“Of late, indeed, Britain has been at some Expence in planting two Colonies, Georgia and Nova Scotia, but those are not in our Confederacy; and the Expence she has been at in their Name has chiefly been in Grants of Sums unnecessarily large, by Way of Salaries to Officers sent from England, and in Jobs to Friends, whereby Dependents might be provided for; those excessive Grants not being requisite to the Welfare and good Government of the Colonies; which good Government (as Experience in many Instances of other Colonies has taught us) may be much more frugally, and full as effectually, provided for and supported.”
“On the whole of the above it appears, that the Charge of Ingratitude towards the Mother Country, brought with so much Confidence against the Colonies, is totally without Foundation; and that there is much more Reason for retorting that Charge on Britain, who not only never contributes any Aid, nor affords by an exclusive Commerce any Advantages to Saxony, her Mother Country; but no longer since than in the last War without the least Provocation, subsidized the King of Prussia while he ravaged that Mother Country, and carried Fire and Sword into its Capital, the fine City of Dresden. An Example we hope no Provocation will induce us to imitate.”
“Any and every colony from Great Britain upon the continent of North America not at present engaged in our association may upon application and joining the said association be received into this Confederation, viz. Quebec, Canada, St. John’s, Nova Scotia, Bermudas, and the East and West Floridas: and shall thereupon be entitled to all the advantages and obligations of our union, mutual assistance and commerce.”
“It is well known that America is a country full of forests, mountains, &c. That in such a country a small irregular force can give abundance of trouble to a regular one that is much greater: And that, in the last war, one of the fifteen Colonies we now have there (and one far short of being the strongest) held out five years against twenty five thousand British regular troops, joined by twenty-five thousand Colonists on their own pay, and aided by a strong fleet of men of war. (The one colony is of course Quebec; the other that is added to the familiar thirteen is presumably Nova Scotia.)”
“For many years past Grand Lodge has been endeavoring to collect together the many ancient and venerable Masonic documents known to be in the Province in the possession of brethren of the craft and others, for the purpose of ensuring the safe keeping of the same. Much time and labor have been devoted to the subject, and the following report, made to Grand Lodge in 1884, gives the final result of the committee appointed for that purpose:
(Among many documents listed within that I haven’t included, a few that do stand out in importance are listed here; communication with those in the States and Bermuda as well as those relating to J.W. Weeks who was the first Rector of St. John’s Parish in 1792.)
“At Preston, the Rev. Joshua Wingate Weeks, who resided in Halifax, served as the first Rector of the St. John’s Parish from 1792. His report of 1794 states that, “The mission consists of four towns. Dartmouth is the principal, which consists of 50 families. Preston has 15, Cole Harbor 12 and Lawrencetown 23″. When Rev. Benjamin Gerrish Gray took over the parish in 1796, he had the additional duty of being chaplain and teacher to the Maroons.”
As an aside, it seems the Weeks family continued to be important players in Dartmouth for many years after. W.H. Weeks was listed as a Physician and surgeon living at King Street in an 1864 Dartmouth business directory, Jos. H. Weeks, Esq was listed as Secretary in regard to meetings held on the repeal of the British North America Act in 1867, J. M. Weeks is noted as having purchased a grocery concern at 22 Ochterloney Street from Frank M. Elliot in 1891, perhaps it was the same J. M. Weeks who purchased “The Atlantic Weekly” newspaper in 1901 from S. Harris Congdon, who then changed its name to the “Dartmouth Patriot“.
Bye-Laws of St. Johns lodge, 21, Auburn, North Carolina, 1772(the earliest document on record).
Letter from Bro. Weeks acknowledging vote of thanks for his son, July 23 1782.
Letter from Grand Chaplain J. Weeks, acknowledging vote of thanks for sermon, September 3rd, 1783.
Letter to introduce G. Chaplain Rev. J. Weeks to Grand Secretary, London, No date.
Copy of letter to Bro. Weeks, with warrant, March 12th 1785.
Copy of letter to Grand Lodge in States warning of an expelled brother, December 2nd, 1790.
Letter from Grand Lodge of Virginia, January 15th, 1791.
Letter from Rev J.W. Weeks, Chaplain, Dartmouth, 1794.
Memorial to hold a Lodge at Bermuda, May 20th, 1796.
Letter from John Van Norden, St. George’s, Bermuda. October 13th, 1797.
Deed from King George III, signed by Duke of Kent, square piece of land, heretofore occupied by the main guard, lying between Pleasant and Granville Streets, Halifax, Nova Scotia. July 28th, 1798.
Freemasons. “Catalogue of ancient masonic documents in possession of Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia, A.F. and A.M. Report of Special Committee on Arrangement of Masonic Documents, classed as Grand Lodge and Subordinate Lodges.” [Halifax, N.S.? : s.n.], 1890 https://hdl.handle.net/2027/aeu.ark:/13960/t9475cw5f
To His Excellency George Washington, Esq, Generalissimo of the Army of the Twelve United Colonies of America.
May it please your Excellency:
The liberty we take in addressing a person of so exalted a rank will, we presume, be fully pardoned when you perceive the occasion of it.
The inhabitants of Nova-Scotia, and in particular those of the County of Cumberland, have been under the greatest desire and apprehension ever since the great contest subsisting between Great Britain and the American Colonies. Our situation has been such that we have not had it in our power to do anything in conjunction with the other Colonies. The form of Government we are under, and the manner of executing its authority, has been such that we are rather to be looked upon as slaves than freemen.
With anxious desires have we been waiting for the success of your righteous cause, and that you would cast an eye of pity towards this forlorn part. We have; indeed, nothing to recommend us but misery and impending destruction and devastations. We trust our manner of proceeding will have the desired effect on you, as well as the others who are the instruments of supporting the liberty of mankind.
We have been harassed much, occasioned by different proceedings of Government; threatened are we because we have such sentiments concerning the cause contended for by our brethren on the Continent. News has been received that troops will soon be sent among us. This, in a manner, has roused many who were environed in lethargy.
Committees have been appointed from the different towns (including the Acadians) to fall upon some method of safety, there being a number among us (vainly called Government-men) who are continually prying into our proceedings, and, with accumulated tales, give information to the Government at Halifax. Liable, therefore, are we to be cut in pieces, having no expectation of succour but what comes through your Excellency.
We agreed in our Committees that nothing should be done publickly, as it might aggravate the others to fall upon us sooner than they intended; and further, as we could not tell the intention of the honourable Continental Congress concerning us.
Therefore, as individuals who belong to the aforesaid Committee, do recommend Jonathan Eddy, Esq˙, to your Excellency, who will acquaint you with our situation; and praying with ardency that your Excellency will please relieve us, so that we may be able to give our sentiments publickly, and join with our little strength, in conjunction with the other Colonies, in preventing the ensigns of slavery from being set up in any part of this great Empire. And we further pray your Excellency will keep this our request a secret for the present.
We do, separately and jointly, pray for the success of your arms, and that you may be victorious, and vanquish all your enemies.
We are, with the greatest respect, your Excellency’s most devoted and very humble servants,
ABIJAH AYER, NATHANIEL REYNOLDS, AMASA KILLAM, JESSE BENT, WILLIAM MAXWELL, GEORGE FOSTER, JOHN ALLAN, WILLIAM LAWRENCE, SIMON NEWCOMB, ROBERT FOSTER, SIMEON CHEFTER.
