On my return from Loran, I rode to the Peninsula of the Old Town, which is three miles distant from the Church. The Old French roads around the harbor and in the town still remain. In company with a party who were on a visit to Louisburgh from Sydney, I walked over the site of the fortification and town. An old resident of that part of Louisburgh of the name of Kennedy acted as guide. The spot for some distance is marked with evident traces of very strong fortifications and other remains. Some remains were very perfect. The bomb-proof cassines, and the arches beneath the citadel are still standing, and even now are of immense strength. Long lines of high but ruined walls, overgrown with grass and sods; and remains of out works and batteries are distinctly visible. The sites of the barracks, barrack-yard, and parade ground are also plain; and the site of the cathedral is pointed out. [He also refers to the area as "a scene of desolation"] ... In the space between the barracks and the parade was a solitary grave, covered with a stone slab, placed there to the memory of Lieut. Haldiman, of the 60th Regiment, who was drowned in the moat when skating on the ice, the 16th of November 1765. The inscription is quite plain ...

On a visit to the lighthouse on the north-eastern side of the harbor, in the charge of Lawrence Kavanagh, the visitor makes reference to "three cannon, 36 pounders, which belonged to the French", lying in the "crevices of the rocks below the lighthouse ... The platform upon which they [the cannon] stood is still visible, and the spot where the furnace was placed for heating the shells. The rust and the chafing of the waters have worn the surface of these guns quite smooth; but they still remain apparently as whole as ever." [190]

It is a member of the Kennedy family that this visitor makes reference to, interestingly enough, as the guide to the Old Town.

Habitation does not seem to have been one of the outstanding features of the site, as it fails to stir the visitor to comment, other than to refer to the desolation.

A quarterly report to the Society of the Propagation of the Gospel from Rev. R.J. Uniake, Sydney, on 6 October 1853, refers to the area of Louisbourg:

On Saturday the 17th of the same month September, I set out again to visit another fishing settlement of this mission. The place was Louisbourg - the once celebrated fortified harbour of the French who a little more than 100 years ago held it with other parts of Cape Breton in their possession. A striking change is now exhibited. Sod-covered mounds, and ruined batteries are all that is left of the strong fortifications, which once defended this fine harbour, and instead of a town of 15 thousand inhabitants which was formerly protected by them, no more than fifty houses appear scattered along the shores. The remains of the Old French roads still tell plainly that it was more once than a mere fishing settlement. A great number of the inhabitants are Roman Catholics; and about 15 families perhaps may be numbered amongst the members of the Church of England. [191]

This depiction is not an encouraging one of the whole area. It emphasizes the lack of settlement and the descent to obscurity as a small unflourishing fishing post.

A map of Louisbourg Harbor [192] by Commander J. Orlebar, R.N., dated 1857-8 shows the Louisbourg area and indicated buildings in the region. It would appear from this map that the old townsite had twenty buildings strung along what were probably at one time the Rue St. Louis and the Rue Royalle. One would suspect that many of these were remains of the Old French buildings, for reports from writers of the time do not indicate such a number of new buildings. A map of seven years later, as will be seen, does not indicate a number such as twenty as being inhabited houses. If this is not the explanation, then the number of buildings indicated on this map is difficult to understand.

There are not more than fifty buildings shown on the lots around the entire harbor. This number would seem to be in line with that reported by Rev. R.J. Uniake in 1853.

Frederick S. Cozzens' account of the area in 1859 does not suggest such habitation, although one might suspect that his report of the lack of habitation is carried to an extreme. The colorful prose of Mr. Cozzens states:

Neither roof nor spire remains now; nor square nor street; nor convent, church, nor barrack. The green turf covers all; even the foundations of the houses are buried. It is a city without an inhabitant ... with no signs of life visible within these once warlike parapets except the peaceful sheep grazing upon the very brow of the citadel ... There are about a dozen fishermen's huts on the beach outside the walls of the old town of Louisburgh [sic]. [193]

Rev. D. Honeyman visited Louisbourg in 1861 and, although he does not comment on habitation, he does refer to the casemates in the Old Town. The reference gives some indication of the use to which much of the land was put. The frequently mentioned sheep, which seemed to inhabit much of the land, apparently had rather unique abodes, according to the following report:

In September 1861 I visited Louisbourg, shortly after it had been visited by Prince Napoleon ... Here are what is styled remains of the Bomb proof vaults; There are three of them which were used as sheep pens, sheep taking shelter there and making an organic deposit. There are evidently portions of the casemates which I have indicated from ... [a] plan as forming part of the King's Bastion or Citadel. [194]

Abraham Gesner in the Canadian Journal, [195] 1862, gave a brief description of the ruins and pinpointed habitation on the Fortress as consisting of six fishermen's families:

The city is now occupied by six families of poor fishermen; two stories of the hospital remain, as do the foundations of the Governor's house and other public buildings, with much of the massive masonry of the bomb-proofs and bastions. Had Louisbourg continued to exist up to the present time, its abandonment would not yet have been less certain, for the sea flows within its walls and overflows sites that were formerly inhabited. Its submission is plain and distinct ... The higher parts of the fortress afford shelter for sheep; but each succeeding tide flows freely onto the northern side of the deserted city. The lands westward also bear testimony to an extensive submergence.

Gesner's point of the sea submerging areas of the old city is interesting and, as he indicated, made portions of the site an uncertain and unfit spot for habitation.

Richard John Uniacke [196] during a tour of Cape Breton between 1862 and 1865 saw Louisbourg as a desolate area of "ruined batteries" and "sod-covered mounds". Habitation was not such as to arouse comment.

Similar was the reaction of E. Frame in 1864, who referred to "grass grown mounds ... a few disjointed arches and broken casemates ... crumbled gates and unrecognized streets ... and a few broken rusty implements of siege and defence" as the "only relics of the once proud fortress". She saw only green turf, covering what was once a populous city, and "sheep quietly cropping the herbage on the glacis". [197]

Fortunately, a much more factual and informative source is available to depict Louisbourg at this time. A Mr. Church constructed for this area various plans of town and villages in Cape Breton. [198] His 1864 plan of the district of Louisbourg is very valuable, showing the habitation all around the harbor. Within the Old Town, six buildings are indicated - four near the junction of the Main Road "and King Street [so called], and two near the southern end of King Street. The names given for each of the buildings were J. Kelly, W. Power, D. Kennedy, T. Kennedy, J. Cryer, J. Price. The name M. Slattery appears, but no corresponding house. It may have been that while he owned land there he resided elsewhere. The map would suggest that his residence was in North-West Louisbourg. Just outside the walls a house is indicated as belonging to M. Pope, and on the shore, four or five fish stores on the back of them. The Kennedies, Powers, Prices, Cryers, and Slatteries are all names that previous documents have mentioned in regard to Louisbourg (Old Town). This map, thus, gives the most lucid and accurate information for this era.

A very general description by John MacMullan in 1868, states: " ... Although the harbor still affords shelter from storms, a few hovels only mark the spot which so much treasure was expended to fortify ...". [199]

J.G. Bourinot, writing about the site in 1868, gives a much more complete description, illustrating the poverty of the inhabitants and the unproductivity of the soil.

The form of the batteries is easily traced, although covered with sod and a number of bomb proof casemates, or places of retreat for the women and children in the case of siege, are still standing ... A person who dwells near the old town told me that he had recently dug up an old cellar full of cannon balls.

The country surrounding the harbor is exceedingly barren and uninteresting, and the houses, which are scattered about at distant intervals, are of poor description; whilst the small farms in the vicinity do not appear to be at all productive ... It is certainly strange that Louisbourg, notwithstanding its great advantages as a port, should have remained so entirely desolate since it fell into British hands. Whilst other places, without its natural facilities for trade, and especially for carrying on the fisheries have grown up, the world has passed by Louisbourg, and left it in a state of almost perfect solitude. A few hovels now occupy the site of the old town... [200]

LAND TRANSACTIONS

Land changed hands occasionally at Old Town, but usually conveyances were to relatives or inhabitants of the area. A judgment dated 10 December 1852, was recorded against Richard Power by Philip S. Dodd for £11 12s 10d. This judgment was assigned by Philip S. Dodd to William Cryer by instrument on 22 January 1855. [201] On 26 May 1853 Richard Power, yeoman, and his wife Ellen [Kennedy], probably in order to meet their debts, to William A. Cryer, trader transferred:

All that certain piece or parcel of land situated at the South western side of Louisbourg Harbour and commencing at the eastern corner of a certain piece of land deceded to the said William A. Cryer by the said Richard Power and Ellen his wife on the 20th day of April, 1840 and running along the Road east eighty degrees southerly along the Road twenty feet thence north ten degrees eastwardly down to the water's edge thence along the shore north westwardly twenty feet or to the boundary of the said William A. Cryer ... [202]

On 3 April 1853, Richard and Ellen Power conveyed to their four children - William Power, Margaret Power, Mary Kelly [wife of John Kelly] and Ann Power - "All the land, property and livestock possessed by him at Louisbourg with houses and buildings (etc.] [203] ..."

By deed dated 11 September 1856, Hestor Kennedy [unmarried] conveyed to Mary Kelly [Power]:

All that certain lot of land situate on the south side of the south west arm of Louisbourg Harbour ... now in the possession of Mary Kelly and is situate and bounded as follows: Southerly by a lot of land now in the possession of Richard Power and northerly by the Harbour of Louisbourg aforesaid, commencing at the head of a lot of land owned and possessed by the aforesaid Hestor Kennedy and running south easterly 100 feet; thence north easterly till meeting the shore. [204]

The year 1857 saw judgments issued against Richard Power, William Power [his son], and Dennis Kennedy by John Scott. This Dennis Kennedy, on the death of his brother, Pierce Kennedy [the 2nd], around 1850, being the only son of the family of Pierce Kennedy Senior left on the property, took charge of the homestead and worked the farm. His own family consisted of five sons - George, Patrick, Dennis, Pierce, and Theobald - and six daughters - Mary, Ellen, Caroline, Ann, Johanna and Kate. Pierce died intestate and unmarried; George, who absconded in 1869 to the U.S.A., married there and never returned; Theobald, who died later, left his interest to his sisters, Ann and Caroline; Patrick, who married and settled on land adjoining that of Dennis, had one son, Pierce, who later lived in Sydney; Dennis, Caroline and Ann remained on the homestead with their father until his death in 1882; Mary, who married G. Gallant, moved away; Ellen died intestate and unmarried; Johanna seems to have married Michael Pope Senior, and Kate, on marrying J. Shaw, moved away.

A John Kennedy sold a lot of land near the region of the West Gate, but for the most part outside the walls. He sold this land by deed dated 10 March 1860 to William Cryer and John Cryer, Jr., both of Louisbourg. [205]

Another interesting document is a licence of occupation issued to the Kennedys on 30 September 1861 by the Crown.

Whereas application has been made to us by Dennis Kennedy, Junr., George Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy and Theobald all of Louisbourg ... Farmers (sons of Dennis Kennedy) for licence to occupy a lot of land containing fifty acres more or less on the South Western side of Louisbourg Harbour, ... [the Crown has] given and granted ... unto the said Dennis Kennedy Jr., George Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy, and Theobald Kennedy their heirs and assigns Licence and permission to occupy during pleasure the lot of land aforesaid which is bounded as follows: Beginning at high water mark on the shore of the harbour aforesaid at the West Gate of entrance into the Old Town, thence running south fourteen degrees, west twenty seven chains and forty-seven links thence running South 47^o East 10 chains and 75 lks; thence North 16^o East 1 chn. & 50 lks, thence North 51 West 2 chs. ? 46 lks. thence North 6^o East 3 chs. & 27 links thence South 76^o East 7 chs. & 76 lks. thence South 40^o East 10 chs. thence North 60^o East 7 chs. thence North 7^o East 4 chains to a stake on the shore aforesaid, thence Westerly by the said shore at high water mark to the place of beginning. Reserving hereout a lot of one chain square to William Cryer. And also it is to be understood that this Licence is not transferable except by laws of the government otherwise to be void. [206]

A plan accompanies this licence showing the area concerned in the Old Town. [207]

The elder Dennis Kennedy died intestate about 1867; Hester, his sister, also died about that time, intestate and unmarried. Their interest therefore descended to the living children of the former [Dennis Kennedy] and the Powers [Ellen, wife of Richard Power, was a sister of Dennis and Hester]. William A. Cryer who had obtained some of the old Kennedy land from the Powers also died, around 1860, leaving as his heir his one daughter Elizabeth, wife of James Price, by whom she had two sons, Philip and Lawrence. [208]

No other major land transactions seem to have taken place in the Old Town in this era. By 1870, these families that seem to have had their homes on the property were the Kennedys, Powers, Cryers, Kellies, and Prices. Other owners do not seem to have lived on their property in Old Town.