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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