Truro to launch 18th-century history
Necessaries and Sufficiencies
New book details life of 18th-century “Planters”
Truro area researchers bring archives to life
Sydney, September 12, 2011 – The year 2011 marked the 250th anniversary of the coming of New England and Irish Planters to Cobequid, Nova Scotia.
A new book by historians Carol Campbell and James Smith offers a glimpse into the daily life of these settlers.
Necessaries and Sufficiencies: Planter Society in Londonderry, Onslow and Truro Townships, 1761-1780 (CBU Press), will be officially launched this Saturday (17th) as part of Truro’s Harvest Moon Festival.
Following the expulsion of Acadians from their lands and settlements (1755-1762), the British set out to recruit productive and loyal subjects from New England and from Ireland. These groups of settlers came to be known as “Planters.”
On their arrival in Cobequid district, kinship groups and former neighbours from New England and Ireland established tightly knit communities; commonalities like military and religious associations extended throughout the district.
Necessaries and Sufficiencies is a well-researched glimpse into the migration, settlement, religion, education, occupations, health and daily life of the Planters, tracing the evolution of New England and Irish peoples into a cohesive society with common social, political, cultural and material standards.
While the district’s pro-American response at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War pitted Cobequid against the King’s Government, moderation on both sides led to the assimilation of the Planters into the fabric of Nova Scotia and feisty Cobequid became loyal Colchester.
The book is a must-read for anyone curious about the people and places of northeastern Nova Scotia.
Necessaries and Sufficiencies is already available in regional bookstores and will be officially launched 2–4 p.m. at the Colchester Historical Society Museum and Archives, 29 Young Street, Truro. Everyone Welcome.
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