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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