Pomquet
Encyclopedia
Pomquet is a small Acadian
village located in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia
, Canada
.
Pomquet is home to approximately 900 inhabitants, most of Acadian
ancestry. Many others visit and decide to make Pomquet their home – for its beauty, sense of community, and connection to the land and water. The community is nestled along two harbours (Pomquet and Monk's Head) separated from St. George's Bay by the barrier island that houses the unique Pomquet Beach.
Pomquet's beginnings date back thousands of years, when the Mi'kmaq settled the land and made use of the richness of the harbours, the bay and the forests. Acadians affected by the Great Expulsion of 1755 and French settlers came to the area in the late 18th century, and cleared the land bordering the two harbours for farmland. The relationship between the Mi'kmaq and the Acadians was one of mutual respect.
Pomquet residents have a strong sense of community. Historically, this was centred on the Roman Catholic Church. L'Église Ste. Croix was built on a promontory in the centre of the community in the late 19th century. The Church was and continues to be a focal point for many members of the community. The cemetery below the church records the genealogical history of the majority of families in Pomquet, including the founding families.
École Acadienne de Pomquet, which provides P-12 education entirely in French, is another focal point for community events.
Chez Deslauriers and the Pomquet Museum both provide historical information for visitors.
Pomquet has evolved into a community with a strong sense of self and connection to the land and water. Farming and fishing continue to be practiced in Pomquet, but most residents have found employment in the larger centre of Antigonish.
It is not known when the first native people arrived in the Pomquet area. Mi'kmaq artifacts have been found in several locations along the shores of Pomquet Harbour, and Acadian oral history suggests that at least two burial grounds were present, one in Pomquet Point and the other in Monk's Head, at the site of the first chapel in Pomquet.
Pomquet was first settled by Acadians in 1773. These Acadians were exiles from Saint-Malo
, France
. They arranged passage to Nova Scotia with merchants from nearby Jersey
, a British Crown Dependency
. The families likely initially arrived in the Acadian community of Arichat and then traveled to Tracadie
and Havre Boucher, before moving westward along the coastline to Pomquet Harbour.
The first families to arrive and settle on the shores of Pomquet Harbour were named Broussard, Duon (now Deon, D'Eon and DeYoung), Doiron, and Vincent (all Acadians) and Louis Lamarre, a Frenchman. When they arrived, 23 Mi'kmaq families were living in the area. In 1789, these five families were issued land grants along Pomquet Harbour and Taylor Creek (located near the present community hall) by the Nova Scotia government.
These families were joined between 1785 and 1794 by another group of exiled Acadians who had made their way from St. Malo and were likely related to the first group of settlers by marriage. These families were named Brosard (Broussard), Landry, Boudrot (now Boudreau), Melançon (now Melanson), Rosia (now Rogers), and Daigle, and accompanied by Louis Morell of Quebec
. Another 16 land grants were issued in 1793 to the original settlers and to those following them.
In 1817, two soldiers (likely originally from Belgium), captured by the British during the Napoleonic Wars
and imprisoned on Georges Island in Halifax Harbour made their way to Pomquet. They were Jean-Baptiste Reny-Rombaud or Reny-Rimbeau (now Rennie) and Jean-Baptiste Vendome (now Venedam). Settlers that arrived later in the 19th century included Philipart (likely French), DeKrauz (now Cross) from St. Pierre and Miquelon, Toupais (likely French), Drouillet (origin unknown), Wolfe (from Chezzetcook
), Benoit (from Tracadie), and Deslauriers (originally Jacquet from Quebec and now Delorey) from Tracadie.
The early settlers were self-sufficient, and initially survived mainly by fishing. They fished flatfish (flounder), eel, and smelts from Pomquet Harbour, trout and salmon from Pomquet River, and mackerel and lobsters from St. George's Bay.
After a few years, the settlers began clearing the land for growing crops and raising livestock.
From the initial arrival by Acadians, the settlement of Pomquet was linked to the Acadian communities of Arichat and Cheticamp in Cape Breton, economically, culturally, religiously, and by familial connections. The first Acadian and French settlers in Pomquet were mostly Roman Catholic and shortly after their arrival, were served by the Roman Catholic Church.
For the first few years after their arrival, the goal of the Acadian settlers was survival, establishing a claim to the land, and then clearing the land for farming. They were aided to a great extent by the Mi'kmaq and their knowledge of the land.
(CSAP).
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
village located in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Pomquet is home to approximately 900 inhabitants, most of Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
ancestry. Many others visit and decide to make Pomquet their home – for its beauty, sense of community, and connection to the land and water. The community is nestled along two harbours (Pomquet and Monk's Head) separated from St. George's Bay by the barrier island that houses the unique Pomquet Beach.
Pomquet's beginnings date back thousands of years, when the Mi'kmaq settled the land and made use of the richness of the harbours, the bay and the forests. Acadians affected by the Great Expulsion of 1755 and French settlers came to the area in the late 18th century, and cleared the land bordering the two harbours for farmland. The relationship between the Mi'kmaq and the Acadians was one of mutual respect.
Pomquet residents have a strong sense of community. Historically, this was centred on the Roman Catholic Church. L'Église Ste. Croix was built on a promontory in the centre of the community in the late 19th century. The Church was and continues to be a focal point for many members of the community. The cemetery below the church records the genealogical history of the majority of families in Pomquet, including the founding families.
École Acadienne de Pomquet, which provides P-12 education entirely in French, is another focal point for community events.
Chez Deslauriers and the Pomquet Museum both provide historical information for visitors.
Pomquet has evolved into a community with a strong sense of self and connection to the land and water. Farming and fishing continue to be practiced in Pomquet, but most residents have found employment in the larger centre of Antigonish.
History
The name Pomquet, also historically spelled Pomquette, is derived from the Mi'kmaq word "popumkek" or "pogumkek" likely meaning "sandy beach", "a good place to land", or "a sand beach with bushes growing on it". All of these are in reference to Pomquet Beach. The name "Pomquet" pays homage to the first inhabitants of the area – the Mi'kmaq.It is not known when the first native people arrived in the Pomquet area. Mi'kmaq artifacts have been found in several locations along the shores of Pomquet Harbour, and Acadian oral history suggests that at least two burial grounds were present, one in Pomquet Point and the other in Monk's Head, at the site of the first chapel in Pomquet.
Pomquet was first settled by Acadians in 1773. These Acadians were exiles from Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. They arranged passage to Nova Scotia with merchants from nearby Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
, a British Crown Dependency
Crown dependency
The Crown Dependencies are British possessions of the Crown, as opposed to overseas territories of the United Kingdom. They comprise the Channel Island Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey in the English Channel, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea....
. The families likely initially arrived in the Acadian community of Arichat and then traveled to Tracadie
Tracadie, Nova Scotia
Tracadie is a small community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Antigonish County. Tracadie has close links with nearby Upper Big Tracadie. Tracadie was settled by Black loyalists in the early 18th century.-References:**...
and Havre Boucher, before moving westward along the coastline to Pomquet Harbour.
The first families to arrive and settle on the shores of Pomquet Harbour were named Broussard, Duon (now Deon, D'Eon and DeYoung), Doiron, and Vincent (all Acadians) and Louis Lamarre, a Frenchman. When they arrived, 23 Mi'kmaq families were living in the area. In 1789, these five families were issued land grants along Pomquet Harbour and Taylor Creek (located near the present community hall) by the Nova Scotia government.
These families were joined between 1785 and 1794 by another group of exiled Acadians who had made their way from St. Malo and were likely related to the first group of settlers by marriage. These families were named Brosard (Broussard), Landry, Boudrot (now Boudreau), Melançon (now Melanson), Rosia (now Rogers), and Daigle, and accompanied by Louis Morell of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Another 16 land grants were issued in 1793 to the original settlers and to those following them.
In 1817, two soldiers (likely originally from Belgium), captured by the British during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
and imprisoned on Georges Island in Halifax Harbour made their way to Pomquet. They were Jean-Baptiste Reny-Rombaud or Reny-Rimbeau (now Rennie) and Jean-Baptiste Vendome (now Venedam). Settlers that arrived later in the 19th century included Philipart (likely French), DeKrauz (now Cross) from St. Pierre and Miquelon, Toupais (likely French), Drouillet (origin unknown), Wolfe (from Chezzetcook
Chezzetcook
Chezzetcook may refer to the following places:*East Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia*Head of Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia*Lower East Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia*West Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia...
), Benoit (from Tracadie), and Deslauriers (originally Jacquet from Quebec and now Delorey) from Tracadie.
The early settlers were self-sufficient, and initially survived mainly by fishing. They fished flatfish (flounder), eel, and smelts from Pomquet Harbour, trout and salmon from Pomquet River, and mackerel and lobsters from St. George's Bay.
After a few years, the settlers began clearing the land for growing crops and raising livestock.
From the initial arrival by Acadians, the settlement of Pomquet was linked to the Acadian communities of Arichat and Cheticamp in Cape Breton, economically, culturally, religiously, and by familial connections. The first Acadian and French settlers in Pomquet were mostly Roman Catholic and shortly after their arrival, were served by the Roman Catholic Church.
For the first few years after their arrival, the goal of the Acadian settlers was survival, establishing a claim to the land, and then clearing the land for farming. They were aided to a great extent by the Mi'kmaq and their knowledge of the land.
École Acadienne de Pomquet
L'école Acadienne de Pomquet was built in 2001. There are more than 200 students from kindergarten to grade 12 that attend the school. The school is a member of the Conseil Scolaire Acadien ProvincialConseil scolaire acadien provincial
The Conseil scolaire acadien provincial is the Francophone school board for Nova Scotia.It was created in 1996.-Région Nord-Est :*Centre scolaire Étoile de l'Acadie; Sydney*École acadienne de Pomquet; Pomquet*École Beau-Port; Arichat...
(CSAP).