Lunenburg

Lunenburg, Lunenburg County — This place was at one time named "Malagash" and also "Mirliguesche". "Meligech" is no doubt the Mi`kmaq word for "milk", and it is generally conceded that this is the origin of the name "Malagash". The name is first mentioned in 1630.

"Mirliguesche" is said to mean milky surf or milky bay, referring to its white appearance in a storm. The Mi`kmaq also called this place "Asceedik", meaning clam land, or place of clams.

Desbrisay quoted Dr. Rand as saying that the Mi`kmaq spelling was "Malligglak", meaning mal-bad and the termination meaning inherent and inanimate, and that the name was applied to the whole coast along by Lunenburg.

In 1630 Sir William Alexander granted to Sir Claude de St. Etienne, Lord of La Tour, and his son Charles, a large stretch of lands along the coast which included Mirliguesche.

It was settled in 1751-1753 by a party of Germans from Prussian Hanover, whose King, George II, was also King of England. It was named in May 1753, after "Luneburg" in Hanover.

The Township, one of the two original township divisions of the County was formed in 1753. The Town was incorporated in 1888. The County contains 1116 square miles.
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Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia — Said to have been visited, or at least sighted, by Erik, an Icelander, in 986, and by him named "Markland", meaning forest-clad land. It was referred to in 1516 as "Bac-caloes", said to be the Basque word for "codfish", but this name was a very general one for all places at or near the entrance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Afterwards it was known as "Acadia".

It was at one time also called "Arambec". The native Mi`kmaq knew Nova Scotia as "Megumaage", i.e. "Mi`kmaq Land", or "the home of the Mi`kmaq or true man". The Mi`kmaq applied this name to the Maritime Provinces generally.

It received its present name "Nova Scotia", i.e. "New Scotland", in the year 1621, when a deed or grant was given by King James the First of England and Sixth of Scotland, granting the Province under the present name to Sir William Alexander. Just previous to this date it was known as "Nova Francia". New Brunswick was included in it until 1784.

Scotland was at one time known as "Scotia Nova" or "New Scotland" to distinguish it from the whole or part of Ireland that was then called Scotland, i. e. "Land of the Scoti" or "Scots". Some of the Scots later left Ireland and settled in North Britain in the part now known as Scotland.

Some old maps bear the name "New Caledonia" for Nova Scotia and "New Alexandria" for New Brunswick.

The first representative Assembly, consisting of twenty-two members, was held in the year 1758.
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Peggy's Cove

Peggy's Cove, Halifax County — Locally said to be named after a woman
named Peggy, an early settler.
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Bridgewater

Bridgewater, Lunenburg County - Appropriately named owing to location near the Bridge over the La Have River. It was settled about the year 1810 and was incorporated as a Town in the year 1899.
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Bay of Fundy

Bay of Fundy — The Portugese called the place "Baia Fundo" meaning deep bay, hence the present name. Others claim that the word "Fundy" is derived from "fond" meaning the end or top of the bay. In 1604 DeMonts called the bay "le grande Bay Francoise", a name it retained until the English renamed it.

Sir William Alexander in 1624 called it Argall's Bay after Sir Samuel Argall, an English adventurer who raided it in 1613.
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Annapolis

Annapolis, Annapolic County — It is said that Champlain was filled with admiration with the security and spaciousness of this place and gave it the name "Port Royal". It was founded by De Monts in 1604. In some old documents this name appears as "Royal Haven". The Mi`kmaq name for Annapolis River was "Taoopskek" meaning flowing out between rocks. The River was for a short time called by the French the "Dauphin", meaning the eldest son of royalty. It received its present name from the English in 1710 in honor of Queen Anne of England. The name was formed by connecting the name of Queen Anne with the Greek word "polls" meaning city. It was one of the five earliest counties of the Province which were formed in the year 1759. The settlement was destroyed by Sir Samuel Argyle in the year 1618 in the name of Great Britain.

Annapolis was the capital of Nova Scotia from 1710 to 1749, when Halifax became the capital.

Annapolis County was divided into four townships — Annapolis, Granville, Wilmot and Clements.

Annapolis was captured by the English in 1654, restored to the French in 1668, again captured in 1690 and again restored in 1697; finally captured by Nicholson in 1710, when it was renamed.

1620-1630 an ephemeral Scottish Colony was located at Annapolis. In 1626 it was captured by Sir David Kirk with an English Fleet. In 1634 it was granted to Claude de Ragilly.
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Bridgetown

Bridgetown, Annapolis County — This place was first known as Hicks' Ferry. The present name was given to it in the year 1824 because of the bridge connecting Granville with Annapolis, which caused it to grow into a town of considerable importance.
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