The Acadians of Prince Edward Island: a Bit of History 9

After the Deportation

When peace had been restored between France and Great Britain with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763, a number of individuals and families made their way back to the Island, which was now a permanent British possession. Some of these Acadians returned specifically to work in the fisheries for English merchants. Most of these Acadian men and women came to the Island from Chaleur Bay; from south- ern New Brunswick; from the French Islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon; and even from France. They clustered in small communities bound together by family ties.

In the meantime, the British government had the Island surveyed and divided into 67 townships or lots which were distributed to prominent English notables. These men, in turn, were required to settle their land to tenant farmers. And so began the regime of absentee landlords which the Acadians, like other settlers on the Island, could not avoid. If they wanted to stay on the Island, they had to become tenant farmers and pay an annual fee to their landlord. This “rent” not only included a sum of money but also a portion of the harvest and an animal from the herd. This land tenure sys- tem caused many hardships. The Acadians did not see eye to eye with the landlords or their agents. They were frequently victims of dishonest practices and often unable to fulfil the terms of their lease. As a result, the Acadians found them- selves forced to abandon the land they had cleared and farmed for many years and to start from scratch elsewhere.

Prince Edward Island is divided into townships. In 1765, a team of sur- veyors led by Samuel Holland surveyed the island and divided it into 67 townships or lots. Each township consisted of about 8000 hectares (20,000 acres). Holland also chose the site for the capital, which was named Charlottetown in honour of Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III. The Evangeline Region

is located in Lots 14, 15 and 16.

Gulf of St. Lawrence

Evangeline Region

Northumberland Strait