grant at Kingsclear; the York volunteerti and Royal Guides and PioneHrs received a grant at Keswick; the King's American Dragoons in the parish of Prince William and DeLanoey's second battalion a grant at Woodstock. At the close nf the revolution the victorious Americans continued to manifest intense hostility toward the loyalistt>, particular- ly those who had enlisted' in the king's ser- vice. This bitterness pervaded the words and acts even of such men as Washington and John Adams, first and second presi- dents of the Untt'-d States. Adams in a letter of D<'i;ember 15th, 1780, laments "that the executive officers had been too timid in a point which I so strenu- ousl> recommended at the first, viz, to fine, imprison and hang all inimical to the cause without fear, fa^or or affection. I would have hanged my own brother, "he adds, "had he taken part with our enemy in the con- test." The hostility evinced by their late antag- onists led the officers commanding his majesty's provincial regiments to unite in laying their case before Sir Guy Carleton in a letter da*^ed March 14r,h, 178:^, in which they state that "should the American prov- inces be severed from the British empire it will be utterly impossible for those^ who have served her majesty in arms in this war to remain in the country. The _ personal animosities that arose from civil diseensions have been so heightened by the blood shed in the contest that the parties can never be reconciled." The letter proceeds to show that the EARLY DAYS OF WOODSTOCK. 19 armed revolt were remarkably 1 to the king to a thry had aworn sgatioDB M a rule their paatora. The luined the oharao- loh greater degree ra are prepared to «, probably below I of America were rvioe at one time or ar. In December, provincial troope, the British forces 954. The strength \X the same time than 21,000 men. irohivist, in his re- names of 29 loyal- [iabanded io New t the war and were in proportion to services. We iBsing, the New eived a grant at olunteem and Royal eceived a grant at nerioan Dragoons in liam and DeLanoey's at Woodstock. At tion the victorious o manifest in tease 3vali8ti«, particular- A in the king's ser- ervad>'d the vtords ten as Washington and second presi- States. Adams jber 15th, 1780, )utive officers had which I so strenu- e first, viz, to fine, imical to the cause affection. 1 would her, "te adds, "had memy in the con- J their late antag- commanding his gimeots to unite I Sir Guv Carleton lr,h, 178», in which ne American prov- iBritish empire it for those who arms in this war The personal civil diseeasions by the blood shed tties can never be Irooeeds to show LOYALISTS HAVE HACRIFICBD their all at what they deemed the call of duty, modestly refers to their important services during the contest and expresses anxious coocern for the future of their fam- ilies which include "wives barn to the fair- est expectations and tenderly brought up, and children for whose education and future happiness they feel responsible." The letter closes with a humble request "that grants of Unds may be made to them in some of his majesty's American provinoes, and that they may be assisted in making nettlemeuts in order that they and their children may still enjuy the benefit of British government." Also, "that some permanent provision may be made for such of the non-commissioned officers and privates as have been disabled from wounds, and for the widows and or- phans of deceased officers and soldiers," and, finiUy, "that as a reward tor their services the rank ot the officers be made permanent in America and that they may all be entitled to half-pay upon the re- duction of their regiments." The prayer of these petitions was substantially granted, and to Sir Guy Carleton in a large degree is the honor due that their claims for generous treatment were not lost sight of. DeLancey's second battalion as has been mentiontid received a grant of land at Wood- stock. A word may now be said regarding it. The brigade consisted of three bat- talions, each 500 strong, under command of Brigadier General Oliver DeLancey. The first and second battalions consisted chiefly of New York loyalists, with probably a con- siderable contingent from the Tory towns of Connecticut, such as Stamford, Green- wich, Norwalk aod F«kirfield. The third battalion was entirely drawn from Queens county, Long Island. The brigade saw some active service from time to time and was warmly commended by the commander in chief of the British forces as having "be- haved with credit, reputation, honor and courage." As a natural consequence the corps was very unpopular with the Ameri- cans, and this is curiously proven by a peti- tion dated Jan. 2, 1782, in which the peti- tioners emphatically protest against the pro- priety of allowing any members of that "most infamous banditti known as DeLan- cey's corps" to return to their homes in Sta mford or Greenwich. At the close of the war the brigade was disbanded in Nova Scotia (then including this provinue.) DeLanoey's second battalion was commanded by Col George Brewerton and Stephen DeLancey, eldest son of the brigadier, was lieutenant colonel. In consequence of the immense influx of loyalists in 1783, Governor Parr and his council r.t Halifax were at their wits end in endeavoring to provide both for their im- mediate wants ana for their future loca- tions. The facilities for travel were so verv poor at this time that communication with the authorities at Halifax involved consid- erable delay — delay that was exceedingly irritating to the thousands of loyalists who at the mouth of the vSt. John river were impatiently waiting somedefinite direction as regards their settlement in this country. Rev. John Sayre wrote to the S. P.G. in October, 1783, that he found the loyalists at St. John unsettled and many of them on the brink of despair on account of the delays in al- lotting their lands to them, which, however, he hopes miy soon be made easy, as he has had a conference with Gov. parr on that subject. Co). Edward Winalow wrote to his frii^nd Ward Chipman: "I saw all those provincials, whioh we have 80 fr^^quon ly iitustorcd, landiog in thii inhos- piLablu clima c in t.Sie month of < lotobor, with- out shelter and without knowing where to find a place to reside . The chagrin of the offlcors WHS not to mo as truly attocting as the dis- tress of the men. Those rop itable sergeants of Ludlow's, Fannirg's, Hobinsoa's, etc. (once hos- pitable yeomen ot the country) .tCdreased me in language tttat aim >8t murdered me aa I heard it: ".sir. we have aerved all the war; we were promised land; we expected ybu had ob- tained it for us. We like tiie country; only let ua nave a apot of our own and give ua such kind of regulationa us will protect us.'" The aympathy felt for these unfortunate exiles stimulated Col. Winslow to propose to Gen. Fox, who was also a witness ot their distress, the establishment of a separate government at St. John to more adequately deal with the situation. This, as is well known, was speedily brought about and the new province received the name of New Brunswick. From the fact that Col. Wins- low refers to the arrival in October, 1783, of De Lancey's 3rd battalion, commanded by Capt. Ludlow, it would seem probable that the 2ad battalion also wintered in St. John. Capt. Jacob Smith, Sergt. Thos. Fowler, Corp. Richard Rogers and others of thiq battalion drew adjoining city lots on the south side of Britain street near Went- worth. The following } ear the officers and men of this battalion were allotted lands ON TUR DPPER ST. JOHN. The grant was passed under the great seal of Nova Scotia and is dated the 15th day of October, 1784. The names of the grantees as recorded in the crown land office at Fred- erioton are 120, and are placed in alpha- betical order. As a rule each private re- ceived 100 acres of land, each non-commis- sioned officer 200 acres and each commis- sioned officer 550 acres. The grant con^ prised 24,150 acres with usual allow- 20 EARLY DAYi OP WOODSTOCK. ano« of 10 per cent, for ro»di. Iti boundaries, as ebown in the annexed plan are : "Beginning at an aah tree on the weetern bjink of the river 8t John, about two milee below the ielaad called Meduotio, thence to rua we«t by the magnetic needle 360 ohaine (or 4^ milei), thence north 700 chaina, thence north 25 degreee eait, 365 chains, thenue eaat to the river and thence down atream to the place of beginninf{, indudint; Meductio iaiaad and two other iMlanda next ab >ve it. " It appeara that life in the wilderneaa nt the upper St. John did nut furniah auffi- cient ttttrikotiona for the majority of the dial itnded aoldiera and nflicera, for about half of the lota orifjiDallv granted were eacheated, no attempt having been made to ■ettle or retain poaaeaaina of them, and by a new grant made Outob:ir 30, 1807, 21 lota were now aaaigned to 8amuel McKeea and 18 others The aoldier'a lot of 100 acres was an ex- oeedingly awkwaid one for a farmer, being 4^ miles long and about 16 roda wide, and the gift of 100 aorea of land in that form waa about equivalent to the gift of a town lot 120 ft m depth and with one foot frontage on the atreet. (Consequently it need aurpriae no one that many of the granteea of the block of land aaaigned to Delanoey's second battalion aold their lots for whatever they would bring, others simply ignored them altogether. THE FIRST SETTLKMENT AT W«)ODST00K was however made by niuinbtra of thia corps either in the summer of 1783 or more prob- ably the following spring. Air.ongst the Eioaeer settlers were Capt. Jacob Smith, lent. Benj. P. Griffith, Ser«t. MoShaflfrey, Corporal Richard Rogers, all of DeLancey's brigade. George Bull and Joseph Cunliffe who came about tbe same time or a little later were also retired officers, Mr. Bull having held a commission as lieutenant in the Atnerioan Legion and Mr. Cunliffe a like commission in the New Jersey \' olun- teers. In the selection of their lands the new comers showed excellent judgment in pass- ing beyond the granite belt that crosses the St. John below Eel River and selecting the fertile intervales and flats at v\ oodstock. Very possibly their eyes may have been opened to the capabilities of the country by a glimpse of the Indian cornfields at Meductio village. The Woodetook Intervalea and Islandi were then much more extensive than now, for the deatruoti/e action of the water hae WAHHKt) AWAY IIUNDUEDH OP A0RK8 of most valuable land along the valley of of the upper St. John. The exposed banks of intervales and islands were formerly strengthened against the wear and tear of spring freshets by the roots of trees that frew luxuriantly to the very water's edire. he clearing of the land by the early settlers removed this source of protection, and also increased the destructive power of the freshets. Cleared lands are found no tv not only along the entire valley of the St. John, but along the valleys of the magniiicant tributaries, the Tobique, the Aroostook, etc It is evident that the winters' snow muat melt far more rapidly in open fields than in the dense forest; consequently a larger volume of water is pourea into the channel of the river in a shorter time than was the case before the land was cleared. Naturally the floods are higher and more destructive than once they were. It is im- possible in the limits of an article such as this to trace in detail the fortunes of the pioneer settlers at Woodstock. Suffice it to say that the firat winter season saw them safely established in their humble log cabins by the river side, and that the divine bless- ing almost from the first attended their la- bors. la the old parish shurchyard are the quiet graves of those whose sturdy arms felled the giant trees and CARVED OUT A HOME for themselves and their children in the wilderness. Well may we bare our heads aa a token of respect to their memories. His- tory itself has justified the attitude assumed by the loyalists since we their children have attained by peaceable means the re- dress of those grievances which occasioned the war of the American revolution. Can- ada today is as free a country as any the sun shines on. All honor to the brave hearts that saor ficed so much and suffered so severely for the preservation of a united British empire and who, in after years, laid strong and deep the foundations of our own Canadian home. All honor to the brave men and noble women who adhered so steadfastly to the principles in which they believed "faithful alike to God and king." ••l EAKLY DAYS OF WOODSTOCK. 21 kod UUndi were han now, (or the iter hM D8 OF AORKS ng the valley of e exposed banke were formerly wear and tear of ota of treea that iry water*! edffe. the early eettlera •teotioo, and also power of the 9 found no AT not ' of the 8t. John, the magniticant the Aroostook, :he winters' snow (ily in open fields I oonseauently a I poured into the ihorter time than land was cleared, higher aad more were. It is im- i article suoh as e fortunes of the )ck. Suffioe it to season saw them lumble log cabins b the divine bless- ttendod their la- pard are the quiet urdy arms felled HUMB children in the hire our heads as memories. His- attitude assumed e their children le means the re- which occasioned revolution. Can- try as any the sun ;he brave hearts and suffered so Ion of a united I after years, laid ations of our own or to the brave who adhered so les in which they Ood and king." THE FIRST ENGLISH MISSIONARY UPPKR ST. JOHN. ON THE The father of the Rev. Frederick Dihblee was Kev. Ebemxor Dibblee, a native of Dan- bury, Coun., and a grt^duate of Yale college; he subxequently rec ' ■id the degree of D.D. from Columbia oollege, N. Y. For some time he was a lioentiatu umong the Congre- gationalists, but through conviction became a churchman, and for a time ut the earnest request of the parishioners ucted as lay reader in the parish of Stamford. He went to England for holy orders in 1748, and on his return becume the rector of Stamford. The Stamford local historian (Kev. K ]i. Huntington, M.A ) suyh: "Testimonials to the gentlemunty heuriuK and ehrirttian char- acter of >ir. Dibbleti ari abundtiut. He was held in very high estei m by ehrintian people of every deiioniiDiiUun." Utiriiii^ hiH min- istry Dr. Dibblee declined two otfirB from paritihea \«hiuh desired his servioeii. 'I he otter of a larger fltip'od did not uvuil, and Stamford was hiH parish tirnt, \>\h'. und always. During the revoliitmu Mr. DibbleeV sentimenis were decidedly opposed to itrmed insurrtction. His person >! popularity wau however flo greut thar, he apptam to have escapee the mure rigornua p> tHecutinna tbaC befell hia brethren in Conutcticnt. In I77H Rev. Saniaci Seabury,»peakiiig of the oii-igy of ('ounecticut, 8uyn: "I believe they arn all either carried away from their tnireH or con- fined to their homes, except Mr Dil)blee, who is gone ta Sharon to be inoculated for the smallpox, poBBibly hoping thereby to en- joy a few weeks respite from persecution." A tabii.t was placed in St. .Tohn's church, Stamford, Ct. , containint; the fnllnwing tribute to the mtniory (f Rev. Ebenezer Dibblee : As a missionai-y of the S. P G. he entered upon the duties of his sacred office Out. 16, 1748, and coatinucd to discharge them with great fidelity and ztul until the olose of the revolutionary war. He subsequently fulfilled his dutieB unconnect- ed with the society in England until 1799 when he died full of years, in peace with God and charity with man. Rector of St. John's parish 51 yearp." Frederick Dibblee was one of the younger sons of Dr. Ebenezer Dibblee and was born at Stamford, Dec. 9, 1753. In some points his life resembles that of his faf:her. Like him he ofiiciatt d as lay reader for a time previously to his ordination; like him he was a S. P. 6. missionary; like him he never had but a single charge. And here we may digress to note that the rectors of Wood- Stock have shown remarkable fidelity to their parish. Rev. Fred. Dibblee ministered in the parish nearly thirty-five yoirs ind after a brief interregnum was succeedivl by Rev. S. D. Lee Street who passed his entire ministry of nearly forty-one years in the parish. Mr, Streut'x succsHor, ('anon Neales, came to the parish in ISUS and still remains in charge. Frederick Dibblee complete 1 hiH tduoa- tion at King's (now Columbia) oollege, >. Y. He married Nancy Beech of Stratford, Ct., who was either a daughter or more probably a neice of the Kev. John lloech, whose heroic devotion to duty is recordeel by old Sheriff Bates in his lately published manu- scripts on Kingston and the Loyalints o' 178;i. Mr. Dibblee probably was more out- spukea than the doctor, hia father, 'm re- gards his opinion of the revolutionary struggle, and in oonstquence the selnctnicn of Stamford ordered him and his family to depart that town forthwith and never return. It is probable that he came to St. John in May, 17H3 He and his coutin, Walte- Dibblee, drew lots 110 and 117, situated on Germain street, just beh.w Horctit hi /(treet, Sr. .lohn. After spending the first winter at the mouth of the river he remr)veil to KingHton, where his sou, the ihte (Colonel John Dibblee, was horn March .'5, 17H7. The old Kingston church records show rlat at the Easter Monday meeting in 17H5 the parishioners "appointed Joseph Scribner's house to begin to reade prayer at, and Mr Frederick Dibblee was chosen to read prayers." During the four years in which Mr. Dib- blee resided at Kingston favorable accounts were received regarding the prospects of the loyalist settlement on the upper St. John, and Mr. Dibblee resolved to remove thither. Having arrived at Fredericton he procured a grant of land at the Meductic near ,IfUi;K SAUNDKKh' I'KDI'KKTY. On nearing his destination he chanced to fall asleep in the canoe, and the Indian who was poling it, not having received very clear instructions, carried him several miles be- yond Meductic before he awoke. Being then in the vicinity of Woodstock he decided to go on and see the settlement there. His impressions wen so favorable that he subse- quently effected a change in the minute of the council in order to have his grant located at Woodstock. The winter of 1787-8 was spent at the house of Samuel McKeen, just opposite Meductic Island, and the following year finds the family settled at Woodstock. Mr. Dibblee had been 22 EARLY DAYS OF WOODSTOCK. but a short time at Woodstock when, at the solicitation of the inhabitants he con- ducted the service of the Church of England as lay reader and he continued to officiate in this capacity for mor? than two years. The house which he first erected stood on the bank of the river, almost directly in front of the present homestead. Like all the dwellings of the early settlers, it was a rude log house wi^h small windows, rough hewn fljor, chimney of stone or perhaps constructed of logs plastered with clay, huge fire place, the plainest and roughest kind of homemace turntture intermingled with a few more pretentious articles, relics of the comfortable home abandoned in Con- necticut. The house was well banked, the chinks and joinings well caulked with moss and clay and the roof covered with spruce bark. This primitive dwelling with pos- sibly some slight additions, rpndered neces- sary by a rapidly increasing family, served as a home for more than twenty years. The house into which he moved in 1811 was one of the FIRST FRAME HOUSES IN WOODSTOCK. The loss of the ordinances of religion to which they had been accustomed in their old homes was severely felt by the early set- tlers. For more than six years they were deprived of the ministry of God's word and sacraments, and seeing no immediate pros pcct of a clergyman being sent them, they strongly urged on Mr. Dibblce the propriety of his taking holy orders. With this re- quest he at length felt it his bounden duty to comply. Accordingly, having by three years industrious toil secured a house and provided for the immediate necessities of his family, be proceeded to Halifax in the fall of 1791, and was there admitted to the Holy Order of Deacons by the Rr.-Rev. Charles luglis, first bishop of Nova Scotia, on the 23rd day of Oct., 1791. The journey to Halifax in those days was no trifle. The most direct route wasdown the river by canoe to Fredericton and St. John, thence across the Bay of Fundy by schooner to Annapolis, thence by land to Halifax. This under the most favorable circumstances was an arduous undertaking and as a matter of fact, Mr. Dibblee was absent from home nearly three months. The contrast between life a hundred years ago and life today ia in- dicated by the simple fact that the train which brought the writer of this paper to Woodstock at 6 a. m., left Halifax at 2 p. m. the previous day. The journey that for- merly occupied weeks of toilsome travel not unmixed with hardship, and danger, is now completed in fifteen hours with the greatest comfort on the part of the trav- eler. On his return from St. John, about the last week in November, Mr. Dibblee has tened his progress homeward by skating upon the river. Next to his immediate relatives, two young people of the parish were particularly pleased at his return. Their names are in the parish register which records: "Nov. 30th, 1791. Married Michael Smitii and Phtbe Kttohum.' The next entry is dated eleven days later and records the baptism of the late John Bedell, thea fifteen weeks of age. The first services were of necessity held in the houses of the settlers, "Parson Dibblee" frequently hold- ing service in his own house, AT OLD CAPTAIN KKTCHUM S and other convenient places. In summer, when the concourse was larger and the weather warm, the services were frequently held in birns. Nor need we fear that the humble service there was less acceptable to Him who only aska our best, than had it been offered up in the grandest cathedral of the old mother land. The hymns of praise that echoed amongHt the rafters were not less heartily sung than they would have been in the beautiful little church where their chil- dren worship today. The very birds that twittered amongst the rafters recalled the psalmist's words "Yea, the sparrow hath found her an house and the swallow a nest where she may Jify her young; even thy altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my God." The Indians at Meductis had hitherto de- rived all their knowledge of Christianity from the French missionaries, a few of whom as appears 1 >bored from time to time on the upper St. John. Mr. Dibblee endeavored for some years to instruct and christianizH the Indians, and his first connection with the S. P. G was as superintendent of the Indian school which he established in his mission. Bishop Inglisin 1792 writes to the S.P.G. "that the Indians in Mr. Dibblee's mission are numerous, 150 families reside near him, and about 100 families more occasionally visit these parts. Most of them have been instructed by Homan Catholic miesir uiries, but their prejudices wear off. Many of them regularly attend our services and be- have decently and Mr. Dibblee thinks that as he is now in priest's orders thiy will bring their children to be baptized and put themselves under his charge, for hitherto they had only ccnsidered him as iialf a priefct. Mr. Dibblee," the bishop goes on to say, "is much beloved by the Indians and respected by the whites and has niide some prot;ress in the Indian language so as to be able to converse on common subjects and is pursuing the study of ii." The a. P. G. re- EARLy DAYS OF WOODSTOCK. 98 hn, about the r. Dibblee has ^rd by BkatinR hia immediate e of the parish at his return, h register which Married Michael im.' The next ater and records in Bedell, then 16 first services e houses of the [requently hold- '» TCHUM S es. In summer, larger and the were frequently lire fear that the iss acceptable to best, than had it kdest cathedral of hymns of praise iters were not less ould have been in where their chil- very birds that ters recalled the he sparrow hath le swallow a nest young; even thy my King and my lad hitherto de- of Christianity iee, a few of whom me to time on the blee enrfeavored and christianizH connection with rintendeat of the istitblished in his ites to theS.P.G. Dibblee's mission reoide near him, lore occasionally f them have been lolic miesi' uii'ies, off. Many of services and be- ibblee thinks that rders th«y will baptized and put •ge, for hitherto him as iia\f a bishop goes on to the Indians and ad has mide some guage so as to be I subjects and is The a. P. G. re- port for 1792 further states that as Mr. Dibblee has been very diligent and may be very useful in the future the society have furnished him with a quantity of ludian prayer hooks and have granted him a gratu- ity of £20 for his services with an intention &h aoou a^ the preliminaries for a mission are fixed to take him into their s.rvice. The Indiana iu lIic neighborhood of Wood- stock had 8uffered severely about this time through the failure of game and niaoy of them began to think seriously of reliDijuish- ing their wandering mode of life and givirg more time and attention to the cuhivatiou of their land. In this they received every encouragement from Mr. Dil blee and thty cleared and ylanted a considerable tract. The following year THE MIS>ION OF WOODSTOCK was duly founded and consisted of the parishes of Woodstock, Northampton and the parts adjacent. That is, it extended from St. Marys aad Kiugsclear to the Mad- awaska. At first the work of ministering to the spiritual needs of the scattered set tlements in this immense mission Hviu was exceedingly laboriouH. The roughLcss of the uncleared country, the obstructiois of mountains and forests and rapid streams made it difficult for the missionary to make distant excursions; indeed they could only be undertaken in summer. In a letter to the S P. G., dated Feb 25, 1795, Mr Dibblee assured the society of his strict attention to the four parishes under his charge for three years past. His only way of travelling was by the Indian birch canoe and the diat»tnce to his principal stations being 13, 80 and 45 miles respectively. He gives a good acicouut of his people, who, he says, are honest and industrious and are making great progress in clearing and settling the country. He recu'jsts a grant for the school, which Droves qu'ce a burden to a few individuals, i>wing to the poverty of the settlers. To thi.-4 re- quest the society acceded, and also forward ed a number of biblei and prayer books for the mission. In a letter written about nine months later the missionary complains of receiving no reply to his letters. The S. P G. report states that letters were written and books forwarded, but in consequence of the war then prevailing the vessels were probiibly taken by French cruisers and never reached their destination. Mr. Dibblee mentions that Judge Saunders, a gentleman of great Eropeity in Prince William and Queens- orough, has agreed to build a church in the former place, and the inhahitiints of the lower part of Prince William, Queensborough and Kingsclear have undertaken to purchase a large house and barn with 500 acres of land (p^rt cleared) as a glebe for that part of the mission. The house will answer for a church till one can be built. Indeed, they now assemble at it when he attends at Quedusborough. He further reports that he bad baptized 202 children and 31 adults, married 23 couples and buried but one. It is to b^ presumed the record is intended to cover the four years of his ministry, xhe number of communicants returned for the mission was 40. The following year, 1796, the missir '.ary mentions in his report to the S. P, G. that the performance of divince service once a month at Prince William and Queens- borough has had a good effect in rendering the people more serious and thoughtful and more attentive to the observation of the Lord's day. He does duty at Northampton every other Sunday. Mr. Dibblee found the calls on his time so urgent that his la- dian school was of necessity discontinued and from that day forward little or nothing appears to have been done by the Church of England for the poor Maliseets. The frame of the parish church was first erected on a knol! below the old rectory near the Hodgdon road and here, too, some of the old settlers were interred, but sub- sequently mov. d to the present burial ground. Ic having been wisely decided that the .tresent situation was a more suit- able one for the church, the frame was moved thither. The church itself was erejted in 1804, but not finished or provided with pews till 1814 The money for finish- ing and seating the church came from an unexpected quaiter. The house of assembly having a surplus in their exchequer, voted a certain sum for the completion of some un- finished churches, whereupon the rector, wardens and vestry of Woodstock very wisely presented their claim for ccnsidera- tion and received a grant of £150. It was intpnded to add to the church "a tower 10 ft. square wiih a bell st table thereto;" but either the funds did noj hold out or they were more judiciously expended. That Mr Dibblee's labors were not with- out fruit in indicated by the fact that the oommunicanrs in his mission increased from 48 in the ye*r 1800 to S3 in the year 1810. After the peace with America in 1814 a number of dinbunded ni'^n of the 8th, 98th and 104th regiments, and of the West India Rangers and New Brunswick Fencibles were settltilt on the river chiefiy between the m'litary post at Precque Isle and the Indian reserve at the mouth of the Tobque. The district was subsequently formed imo a parish, which was named Kent in honor of his royal highness the u EARLY DAYS OF WOODSTOCK. FATHER OF QUEEN VICTORIA, The pariah is yet a large one, but ita limits have been dwarfed into inaignificanoe com- pared with its proportions when it com- prised the whole valley of the St. John river north of the parish of Wakefield. After the military settlements were fairly established Mr. Dibblee paid them a visit. He was absent from home ten days, during which time he baptized 95 children and 8 adults. His total number of baptisms for the year reached the large number c; 146 children and 20 adults. The following year (1821) he asiaiu visited these military settle ments, and during his visit baptized 81 chil- dren and 12 adulte. He describes the settlers at this time as prosperous. During the time that M^jor General George Stracy Smyth was governor of the province the Madras system of education was introduced, and most of the schools of the province were conducted on this basis. Mr. Dibblee reported in 1822 that there were 10 Madras schools under bin inspection, each with an average daily attendance of about 40 scholars. These schools were establishei, one at Scotch Settlement (now Richmond corner), one at Dows (lower Woodstock), one close to the parish church of Woodstock, one above the Maduxnekeag, one in the parish of Northamptou, two in the parish of Wakefield, which then took in both sides of the river, and four in the military Eettlemeuts. Through the years of his ministry, the Rev. Mr. Dibblee kept a diary which is of interest as showing THK EARLY LIFE AND CUSTOMS of our forefathers. For the first few years iiie was almost a struggle for existence. Frequently the early settlers had to go several days' journey with hand sleds or toboggans to secure supplies granted by government. And these supplies weie often damaged by exposure before arriving at their destination. Flour in some cases injured by water, was "chiselled out of the barrel," etc. Many of the loyalists were 80 unaccustomed to manual labor that their log cabins were not constructed to with- stand the cold. Cases are recorded where, during the bitter nights in mid winter, one or more members of the family had to remain up all night replenishing with wood the roaring fire that blazed in the immense fire place, lest the remainder of the family should freeze. In some in- stances where the family was destitute of bedding the parents remained up in turn warming pieces of boards which they applied alternately to the smaller children to keep them warm. In a short time, however, all the cabins were made fairly comfortable and a supply of moose and bear skins robbed the New Brunswick winter of much of its ter- rors. Mr. Dibblee's diary shows that, in the earlier years of the country, game was abundant, sometimes too abundant, bears and wolves made havoc among the sheep, foxes carried off the poultry and wild pigeons in almost countless numbers settled upon the corn fields. The latter were caught by hundreds in nets spread for them. In the spriog of the year nets were set in the river in which salmon, shad and suckers were caught in large numbers. As many as forty salmon were sometimes taken in a season by the parson and his boys. In the spring several weeks were devoted to sugar making. Camps were made in the woods and during the season the bunintss was so largely followed by the settlers tha^ the congregations at the church were small in con-'equeoce. Mr. Dibblee's diary shows that his boys one spring made 635 lbs., of good sugar besides a quantity of honey. Much of the difficulty experienced in pro- viding for his family the early days of Mr. Dibblee's minist: ew York & who during the Kevoluliorary war served as Captain in De lancey'a Brigade; departed this life on the 29ch Sept., in the year of our Lord 1837, & 88th year of his age, "Go thou thy way till the end be, for thou shale rest and stand in thy lot at the end of thy days." Daniel 12, 13. A plain marble olab erected some years since recalls the memory of one who was prominent in the early days of Woodstock. The inscription mads: Sacred to the Memory of JOHN BEDBLT , ESQUIRE Born December 9, 755 At Richmond, Staten I^Iannd In the then British Colony of New York. He emigrated to this Hroviuce at the close of th>4 Revolutionary war In the year 1783 and settled at Woodstonk. N. B. He was appointed one of the first Magistrates for the County of York and upon th« di ision of the County One of the Judges of the Common Pli as for the County nf Carleton. He died on the 23r i April 1838 Aged 83 years To oommemorate i he deep feellBg of respect and attachment for the memory of the affectionate Parent, €huxt\) Mem gi. i. mi RECTO Ri Ret. Canon Thomas Neales, M. A. WARDENS: B. II. Smith, G. H. L. Perkins. W. F. DiBBLEE, J. T. Garden, J. J. Bedell, J. D. Ketchum, VESTRY! J. N. "W . Winslow, C. L. S. Raymond, B. Haret Smith, J. E. Griffith, W. H. DeVebbr, C. H. Bull, G. F. Smith, R. Clupf. DELEGATES TO SYNOD and D. C. S. William F. Dibblee, Charles H. Bull. SUBSTITUTES! Odber M. Carman, B. Harry Smith. ORGANISTS! H.^W. Bourne. St. Lukes Church, Miss Hattie L. Carman, Christ Church. tie yMra ; a Free- le order, of which nan, and A hand- Masonic oe. The moration life and e marble >lace and rs tie Lord. ' cVbbbb, TH, Church.