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Mi'kmaq Holdings Resource Guide

Affidavit of Thomas Trotter and John Monro certifying that they did, in April of 1824, measure the improvements made by the Mi'kmaq in lands in Pomquet granted to Colin Campbell, H.H. Cogswell, and William Mcwhinnie and found said improvements to be 3 1/2 acres, more or less shown in the attached plan (map). On the same page is the recommendation of the Justices of the Peace for the area to allow the Mi'kmaq 150 acres instead of 100 acres for firewood.
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Dorchester 3rd May 1824

We the Subscribers in company with [Elisha] [Randal] Senr. of Little River Adolphus
Atwater Ferryman at Pomquet John Johnstone now residing on land granted
to Colin Campbell in Pomquet and James and Peter Grant proprietors of lands
granted to Willm. McWhinnie and a number of the most sober and intelligent of
the Indians and assisted by [Aaron] [S] Harrington Deputy Surveyor of the district
did on the 27th and 28th of April last measure with the chain and compass the
improvements made by the Indians on land in Pomquet granted to Colin Campbell
H.H. Cogswell and Willm McWhinnie and found said improvements to be
to the extent and in the state represented in the annexed plan and Explanations
namely three acres and a half or thereabouts on lands granted to William McWhinnie
twenty acres on lands granted to Colin Campbell and forty acres and three quarters
on lands granted to H.H. Cogswell with the exception that in making out the
improvements on Mr Cogswell's land we have made nearly ten acres less than our
measurement as the irregularity of the lines made it very difficult to ascertain the [?precise]
extent of the improvements and as we wished rather to be within than to go beyond it
Thomas Trotter
John Monro

Sworn Before us this
3rd May. 1824 __
John Cunningham J.P.
[?Mr] Macdonald J.P.
Robt. N. Henry J.P.

As the greater part of the firewood has been cut and removed from forest
[?100] acres on the front of Mr. Cogswell land one hundred acres would be too
little for the Indians and we have taken the liberty of recommending it to
his Excellency to allow them as far as the line we have drawn across the
front or to allow 150 acres at least [illegible] between that it can be proved beyond all
doubt that the Indians have been in possession of the land for a period
of twenty three years and upwards. we expect a number of them here
tomorrow to give their affidavits and will transmit them

Thomas Trotter
John Cunningham
[illegible] Macdonald
Robt. N. Henry


Includes map referred to in affidavit and explanatory notes of the map and how the land has been cleared etc. in each area.

Date: 1824

Retrieval no.: Commissioner of Public Records — Mi'kmaq and Government Relations series Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 volume 430 number 160b

Nova Scotia Archives — https://archives.novascotia.ca/mikmaq/archives/

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