SAMUEL SPARROW ~ 
18TH-CENTURY CAPE BRETON ISLAND 

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SYDNEY

• See also Prince William Henry, the future King William IV, visit to Halifax, arriving August 17, 1788

• See also: Research Thread

JUNE 17, 1788

ORIGINAL COPY

H-1988

http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_h1988/1430?r=0&s=3 http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_h1988/1432?r=0&s=3
 http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_h1988/1433?r=0&s=3

 http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_h1988/1?r=0&s=3

Manuscript Group 11, Colonial Office 220, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Sessional Papers, Journal of the Executive Council, 1788 (MG 11, C.O. 220, C.B. "B", Volume 4), June 17, 1788, pp. 65, 67-68

• [p. 67] His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor stated to the Board that Rear Admiral Sawyer had with great confidence assured him that he ought daily expect a visit from His Royal Highness Prince William Henry at Sydney. He therefore required the advice  and opinion of the Board whether they did not think it necessary that the Council Room and the two small parlours in the government House, being the only Place in which His Royal Highness can possibly be received should not be fitted up  and prepared for his ]p. 68] his [sic] reception.

Whereupon the Board humbly advise that his Excellency would be pleased to cause the said Rooms forthwith to be painted and fitted accordingly and fitted up accordingly and also the Boat belonging to government to be repaired for the accommodation of His Majesty's Council, to wait upon the Prince upon his arrival ...

AUGUST 7, 1788

ORIGINAL COPY

C-11530

Public Archives of Canada, Colonial Office, Cape Breton "A" Macarmick 1788. MG 11, C.B. "A" Vo. 5, p. 13

Col. Cor. C. B., Vol. 64. p. 391 1788. August [Crossed out 4.th ] 7th

http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c11530/1078?r=0&s=6

The expected Arrival of his Royal Highness The Prince William Henry, has induced a wish that the Governor should not appear housed in a uninhabitable manner. The present expense has been only sufficient to render things entirely decent ...

Macarmick ...

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TRANSCRIPT

Annual Report - Public Archives of Canada By Public Archives of Canada - State Papers - Cape Breton
Public Archives of Canada, 1896

August 4, 1788

• [Page 20] August 4 [sic 7], Sydney .... Macarmick to Secretary of State (Sydney). Has been obliged to draw on the Treasury for additional repairs to Government House; sends vouchers, &c. The expected arrival of Prince William Henry makes him wish not to appear housed in an uncreditable manner. The present expense has been only sufficient to render things decent.                  [Col. Cor., C.B. 64, p.] 391 ....

https://books.google.ca/books?id=_a4NAAAAYAAJ&dq=
%22prince+william+henry%22+%22sydney%22&source=gbs_navlinks_s

https://books.google.ca/books?id=S58-AAAAYAAJ&pg=RA4-PA20&lpg=RA4-PA20&dq=Has+been+obliged+to+draw+on+the+Treasury+for+additional+repairs
+to+Government+House;&source=bl&ots=nyJvbZAq9I&sig=aAkFgRrOxM4AzG-7P8qiVIHSFNc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjEhaHKkrnXAhVJ5YMKHZlcCdoQ6AEIKTAB#v
=onepage&q=Has%20been%20obliged%20to%20draw%20on%20the%20Treasury
%20for%20additional%20repairs%20to%20Government%20House%3B&f=false

OCTOBER 8 - 16, 1788

https://archive.org/stream/dyottsdiaryselec01dyotuoft#page/n7/mode/2up
https://archive.org/stream/dyottsdiaryselec01dyotuoft#page/54/mode/2up
 https://archive.org/stream/dyottsdiaryselec01dyotuoft#page/56/mode/2up
https://archive.org/stream/dyottsdiaryselec01dyotuoft#page/58/mode/2up

DYOTT'S DIARY 1781-1845. A SELECTION FROM
THE JOURNAL OF WILLIAM DYOTT, SOMETIME
GENERAL IN THE BRITISH ARMY AND AIDE-DE-CAMP
TO HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE 111. EDITED By REGINALD
W. JEFFERY, M.A. BRASENOSE COLLEGE, OXFORD

IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. 1. WITH PORTRAITS

LONDON. ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE AND COMPANY, LTD. 1907

[p. 55]

October ...

[p. 57]

1788 ...

[October 8] Wednesday. —About three o'clock we came to an anchor in Spanish River (Cape Breton), having had a remarkably fine run from Shelburn. Immediately on our coming to anchor, the Prince sent for us to dinner. The entrance into the harbour has nothing very striking. In the afternoon we went on shore to the coal-mines, which were just opposite to where the ships lay. We all went down by the bucket into the pit, and to be sure a most infernal hole it was. The chief of the governors of Cape Breton's [sic] [p. 58] salary arises from a duty upon the coal got here. The next morning [October 9] we weighed and went about nine miles up the harbour, and anchored off the new settlement called Sydney. The harbour from the mines is about three miles broad, and the shores entirely covered with wood to the water's edge. The French, I believe, had a small settlement here at the time Louisburg was taken in '57,[1] since when it has been quite deserted till the year '83, at which period a governor, etc., was sent out from England, a man of the name of Des Barres, [2] a captain in the 60th regiment; a great surveyor, having published a survey of the coast of North America from Florida, but a most eccentric genius. He fixed the seat of government at Sydney, and I am sorry to say that their improvements have not a very propitious appearance at present. He [We?] dined with his Royal Highness; Lieut.-Colonel Graham, who commands a part of the 42nd regiment quartered at Sydney, dined on board. We got pretty hearty, and went on shore in the evening and supped at Colonel Graham's. The town of Sydney consists of about fifty houses situated on the banks of Spanish River, and surrounded to the very sides of the buildings by almost impenetrable wood. There is a narrow path from the barracks just to keep up a communication, and that 's all the clear country I saw. The barracks are shamefully

 [1] Dyott makes a mistake here. Mr. Bradley in his life of Wolfe writes: 'A town of four thousand people, a big place for the period and locality, had grown up under the protection of the ramparts and frowning cannon.' Louisburg was not taken in '57, but on July 27, 1758.
[2] Joseph Frederick Walsh or Wallet Des Barres (1722-1824) ; military engineer; made successful expedition against the North American Indians 1757; surveyed the coast of Nova Scotia 1763-73; lieutenant-governor of Cape Breton 1784-1805; colonel 1798; governor of Prince Edward Island 1805-13; published charts of the Atlantic and North American coasts. Cf. Prowse, History of Newfoundland, p. 423.

[p. 59 with 1788 in the margin] bad; the troops have cleared a good parade and made themselves as comfortable as their situation would allow. The officers had no rooms in the barracks, and were obliged to build huts and log-houses.

[October 13] Monday. — We dined at a Mr. Cayler's, [Cuyler's] who has a small house and about an acre of cleared land on the opposite side of the harbour. He is an American loyalist, and possesses a considerable property in the province of New York. He is secretary to the Government of Cape Breton. We had a good dinner, and got outrageously drunk, Prince and subject.
 
[October 16] Thursday.  — We left Sydney after having spent a very pleasant week; rather more wine than was good for our
constitutions ...

Monday following, the 20th [October] ....

Saturday ... November ...

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OCTOBER 11

H-1988

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http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_h1988/1?r=0&s=3
 

Manuscript Group 11, Colonial Office 220, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Sessional Papers, Journal of the Executive Council, 1788 (MG 11, C.O. 220, C.B. "B", Volume 4), October 11, 1788, pp. 137-143

Page 133

• Prince William Henry .... assembled at the Council Chamber at Sydney this 11th day of October 1788 ...

Page 141

• At 3 o'Clock His Royal Highness  arrived in the Council Chamber where His Excellency and His Majestys Council waited to receive him ...

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