[RAYMOND] PRE-LOYALIST SETTLEMENTS OF NOVA SCOTIA 59 
Their settlement was at first known as East Falmouth, but a year later 
the district was erected into a separate township and called Newport. 
The presumption certainly would be that the settlers named the town- 
ship in honor of their former place of abode. It will, however, be found 
that in nearly all cases names of townships, parishes and counties have 
been determined by the provincial authorities. That this was the case in 
the instance before us, is shown by a letter of Surveyor-General Morris 
to Isaac Deschamps in which the following passage occurs:—“ The In- 
habitants of East Falmouth have petitioned to be set off as a distinct 
town and it has been mentioned in Council but nothing conclusive 
done. . . . Ihave proposed to have it named Newport, from my 
Lord Newport, a friend of Mr. Belcher’s, which I believe will be agree- 
able to the people.” A good many of the Rhode Island men settled on 
the west side of the River Pisiquid or Avon, as it is now called. The 
settlement grew steadily, though not with the rapidity of the more 
open and level townships of Horton and Cornwallis. It was at first 
called West Falmouth to distinguish it from East Falmouth. 
The condition of the pioneer townships at the close of the year is 
very well described in Lieut. Governor Belcher’s letter to the Lords of 
Trade of the 12th of December, 1760. He states that as soon as they 
were laid out by the surveyors, the people with the aid of the soldiers 
erected ‘“ Pallisadoed Forts” for their protection. After this necessary 
business, the proper season coming on, they were set to make Hay 
against winter. One thousand tons were: provided for Horton, 
five hundred for Cornwallis and six hundred for Falmouth, and about 
this time they put some Corn and Roots into the Ground and began to 
build their Houses. Substantial repairs to the injured dikes were 
soon under way, roads were opened and everything bore a most hopeful 
appearance. Many of the inhabitants were well-to-do farmers and 
had transported themselves and their effects at their own expense. 
Provision had been made by the Government for the poorer immigrants 
until the harvest of the next year had been reaped. 
Speaking of the other townships the Lieut.-Governor observes :— 
“In the Township of Liverpool they are now employed in building 
three Vessels for the Fishery; they have laid in Hay for the Winter 
fodder for their cattle and raised a considerable quantity of Roots for 
the Winter and have erected a Grist and a Saw mill. They have six- 
teen sail of fishing schooners and, altho’ several of them came late in 
the season, they have cured near 5,000 quintals of fish, the principal 
689 persons, 656 in Cornwallis, 356 in Falmouth and 245 in Newport. Lieut. Gov’r 
Francklin in 1768 appointed Mr. Deschamps Judge of the Island of St. John (P. E. 
Island) and two years later he was transferred to Nova Scotia. He became Chief 
Justice of the province in 1785 and died in 1801 in the 79th year of his age. 
