SAMUEL SPARROW ~ 
18TH-CENTURY CAPE BRETON ISLAND 

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TRANSCRIBED DOCUMENTS 

1784 - 1786  - DesBarres

List of Plans

Description of Sydney Buildings

1793

C-1457

Pages 1615 - 1616 (pp. 62-63)

Pages 1615 - 1616

[b] Vide: LIST of Plans given into Office to elucidate sundry Services by Surveyors, Chainman, Axmen and Labourers employed under the Orders of DesBarres in laying out Towns and Settlements for the Fishery, opening Roads of Communication through the Woods, admeasuring Allotments of Lands to Individuals &c: PLANS ELEVATIONS and DESCRIPTIONS of Buildings and Works executed by Artifiers and Labourers, such as erecting Wharfs, Magazines, &c: vis,

" A GENERAL PLAN of Cape Breton, divided into Districts, Counties and Townships, with Observations, &c. PLANS of the Harbour and Environs of Sydney - of the Town of Sydney - of the Fishing Settlement of Indienne - of the Town and Fishing Port of Menadieu - of Louisbourg Harbour and Fishing Allotments - of the Township of Miray, &c. PLANS, ELEVATIONS and SECTIONS of Buildings as follows viz:

MAGAZINE for Provisions, Stores and Implements (50 by 20 Feet and 22 in Height) built with strong Logs, clapboarded over, Roof doubly covered with Inch Board and capped over Joints, Lower Floor laid with flatted Logs closed and boarded over, upper Floor with Plank and Boards; the whole fitted with Divisions Shelves and Compartments for the various Stores, Tools, &c.

STORE for Provisions (35 by 22 Feet and 15 in Height) built with Logs and covered over with Sodd, in order to be secure against the severe Frost.

SMALL BUILDING erected for DesBarres' immediate Shelter on his Arrival at the Colony in Winter 1784 (21 by 20 Feet and 17 in Height framed boarded and clapboarded over, Roof boarded and shingled, floored and partitioned with Plank and Boards covered with Canvas and papered over &c. Also Three capacious SHEDS, compleated with Logs, Boards and Plank, and fitted for the Reception and Shelter of the newly arrived Settlers and their Families.

SHED for issuing Tools to the Artificers and Labourers (20 by 14 Feet and 10 in Height), Sides, Roof and Partitions of Board and Plank.

PROVISION STORE and COMMISSARY'S OFFICE (40 by 20 Feet and 12 in Height) Sides Ends and Roof of Inch Board lapped over, Partitions and Floors of Plank.

BLACKSMITH'S FORGE (18 by 14 Feet and 17 in Height) Sides and Ends of Logs boarded over, Roof of Boards overlapped, completely fitted with Bellows, Anvils, Vices, &c: &c:

CARPENTER'S WORK SHOP (40 by 20 Feet and 15 in Height) Sides Ends and Roof covered with Boards overlapped, Floor Two Inch Plank, fitted with Working Benches, &c: &c:

BARRACKS for six Companies (135 by 35 Feet and 31 in Height). Foundation of strong Masonry with Cellars for Provisions, partitioned and fitted with Plank. Superstructure, a Strong Timber Frame, Sides and Ends double boarded grooved and clapboarded over, Roof boarded and shingled, Three Floors framed and double boarded, Four Stacks of Chimnies, Three Stair Cases, Twenty Rooms and Closets fitted for Officers, Non Commissioned Officers and Privates, Inside furred lathed and plaistered throughout, Loft for Baggage and Quarters Master's Stores, Roof and Outside painted over Clapboards and Shingles.

BREWHOUSE (22 by 20 Feet and 16 in Height) Sides and Ends of Logs, Roof boarded.

STORE for the GARRISON PROVISIONS (50 b y 20 Feet and 25 in Height) Sides and Ends of Logs, Roof doubly boarded and shingles, Floors Two Inch Plank and Boards.

GOAL (20 by 14 Feet and 14 in Height). Sides Ends and Roof of strong Logs caulked, &c: Roof covered with overlapped inch Boards, Floor and Partitions with Plank and Boards.

BUILDING for holding COURTS MARTIAL, OFFICER'S MESSHOUSE, 33 by 22 Feet and 21 in Height) composed of a strong Frame doubly boarded, Roof boarded and shingled, Inside lined with Boards, Floors Partitions and Closets of Inch Boards.

SCHOOL HOUSE (22 by 18 Feet and 17 in Height) Framed boarded and clapboarded, Roof boarded and shingled, Floors Two Inch Plank and Boards, fitted with Tables, Benches, &c: [The Books are a gift from Sir William Delben.]

HOUSE and OFFICE for the COMPTROLLER OF HIS MAJESTY'S CUSTOMS (24 by 19 Feet and 14 in Height) a Frame doubly boarded Partitions and Closets of Inch Boards.

MARKET HOUSE (24 by 17 Feet and 15 in Height) a Frame, the Sides Ends and Roof Inch Boards overlapped, Floor planked.

GUARD HOUSE (22 by 16 Feet and 15 in Height) framed, Sides Ends and Roof doubly boarded and overlapped, floored and with fitted Plank, &c:

HOUSE for the OFFICER commanding the Garrison Troops (33 b y 22 Feet and 21 in Height.) Fundation [sic] and Cellars of strong Masonry. Superstructure framed, Sides and Ends boarded and Roof clapboarded, boarded and shingled, Floors doubly boarded, Onside and Partitions furred lathed and plaistered, finished Base Surbase and Cornices, pannelled Doors, compleated and painted throughout.

EIGHT small BUILDINGS for the Wives and Families of the Garrison Non Commissioned Officers and Soldiers. (each 20 by Feet 31 and 13 in Height (Sides and Ends of Logs boarded outside and inside, Roofs overlapped Inch Boards, Floors and Partitions Planks and Boards.

HOSPITAL (30 by 16 Feet and 18 in Height) framed, Sides and Ends doubly boarded and clapboarded over, Roof boarded and shingled, Floors doubly boarded, Inside furred lathed and plaistered, Partitions Medicine Room Closets and Births for the Sick of Inch Boards and Plank.

ROOTHOUSE for the GARRISON (20 by 20 Feet and 15 in depth) framed, Sides and Ends boarded, Roof of Logs boarded over and covered with Two Feet of Earth and boarded over all, Trunks to admit fresh Air, &c:

SERJEANT MAJOR'S HOUSE (22 by 16 Feet and 15 in Height) a Frame, Sides and Ends boarded and clapboarded, Roof boarded and shingled, Floors and Partitions of Boards and Plank.

TWO OFFICES for the Secretary and Clerks, and the Inspector and Paymaster and Overseers of the Public Works (each 20 by 18 Feet and 17 in Height) framed, Sides and Ends doubly boarded and clapboarded, Roofs doubly boarded and shingled, Floors and Partitions of Plank and Boards, pannelled Doors, fited [sic] with Tables, Shelves and Closets for Papers, &c.

STORE for PROVISIONS &c: (40 by 20 Feet and 18 in Height) Foundation of Masonry. Superstructure a Frame, Sides and Ends boarded and grooved Roofs boarded and shingled, Floors Partitions Shelves and Compartments for Tools &c: of Plank Boards.

HOUSE for the ISSUER of PROVISIONS (18 by 14 Feet and 15 in Height) Sides and Ends boarded and clapboarded, Roof boarded and shingled, Floors doubly boarded, Partitions, &c: of Plank and Boards.

HOUSE and WORKSHOP for the QUARRIERS and STONE CUTTERS, (34 by 22 Feet and 17 in Height). Frame, Sides Ends and Roof doubly covered with Boards overlapped, Floors planked. A large quantity of Free Stone with cut Blocks and Slabs, prepared for building the Church and Government House, remained at this Place on DesBarres Departure from the Colony.

BUILDING for a PUBLIC SCHOOL (52 by 29 Feet and 23 in Height) Foundation strong Masonry. Superstructure a Frame, Sides and Ends covered with grooved Plank weatherboarded over, Roof boarded and shingled. [This Building was (when nearly compleated) on the 27th of September 1786, blown down by a violent Hurricane, which at the same time destroyed a considerable Number of Houses belonging to the Settlers.]

BUILDING for holding the SUPREME COURT and other Courts of Judicature (52 by 29 Feet and 23 in Height. [Blown down by the Hurricane mentioned.]

HOUSE erected on a Piece of Ground laid out as a private property to DesBarres and intended only as a TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION at his own Cost until the Public Buildings to be erected on the Allotment of Land reserved for a Government House and Offices might be compleated for his Reception, for which purpose Materials were prepared (55 by and 38 Feet 28 in Height.) Foundation of Masonry with Vaults, Cellars and Kitchens. Superstructure a Frame filled with Blocks, Outside laid over with Two Inch Plank grooved and tongued, Roof boarded and shingled, Floors of Boards tongued and grooved, Inside furred lathed and plaistered, Partitions of Plank and Boards.

DesBarres Papers, Series 5 (M.G. 23, F1-5, Vols. 7-12), Representation of DesBarres Case, 1788-1804, ff. 1615-1616

https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c1457/274

https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c1457/275

NOTE:

• [1785] ... DesBarres expected the troops to work, and drove them mercilessly; stone had to be carried for building foundations, roads had to be built, barracks and huts erected. [9] By December, a barracks, a hospital, a mess house, carpenter's shop governor' s quarters, bake house, provision store, jail and teacher's house were nearing completion [10]. ....

  Sydney did not share in the moderate growth of the rest of the colony. Though building had gone ahead quickly in 1785, it had ceased by 1787- Macarmick thought Sydney needed a new government house, court house and jail, [113] but public building had been suspended while DesBarres answered charges of overspending ....

  Government house which Macarmick described as a "slight wooden building formed of green and bad materials and every room...constructed...at a different time so that the whole is a heap composed of many useless parts", also served as a church and court house. [117]
  --------------
  9. Yorke to DesBarres, 6 October 1785 , C.B. Al, pp. 107-108.
  10. Memorandum to H.W. Perry, 1785, C.B. Al, p. 252.
  113. Council, 27 October 1787, C.B. B3, pp. 138-139.
  117. Macarmick to Sydney, l6 May 1789, C.B. A6, p. 150. Smith, Caveat, p. 48.

  Orphan Outpost: Cape Breton Colony 1781-1820 by Robert J. Morgan Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. University of Ottawa , June 1972
  https://ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/21073  - Orphan outpost: Cape Breton colony, 1784--1820 - DC53401.PDF 

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  Cape Breton A. Dispatches and enclosures from the lieutenant-governors administrators and other public officers of Cape Breton, 1784-1820. This is a composite series transcribed from the various sources in Great Britain as indicated in the 1895 Report of the Public Archives.

  https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.8_03505_15/1  - Report on Canadian archives / : Report on Canadian Archives : 1895

  Cape Breton B. Executive Council of Cape Breton, Minutes, 1785-1807. A composite series transcribed from the Board of Trade and Colonial Office correspondence. Calendar available at P.A.C., Xavier College.
  https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.8_03505_15/1
  

1796

CIHM

Pages 61 - 63

• A statement submitted by Lieutenant Colonel DesBarres, for consideration [microform] : respecting his services, from the year 1755, to the present time : in the capacity of an officer and engineer during the war of 1756 : the utility of his surveys and publications of the coasts and harbours of North America, intituled, The Atlantic neptune : and his proceedings and conduct as lieutenant governor and commander in chief of His Majesty's colony of Cape Breton (1796) - https://archive.org/details/cihm_94770 - Pages 61-63

http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_mikan_104684

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