garly Settlement

The Immigrants

The Tryon River winds its way through the rich farmland of south central Prince Edward Island. It is fed by five streams which drain from Lady Fane, Maple Plains, Mount Tryon, Albany, and Augustine Cove. The river was called Tulesipk by the Micmac Indians, Riviere Des Blondes by the Acadians, and renamed Tryon by Captain Samuel Holland. Captain Holland named the river in honour of Captain William Tryon who fought with him under General Wolfe and who was also appointed by the British to help Captain Holland survey Isle St.‘]ean.1

The Micmac Indians were the first known visitors to Tulesipk. Artifacts have been found in the area of the Tryon Peoples’ Cemetery indicating the presence of an Indian burial ground. The first recorded information about the river and identification of the residents is found in the census completed by Sieur de La Roque for the King of France in 1752. The land along the river banks held great potential for the Acadian settlers. To quote from the 1752 census:

Families are settled on both sides of the river, and at a league from its entrance the lands that have been cleared promise well and the rest are covered with all descriptions of wood fit for construction purposes. There is a great deal of grass on the banks of the said river, which is navigable by boat.

The inhabitants are:

Francois Reneauld, ploughman, native of l ’Acadie, aged 25 years. He has been 21 months in the country. Married to Francoise Commeau, native of l’Acadie, aged 30 years. They have three daughters. In livestock they have two cows, two calves, three pigs and one hen. The land on which they are settled is situated on the north-west shore of the said river. It was given to them verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure. They have made a clearing for the sowing of two bushels of grain in the coming spring.

Pierre Robichaud dit Cadet, ploughman, native of l ’Acadie, aged 45 years. He has been 21 months in the country. Married to Suzanne Brasseau, native of l ’Acadie, aged 45 years. They have eight children; three sons and five daughters. In livestock, they have one ox, one bull, two cows, two heifers, four pigs and four fowl. The land on which they settled is situated as in the preceding case. It was given to them verbally by Monsieur de Bonnaventure. They have made a clearing for the sowing of six bushels of wheat in the coming spring

Alexandre Bourg, ploughman, native of l’Acadie, aged 43 years. He has been in the country 21 months. Married to Ursulle Herbert, native of l’Acadie, aged 36 years. They have six children; three sons and three daughters. In livestock, they have two oxen, one cow, two heifers, one calf and five pigs. The land on which they settled was given to them verbally by Monsieur de