[RayMonD] PRE-LOYALIST SETTLEMENTS OF NOVA SCOTIA 63 
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. 
We are not, however, to conclude that McNutt had at that time 
introduced upon their lands, as permanent settlers, one thousand families, 
for at the close of 1760, according to the statement of Lieut. Governor 
Belcher, there were only about five hundred families in all the town- 
ships, and a year later there were but eight hundred. What the colonel 
meant to claim, doubtless, was that he had been instrumental as one 
of Mr. Hancock’s agents in procuring the signatures of a thousand 
“proprietors” who proposed to settle with their families in Nova 
Scotia. A very large number of those whose names appeared in the 
original lists of proprietors of the townships never saw Nova Scotia. 
Some years later, in 1766, Colonel McNutt complained to the 
Lords of Trade of the obstructions put in his way by Lieut. Governor 
Belcher and the Council in carrying out his colonization schemes. A 
Committee of the Council formulated a reply to McNutt’s allegations, 
in which it is stated—“That in consequences of Governor Lawrence’s 
proclamations many Committees, appointed by Persons in the Colonies 
proposing to settle themselves on the said Lands, came to Halifax 
early in the Spring of the year 1759, who were sent at the expence of 
Government to view the Lands intended to be granted, and on their 
return to Halifax a contract was made with these Committees for the 
introduction of twelve Thousand Inhabitants in three years from the 
date of their Grants in the following Townships,—Falmouth, Horton, 
Cornwallis, Annapolis, Granville, Cumberland, Amherst, Sackville, 
Truro, Onslow, Liverpool and Yarmouth. . . . The contracts above 
mentioned were made previous to any application to Government by 
Colonel McNutt, and many Thousand Inhabitants settled in consequence 
thereof in which Colonel McNutt had no Merrit or concern whatever. 
In the Month of August of the same year Colonel McNutt arrived at 
Halifax and applied to Governor Lawrence for Grants of Land for Him- 
self and sundry persons His Associates, and obtained a reserve of a 
large tract of Land for that purpose, which appears by a written engage- 
ment of Governor Lawrence’s to have been one Township at Port Rose- 
way and six Townships in the District of Cobequid, and on the Shubenn- 
accada River, with leave to settle Families on Thirty-five Rights! in 
the Township of Granville. In consequence in the Spring following 
he produced a List of Six Hundred subscribers, being persons of the 
Colonies who had engaged with Him to settle those Lands, but of those 
six Hundred Subscribers, Fifty Families only came into the Province, 
who were transported thither at the expence of Government, had 
Lands assigned them in the Township of Truro and were supported 
1 A “right,” or share of land was in this case 500 acres. 
