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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