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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Blomidon

Blomidon, Kings County — The Mi’kmaq called this place "Glooscap's week" (i.e. Glooscap's home). The Mi’kmaq name as given by Dr. Rand was "Owkogegechk", meaning dogwood grove. The name "Blomidon" is said by most authorities to have been given to the place by the Portuguese. The Mi’kmaq name for the cape was "Tlekteok" meaning a hand-spike. Navigators in old times used to call the cape "Blow-me-down".

Berwick

Berwick, Kings County — It is said that this district was settled as far back as 1760 by English from Connecticut who took the places vacated by the Acadians. It was formerly named "Pleasant Valley", and the village was known as "Currie's Comer", later called "Congdon's Corner" and in 1835 "Davison's Corner", after a man named Davison, an early settler.

The present name was given it in 1857, at a meeting called for that purpose, and is after the English seaport town on the Tweed. At the meeting it was also decided the word would be pronounced Ber-wick, not Ber-ick, as is the English name.
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Bedford

Bedford, Halifax County — Named in honor of the Duke of Bedford, who was Secretary of State in 1749. The Indians called this place "Kwebek" meaning the head of the tide. It was known as Fort Sackville before receiving its present name.
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Truro

Truro, Colchester County — First settled in 1761 by McNutt's colonists from Ulster. The Township was granted the 31st of October, 1765. It was at one time called "Cobequid". The present name is after the Town of Truro, the chief town of Cornwall. Truro is one of the original four Townships of Colchester County.

In the Court House in Truro there is a tablet erected by the Nova Scotia Historical Society in 1912, unveiled by H. R. H. the Duke of Connaught, which reads as follows:

"This Tablet commemorates the British settlement of Truro, Onslow and Londonderry 1760-1762 partly by a colony of English stock from New England, chiefly by Scots-Irish from New Hampshire and Ireland under the leadership of Colonel Alexander McNutt..."

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Windsor

Windsor, Hants County — The Mi`kmaq name for Windsor was "Setunook" meaning a lake extending back or where the sea water flows back. The township, one of the original six Townships of Hants, was formed in the year 1764. Previous to 1764, the township, or the land covered by it, was known as "Pessequid" meaning to flow split-wise (as the tide does here). Windsor was first included within the County of Halifax.

Windsor was the location of the University of King's College, which was opened in 1788, and an establishing Act passed in 1789. Received a Royal Charter in the year 1802. It is a Church of England Institution, and its name is a tribute to Royalty. In 1920 the University burned and was re-established in Halifax in 1922.
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Wolfville

Wolfville, Kings County — Situated on the Cornwallis River and known as an Academic Town. This place was originally called "Mud Creek". In 1830, the Postmaster, whose name was DeWolfe, and who was a descendant of Judge Elisha DeWolfe, who had entertained the King at "Mud Creek" a generation earlier, petitioned the authorities to change the name. It was at that time named "Wolfville" in honor of the DeWolfes. The Mi`kmaq knew this place as "M'taban".

Wolfville is the home of Acadia University, founded by the Nova Scotia Baptist Education Society in 1838. University power created in 1840; given its present name by Act of Legislature in 1841.

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Dr. Rand

Dr. Silas Tertius Rand

Silas Tertius Rand was born May 18, 1810 in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia.

Rand had a passion for missionary work. His fascination with the Mi'kmaq language and culture led him to work as a missionary to the Native peoples. With the object of establishing a full-time Mi'kmaq mission he enlisted the support of the Protestant evangelicals of Halifax and they founded the Micmac Missionary Society on 12 November 1849.

Rand kept a diary in which he recorded the details of his life, including his visits to scattered Mi'kmaq bands and his supervision of the Mission community that the Society had established at Hantsport, Nova Scotia where he lived permanently from 1853. His refusal to ask for donations to support the mission resulted in his expulsion from the Society and its dissolution in 1870.

Rand was especially talented at languages and over the years mastered not only Mi'kmaq, but also Maliseet, and Mohawk, as well as French, Italian, German, Spanish, and modern Greek. He studied the customs, folklore and language of the Mi'kmaq and held the Native peoples of the Maritimes in high esteem. He produced scriptural translations in Mi'kmaq and Maliseet, compiled a Mi'kmaq dictionary and collected scores of legends, including the tales of Glooscap. His scriptural translations, Mi'kmaq dictionary and legends were all published.

Rand's work with the Mi'kmaq was recognized by three universities: Queen's University presented him with an honorary L.L.D. (Doctor of Laws) degree (1886); Acadia College with an honorary D.D (Doctor of Divinity) degree (1886); and Kings College with an honorary D.C.L. (Doctor of Civil Law) degree.

Silas Tertius Rand died at Hantsport, Nova Scotia on October 4, 1889.

*Source: Acadia University Library

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Pugwash

Pugwash, Cumberland County - This is from an Indian name "Pagwe’ak", meaning deep water. Settled by the French about 1750.

Was once called "Waterford".

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Springhill

Springhill, Cumberland County — This town is situated on a hill, and has excellent natural water springs, which gives the reason for the name.

The earliest settlers were families named Hunter, Gilroy, Anderson, Boss, Mills and others.

Coal was discovered here in 1834 by a man named Lodovick Hunter.
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Kentville

Kentville, Kings County — Settled by the English in 1760. Named in honor of Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, the father of Queen Victoria. This place was previously known as "Horton Corner". Incorporated as a town in the year 1887.

The Mi’kmaq name for this place was "Penooek" meaning Pineo's place. Kentville was one of the four Township divisions of Kings County.

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Halifax

Halifax, Halifax County — The Mi’kmaq name was "Chebookt" meaning "Chief Harbor", or "Great Long Harbor". Halifax was known as "Chebucto" up to the year 1749. On the 18th day of July of that year it was called "Halifax" in Honor of the Earl of Halifax, then President of the English Board of Trade, whose title was from the English city of that name. His name was George Dunk Montague. He died in 1772. It is said that Lord Halifax, having no family and wishing to immortalize his name, sent Edward Cornwallis as Governor of Nova Scotia. Cornwallis arrived with 2576 immigrants in July 1749, and it was he who changed the name Chebucto to Halifax in Honor of his patron.

It is interesting to note the probable derivation of the word "Halifax". The word means "Holy Hair" the name being accounted for by the fact that the head of a virgin who had been murdered was suspended from a tree in the neighbourhood of the English city "Halifax".

Lord Halifax was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1761.

Halifax was declared a free port in 1817 and was incorporated in the year 1841. It became the capital of Nova Scotia in the year 1749, when the Provincial Headquarters were removed from Annapolis, which was capital or Provincial Headquarters from 1710
to 1749.

Halifax County was divided into four townships, namely: Halifax, Dartmouth, Lawrencetown and Preston.

The north end of Halifax City in the early days was known as "Dutchtown" and the south and suburbs as "Irishtown".

In Halifax is Dalhousie College, named in honor of George Ramsay the ninth Viscount Dalhousie, who was Lt. Governor of Nova Scotia 1816 and Governor of Canada 1820-28. The Earl was the founder of the college in the year 1818. Its Act of Incorporation was passed in 1821. University powers were created in 1841. Closed for some years, but was re-opened and re-organized in 1863.

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Folly Lake

Folly Lake (Folly Mountain), Colchester County — This word applied to the name of a place found on, and described as, "an unfortunate location". In this case, it expresses the opinion of neighbours toward one of the founders whose name was Flemming. At first it was known as "Flemming Folly" and then later as "The Folly". It then became "Fawleig" and also was once on the railway time tables as "Folleigh".
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Economy

Economy, Colchester County — Village and River. The Mi’kmaq name was "Kenomee", which means "Sandy Point" or "a long point jutting out into the sea". This name is found in old church records and tokens spelled "Oeconomy". Later it was found spelled "Conomy" and at present "Economy", which suggests a meaning altogether different, and less appropriate, than the original "Kenomee".

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Amherst

Amherst, Cumberland County - was named after Lord Jeffrey Amherst (1717-1797) who, in co-operation with Admiral Boscawen, captured Louisburg in 1758. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief and Governor General in America in 1761. Previous to 1759, it was called by the French "Les Planches".

The Mi’kmaq name was "Nemaloos Kudaagun" and "Nemcheboogwek", the latter meaning going up rising ground. One of the three original township divisions of Cumberland County is called Amherst.
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Acadia

Acadia - Acadia, sometimes Cadie or Kaddy, is the Mi’kmaq equivalent of region, field, ground, land or place, the place of; and when joined to an adjective, it denotes that the place referred to is the appropriate or special place of the object expressed by the noun or noun-adjective. In the Mi’kmaq language adjectives of this kind are formed by suffixing "a" or "wa" to the noun.

As an example: Segubbun is the Mi’kmaq name for ground nut. Segubbuna, of or relating to ground nuts. SegubbunaKaddy, is the place or region of ground nuts. This gives us the place name of "Shubenacadie".

The Wolastoqiyik Aboriginals used the word "quoddy" for "Kaddy" as it occurs in the place name "Passamaquoddy".

Acadia included the greater part of Maine, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and was known as "the Duke's territory" and later as "the King's territory", it was also sometimes called "the province of Sagadahock".
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