[ganong] historic SITES IN NEW BRUNSWICK 337 



also often referred to in local writings, particularly in those of Eev. \Y. 

 O. Raymond, whose newspapei- articles on the History of Carlcton 

 County contain the fullest account of it for the St. John that has yet 

 appeared. For Charlotte it has received full treatment in the " Courier 



series." 



When, at the close of the Revolution in 1783, it became necessary to 

 find new homes for the many Ihou-ands who were not allowed to remain 

 in their old ones, the attention of the authorities was naturally turned to 

 Nova Scotia, then including New Brunswick. It was a loyal region, easily 

 accessible from New York, where most of the Loyalists were congregated, 

 and one with a great abundance of good lands still awaiting settlement. 

 At this time, however, while comparatively small areas were occupied 

 and in possession of genuine settlers, immense tracts were locked up in 

 the grants of which we have already given an account, and which, 

 although lying nearly or quite vacant, and already forfeit to the Crown, 

 could not be regranted until legally escheated, a process requiring con- 

 siderable time. Steps in this direction were at once taken, however, and 

 the Loyalists were allowed to settle on the lands ; and lots were assigned 

 to them, the grants for which were not issued in many cases until several 

 years after. In consequence of the immense number of new settlers to 

 be located all at once, the need for securing escheats of land in whole or 

 in part, and the necessity for reconciling many conflicting interests 

 among the new settlers themselves, the local authorities found themselves 

 80 embarrassed that there was often much delay in assigning locations, 

 and distress on the part of the settlers; and difficulties of this sort had no 

 small part in bringing about the formation of the new province of New 

 Brunswick. It is no part of our present subject to relate further the very 

 interesting history of the locating of the Loyalist settlers, but the few 

 facts we have given must be kept in mind in viewing the many curious 

 features and occasionnl anomalies in the grants. It will be noticed, for 

 example, that the great grants in Charlotte largely antedate those on 

 the St. John, and many of the Loyalist associations actually had their 

 grants issued there before the settlers were even located on the St. John. 

 This was no doubt in part due to the fact that there was no question 

 about the escheat of most of the pre-Loyalist grants in Charlotte, for, 

 except in the case of Campobello and Deer Island, and a few others of 

 less importance, the grantees had made not the slightest effort to fulfil the 

 conditions of the grants; while on the St. John, in several cases at least, 

 some such attempt had been made, and the escheat was not so certain. 

 In the case of the Loyalist regiments and large associations the land was 

 usually surveyed and divided into lots, which were then assigned in block 

 to the association ; the men drew for the separate lots, and were each 

 given a location ticket, which was held until the grant was issued. This 

 preliminary location, and even the subsequent grant, by no means, how- 



