1821

From The Story of Dartmouth, by John P. Martin:

The teacher at Dartmouth in 1820-1821 was Daniel Sutherland, who taught at least from November until May. The trustees then were John Skerry, William Allen and Joseph Moreland.

Canon Vernon’s History of Christ Church states that the reports of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, contain the name of Mrs. Mary Munn, who was paid £5 per annum as schoolmistress at Dartmouth commencing from 1821. This lady, who was familiarly referred to as “Ma Munn”, is thought to have been the widow of James Munn, builder of the windmill and of Quaker houses. The £5 would be the contribution of the S. P. G. except for indigent cases, school expenses were collected from Inhabitants, according to their means.

In March 1821, Team-Boat directors made another move to get John Skerry out of the ferry business by inviting him to join their organization. Mr. Skerry’s reply was that he would agree on condition that the team-boat run to his wharf, and that he be permitted to continue his own boats. Negotiations then deadlocked.

In the summer of 1821, the much respected Seth Coleman, then about 77 years of age, evidently decided to leave Dartmouth, and return to his native Nantucket. Perhaps he had become disheartened by the recent deaths of his two daughters.

Several of his properties were put up for sale. The dwelling with its large garden and good well of water, on the present location of Belmont Hotel, was described as being “favorably situated for a house of entertainment, being only a few rods from the ferry”. It was purchased by Captain John Stairs for £400. John Skerry bought the water-lot and boathouse on the shore below.

Maroon Hall at Preston was sold for £800 that autumn by Mrs. Prescott to Christian Conrad Katzman, a retired officer of the 60th Regiment. To finance the deal he borrowed £400 from John Skerry. Lieutenant Katzman was then about 40 years of age and a widower. He had recently been living at Annapolis, N. S.

The once extensive possessions of James Creighton, which had taken him years to acquire, were periodically being sold by James, junior, ever since the father’s death. By this time, much of the real estate was mortgaged or otherwise encumbered.

In 1821, more Creighton properties were up for sale. One was the stretch of hillside fronting the Cove, from Cuisack Street to Maitland Street. The lot included Old Ferry wharf and Inn.

Canon Vernon’s History also states that the Hon. Michael Wallace was a parishioner of Christ Church about this time. He was credited with £5 for pew rent in 1820, and later presented a bell to the Church. As has already been mentioned, Mr. Wallace owned the house at 59 Queen Street. The depression in the sidewalk, still seen at the northwest corner of Queen and Dundas Sts., marks the site of an old well on that property behind a curtilage of hawsey trees bordering the former Wallace field on Queen Street.

Louisa Collins’ diary, already quoted, did not make mention of her sister Charlotte having a beau at the Brinley ball; but evidently she did, either then or at later house-parties. There was another wedding celebrated by Rev. Charles Ingles at Colin Grove on a Saturday evening in November 1821, when Miss Charlotte Collins was united in marriage to Mr. Jonathan Elliot.

Other members of the family were little Mary Ann, Eliza and Phoebe. When the last named was 11 years of age, an entry in the diary recorded that “poor Phoebe has met with a sad misfortune, a crow having taken away one of her favorite chickens”.

At Dartmouth in 1821, Rev. Mr. Ingles also married Andrew Malcom, blacksmith, to Miss Eleanor Jackson, daughter of Robert Jackson. The latter’s property extended from Queen Street to the southern end of the present Simmonds building where he at one time conducted one of the town’s several inns, or taverns.

The month of January 1821, was the coldest for 40 years. The harbor was a bridge of ice, at one period extending down to Meagher’s Beach Lighthouse. On fine afternoons crowds on foot, on skates, in double and in tandem sleighs, ranged over the whole surface. Lt- Gov. Kempt and the aristocracy of Halifax, accompanied by their ladies, were out in large numbers with their sleek horses and liveried coachmen. On market days there was a continual procession of loaded sleds crossing between Halifax and Dartmouth.

On Saturday evening February 3, a man named William Crowe returning to the Dockyard from a hunting expedition in Dartmouth, fell through the ice in mid-harbor, and was drowned. A lad named Gibb, who held out his stick to the doomed man, lost his foothold and also perished. Shipping was at a standstill until the middle of February, when the ice broke up and drifted to sea.

Government road appropriations for 1821 included £15 for the cross-road from Brook House northward; and an additional £40 for the road from Kennedy’s towards the Cobequid Road. This was the last time that money was voted for the Kennedy section.

The Steam Boat Company got a subsidy of £250 that year. It was the first of many. Repulsed in previous attempts, the Directors finally convinced the Government of the valuable public service rendered by their team-boat, and also of the desperate state of the finances shown on their account books.

At St. Paul’s Church that December, James W. Johnston, barrister, was married to Miss Amelia Almon, daughter of the late Dr. W. J. Almon.

Deaths in 1821 included Mark Jones, blacksmith, who was instantly killed while blasting rock. He had resided in Dartmouth for several years, no doubt in the Cole Harbor district. Mark Jones and Moses Pitcher, it will be remembered, were two of the Jurymen at the Mary Russell inquest of 1798.